Chapter 8

Keith was being weird.

Lance stared at the long haired man out of the corner of his eye quizzically. They were on the last stretch of their journey to the Garrison. It had been a days trip of straight riding so they had stopped to rest for the night and now would be arriving later that afternoon. And ever since Keith found out (see actually fucking remembered) that Lance was Lance, he hadn't said much.

Which was weird.

Like weirder than weird… strange. Peculiar. Some other fancy word that he'd normally ask Pidge for but, Pidge being Pidge, she'd want to know what he was looking to describe. And he was not about to open that can of worms. Nope.

So, Keith was being odd. Why?

Was the long haired man finally remembering the interactions they had in school? Admittedly few, but still just as… interesting as they were now. Not that Keith had said so much as a peep in Lance's direction today.

The dick.

The more Lance dwelled on it, the more it seemed like Keith was only actively avoiding him. Keith had no problem responding to Hunk's questions or going along with Pidge's bizarre conspiracy theories. Apparently Keith liked talking about mythical beings like Bigfoot and Nessie just as much as Pidge. If they became close, they could be a lethal combo.

So yeah, Lance was doing his best not to flip his shit. Anything Keith said to anybody grated on his nerves. Because they had spent almost a whole damn day alone together and now the bastard wouldn't say one word to him! Barely glanced in his direction!

Maybe it was because he hit on Shiro?

He scowled at the thought.

Well that couldn't be it. Not many knew of Shiro's romantic life, but when you were as well known as him, people talked. And people said Shiro was gay. So Keith couldn't be mad about that, right?

"Finally!" Pidge shouted as the Garrison came into view. "I'm ready for a fucking shower!"

"Pidge." Shiro frowned at her.

"I'm not a kid, Shiro. I say fuck now." She rolled her eyes, tossing her long braid over her shoulder.

"She says fuck a lot." Lance interjected with a smile.

"You both say f-, that word a lot." Hunk shook his head.

Pidge and Lance shared smiles at their friend's inability to swear unless they were under dire circumstances. The two actually kept a tally of all the times they'd heard Hunk swear. They were up to five. Four of those instances were from when they had been cornered and barely managed to escape the Galra.

The other instance was when someone had made a mess in the kitchen and didn't clean it up. And 'mess' was putting it mildly. The kitchen had been almost destroyed.

Lance had never been so scared of Hunk in his life. He vowed to never enter the kitchen for anything more then a snack after that instance. Pidge too had made the same promise since she had been part of the debicuale. The real magic of the situation was that Hunk never found out it was them.

The only secret Lance ever kept from his best friend. He planned on taking it to the grave with him. Pidge, thankfully seemed to be under the same program.

"They're back!" Lance heard someone from above them shout as they neared the gate. "Drop the barrier."

"Whoa." Shiro and Keith awed as they watched the gold shimmering wall drop. "I can't believe you guys got that stabilized." Shiro commented with an impressed grin.

"That'd be thanks to Holts." Hunk informed him as they waited for the gate to open. "I mean we had a smaller one, back in the first year, but when we found the rest of the Holts, they really helped escalate things."

Lance barely listened to the conversation the two were having, instead his focus found Keith. Again. The black haired man stared at the surroundings. His expression remained neutral for the most part. Except his eyes. They were wide as they survived the area. As if not expecting the Garrison to be in such condition after the incident three years ago.

He ignored the murmur of voices from the group surrounding them. Most were probably surprised by the familiar faces they brought back as well as the addition of two more lions. They had all thought that the ones the 'Dream Three' had were it. Lance couldn't blame them for staring. The additional two lions were a stark contrast to their own. Especially Black with his size.

"Hold up!" A familiar voice drug Lance out of his thoughts. "Shiro?!" A man dropped down from his perch on the gate in front of the large black lion. "Holy fucking shit! Dude! You're alive?!"

"Settle down, Matt. Black may eat you." Lance commented idly with a wary eye on Shiro's lion. The feline didn't seem to be upset but, well, never could be too careful.

Matt Holt froze as if just realizing the possible threat. "Oh. Fuck."

Shiro sighed as a grin tugged at his lips, "so you're the reason little Katie swears so much."

"Pidge." She reminded him sternly.

"That's totally Lance's fucking fault, actually." Matt posted the blame on him.

"Shut the fuck up, Matt." Lance threw him the middle finger. He didn't really mean it of course. Pidge probably picked it up from both of them.

Matt chuckled and threw it back. He then turned his attention back to his long time friend. "Get off your lion Shrio and give me a damn hug! It's been three fucking years!"

Shiro did as told, slipping off Black and quickly embracing the other man. "It's been too long, Matt."

The others dismounted their own companions.

Matt released Shiro only to pull Keith into a hug. "And the emo kid! How is my favorite edgelord?!"

Keith scowled as he tentatively hugged Matt back. "Hey to you too, gizmo." He quickly dropped his arms and Matt took the hint and released him.

"Ah, that's so lame!" He groaned.

"Gizmo?" Pidge smiled widely.

"Don't even, Pidge." Matt warned her with a stern expression.

"Oh my gosh!" She turned to Keith, the man recoiling back at her sudden enthusiasm. "You have to have so much dirt on my brother!"

"Uh." Red's rider stared at her blankly. "Maybe?"

"Yaassss." She clasped Keith's elbow and tried to drag him away. "Tell me everything!"

Matt groaned. "Really Katie can't we-" He stopped mid sentence.

Lance watched in fascination as Matt's expression shifted from annoyance to realization.

"Oh." Matt's eyes went wide. "Oh, fuck!"

"What's the problem?" Keith tilted his head.

"Someone go get Wright!" Matt shouted urgently. "Someone go get him right now!" No one moved. "Fuck. I'll do it myself!" He sprinted into the compound.

Lance furrowed his brow at Matt's urgent tone, not sure why it was so important. He found Hunk and Pidge just as confused. Then he looked to the new members of the group and found both Shiro and Keith frozen.

"Oh my god." Keith whispered, his eyes watching the older man. "Shrio… he's…"

Shiro closed his eyes, as if in pain. "Not yet. Don't…"

Keith's expression dropped. He nodded, not saying anything else. The tension so thick that no one dared say a thing to fill the silence. Not even Lance.

The Dream Three exchanged worried glances. None of them knew what exactly was going on, but came to the same conclusion - Shiro and Keith knew who Matt went to get.

Minutes later, a pair of men came barreling out of the door and into the open space. Matt practically dragging the other - Adam Wright - behind him. Lance probably would have laughed at the look of murder Adam pinned Matt with if the situation had been any different. But he didn't want to ruin whatever was about to happen. So his mouth remained unusually shut.

"Okay, we're out here," Adam wrenched his hand from Matt's hold. "Are you going to tell me now why you dragged me away from-"

Matt placed a finger to his lips. "Shh!" And then he took Adam's chin in his hand and forced him to look at the newcomers.

Adam's jaw dropped. His eyebrows shot up and disappeared behind his sandy colored hair.

"Adam?" The whispered name barely escaped Shiro's lips.

The man with glasses remained stockstill. His tan face losing color as a disbelieving look crossed his features. "Takashi?"

Lance held his breath, felt everyone that was in the clearing do the same, as they waited for one of them to make a room.

Adam broke first. "Takashi!" He shouted and launched forward. Shiro met him half way, the two smashing together in a tight embrace.

Lance couldn't hear what they said to each other. But… the way tears welled in his friend Adam's face told him all he needed to know. Shiro was important to him. He wouldn't trend on that moment. He glanced around, Hunk and Pidge querying Matt, probably wondering what they were witnessing. And Keith stood alone, a small smile on his face.

He strolled up to him. "You look happy."

"I am." Keith responded without hesitation. Lance half expected him to ignore him like he had been for the past day and a half.

"I'm guessing they were together before…" he trailed off. He didn't like talking about the invasion.

"Yeah." The other man nodded, following his train of thought. "Were engaged even."

"Huh." It clicked into place. "So that's why you weren't sleeping with him."

"What?" Keith tore his gaze from the reunited pair to glare at him.

"Shiro." Lance clarified, an explainable feeling of pride welling in him at finally getting Keith's attention on him again. "I was trying to figure out how exactly you two weren't sleeping together. You had one hell of a reaction when I brought it up."

"Cause he's basically my brother."

"Right, right… though that brings me to my original thought about your reaction."

"Which was?"

"Uh…" he shifted, a bit anxious to even say this, "You must be straight?"

Keith snorted. A smile on his lips Lance hadn't seen much of. "Kind of the exact opposite of that." He turned that smile towards Lance and-

Oh.

Ohhh.

Okay so Keith was gay. That. Okay. "Cool." He stupidly said. He cringed as Keith laughed at him.

"You were hitting on me that first night," Keith turned to him fully. He quirked a brow, looking him up and down. "You really didn't know?"

"Uh… no?"

"You're ridiculous." Keith shook his head. "So that was just a game then? Rude to mess with a gay man's heart if your straight. Not cool."

Lance flushed hotly at the confirmation Keith just handed him. "Not straight." He remained him.

Keith hummed. He didn't get a chance to say anything else before someone else busted into their moment.

"Kogane!" The annoying person announced as they stepped up to them.

James Griffin.

Lance didn't even try to hide his snear.

James either didn't care or was so used to the expression, he didn't notice. "I can't believe they managed to find you of all people out there!" He spoke to Keith with a large grin.

One Lance narrowed his eyes at. What was that grin about? James only ever smiled like that at one person. Ryan. He didn't like the implications that came along with that observation.

"Griffin." Keith responded, the easy smile he had been wearing dropping. "Your alive." He stated flatly.

Lance set his lips in a tight line to keep from laughing outright.

"Don't sound so enthused to see me." James grinned even wider.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Lance jumped into the conversation. Amethyst eyes turned in his direction as well as blue gray. He ignored the latter. "You remember him?! But you didn't remember me? What the fuck Kogane!?"

James puffed up with pride. "Obviously I'm the more memorable one, McClain."

Lance bristled, ready to throw down if need be because he was not dealing with James' shit today.

"I told you," Keith starred Lance down, "I thought you were someone else." Before either could say anything he continued. "I only remember his face because it was usually on the other side of my fist."

Lance busted out laughing and James' jaw dropped.

"Oh… oh god…" Lance snickered. "Suck it, Griffin!"

"Shouldn't you be saying that to, Ryan?" He taunted as his nostrils flared.

"Ah," Lance purred, leaning into his space, "don't be jealous." It was a dick move on his part, Lance knew. To mock the feelings he was pretty sure James had. He couldn't help it, okay? Something about his smug face just set Lance off.

Keith glanced between the two as he said, "jealous of you or Ryan?" The question directed at Lance and - well Lance couldn't tell the tone behind it. Wasn't sure how to answer it.

James snorted, readying an answer of his own.

"Lance!" Pidge shouted from across the area. "Stop peacocking and get over here."

He frowned and stared at the other two men. They looked confused too.

"Bring Keith!" She added.

Lance wrapped a hand around Keith's arm and tugged him in Pidge's direction. "Better go. Don't want to make Pidgeon wait. She's not very patient and will retaliate with deadly pranks."

They left James behind without a word.

Keith quirked a brow. He easily kept with Lance's pace. "The more you tell me about her, the more she sounds like my kind of people."

Lance laughed and smiled. "I can't help but find the idea of you guys being friends a little frightening. And weirdly amusing."

Keith returned his smile. "At least she got us away from Griffin."

"Please. I could sense all that tension. You guys are gunna end up hate fucking in a closet. I'm calling it." Lance spoke even as jealousy scratched at his chest at the mere mention of it.

"Yeah, totally going to happen." Amethyst eyes rolled. "Could use a release though."

Lance tripped, face planting into the ground.

Keith busted out laughing. The sound invading Lance's ears. He had no fucking right to sound so-so ugh! Fuck Keith!

"You just can't-" He sputtered and lifted his head. He caught sight of the other man and stopped. Keith continued chuckling and seemed like he was fucking glowing. What the actual fuck.

"Can't what?" Keith challenged as he stared down at Lance still on the ground. His lips settled into a haughty smirk. "Turn your words back on you?"

"That's not-"

"Hey!" Pidge showed up with a scowl. She glanced from Keith, down to Lance. "What are you doing?"

"Testing out the ground." Lance grumbled dropping his too warm face back into it. "Still sturdy. Still dirty. Huh, I think there's a joke somewhere in there." He snickered awkwardly at himself.

"You're an idiot." She responded flatly, a hint of fondness almost hidden. "Anyways. Hunk and I have some work we have to check up on. Adam's got Shiro covered, obviously," she waved vaguely at the direction the suddenly missing pair must have disappeared too. "The lions already took the newbies to their spot so you cool to show Keith around?"

He snapped his head up. "No!"

"I don't need-"

They'd spoken at the same time. Lance denying and Keith insisting he didn't need help. They glared at each other.

"You got a problem with me?" Lance stood up, dusting himself off. He crossed his arms and scowled at Keith.

"I've been here before." Keith didn't answer his question. "I don't need someone to show me around."

"Yeah well-"

"Things have changed a bit." Pidge interrupted Lance. She jabbed him sharply underneath the ribs with her pointy elbow.

He'd almost forgot she was there. He glanced down to find her scrutinizing the pair of them. Lance glanced away, unwilling to be dissected. Pidge may not be the best with people's emotions, preferring to outright avoid most people, but she did know Lance. She'd notice him acting different. And would question why.

Lance generally remained courteous to everyone in their compound. With the exception of his quarrels with James, but Pidge understood those - had a few issues with him herself even. But for Lance to act so rude to Keith just because of a simple misunderstanding of his name wouldn't make sense for what she knew of his character.

She didn't know about his past feelings.

Lance didn't want her to.

"Fine," he relented quickly. Another thing that would probably give her pause - him bending so easily - but Lance just needed to get away. Giving in was the fastest route. "Let's go, Mullet." He turned, trusting Keith to follow after him.

He missed the perplexed look the other two shared behind him.

-.-.-.-.-

"Aaannd the last stop on this magical adventure-"

Keith scoffed.

"-is the garage." Lance ignored him, determined to finish this up and get on his way.

He had shit to do. Okay, well, maybe not today but he didn't want to be around Keith anymore. The guy hadn't said much most of the tour. It was just like the journey back. Mimial talking on Mullet's part. It wore on Lance's nerves. The silence ate away at him, forcing him to keep talking to fill it.

"This is where Hunk does a lot of his magic. Pidge joins him when she's not off messing around with Galra tech and trying to figure out ways to infiltrate their systems more efficiently."

"She actually does that?"

"Oh yeah." Lance waved off his disbelief. "She's the resident hacker. Not even aliens can keep her away from her blood thirsty quest of world domination."

Keith appeared equal parts disturbed as well as amused.

"I mean knowledge." He halfheartedly corrected. "Her quest for knowledge."

"Uh huh." Keith didn't seem to believe him. Probably for the best. Pidge was a gremlin. The more on guard he was around her, the better. For all aspects of his health.

Keith didn't say anything else. Just stared around the expansive area. Lance busied himself with trying to get the old radio in the corner to start up. He needed noise. Music usually helped him feel better about the lack of conversation.

"You guys… found a bike?"

"Huh?" Lance looked up from where he was tinkering.

Keith stood near an old broken down hoverbike. They'd found thing about a month ago abandoned in the desert. Lance thought it was a waste of time. Pidge said it wasn't practical in anyway. Hunk forced them to haul it back anyway, wanting to fix the thing up. Something about how someone would appreciate it even if they couldn't. Lance figured it was the mechanic in hunk that couldn't let the thing be.

He watched as Keith dragged a hand over the scuffed hood. Something gentle almost in the movement. Keith's amethyst eyes shifted up to him expectantly.

Right. He asked a question.

Lance frowned lightly. "It doesn't work. We found it a while ago but Hunk hasn't gotten a chance to look at it yet."

The others man intense stare dropped back to the machine. He walked around it without another word and Lance watched him curiously. Waiting for the static man to say something. Though, maybe he was expecting to much. Keith bantered with him but it wasn't like the other man ever really said what was on his mind.

"Do you think…" Keith started tentatively.

When he didn't continue Lance prompted, "think what?"

Keith nibbled at his bottom lip. Another once over of the machine and his determined eyes lifted to Lance's. "Would Hunk mind if I try to get it going?"

"Is that all?" Lance blinked.

"Would he?"

"You'd have to ask him. I don't really mess with shit in the garage." Lance let his eyes wander over Keith's face. Something shifted in those eyes and Lance found his lips moving. "Doubt it though. Guy has way to many projects as it is. I'd say go for it."

Keith's whole expression lit up. "I'll ask him." He nodded, a pleased smile on his lips. He glanced back down at the hoverbike. He walked around it again, as if sizing it up.

Lance kept staring at him.

Keith… kinda had a nice smile.

Not that that was new information to Lance. He had always appreciated Keith during their Garrison days. For a number of reasons really. That rare smile was one of them.

"Think Hunk would let me borrow some tools?" Keith spoke up again and-

Well Lance couldn't really get over the subtle tells of enthusiasm Keith tried to hide. He wondered why the black haired man tried to hide them at all. Maybe he thought Lance would make fun of him?

"Of course, dude." Lance assured him instantly. A moment of thought and he added, "just like, put shit back where you found it. He's a bit of a stickler for his tools being in order. Which is fucking hilarious given the complete shit show of his workspace."

"Cool." Keith breathed through another smile. "I'm going to go find him." He walked past Lance. "Got any idea where he is?"

"Uh," he checked the time on his communicator. 4 o'clock. "Should be kitchens at this time."

He nodded. "Thanks, Lance." Another little smile.

"No problem."

He resisted the urge to add I didn't do anything. Because Keith's smile dropped back into his resting bitch face. And he was leaving. And Lance kinda didn't want to look at that frown right now. And didn't want Keith to leave. And he wanted -

"Maybe I'll help ya out." He volunteered himself.

Keith paused. He faced Lance, once again eyeing him up and down. "Know anything about mechanics?"

He shrugged, an embarrassed flush already working up his neck. Because no he didn't know shit. "Watched Hunk and Pidge work on stuff lots of times."

Truth

"I'm sure something stuck."

Lie.

"I'm a quick study either way."

Another truth.

"I'm sure." Keith's lips quirked, torn it seemed between amusement and pretending he was bored. "If you don't get in the way, I guess that's fine."

Lance scoffed. "I'll have you know I'm never in the way! I know when I'm not needed and how to take a hint."

Keith quirked a brow.

"Most of the time." Lance confessed easily. "Most of the time I can take a hint."

A laugh abruptly left Keith's lips. Seemed to catch both parties off guard. More so Keith it appeared as the guy straightened and stiffly left.

"Need to talk to Hunk before anything." He threw over his shoulder.

"Yeah." Lance responded kinda dazed.

"See ya, McClain."

"Later, Kogane."

Keith split and Lance took in a deep breath.

That had been interesting. Perhaps having Keith around the base wouldn't be so bad after all.

-.-.-.-.-

He lied.

Having Keith around was sooooo bad. The worst, actually.

"Really? That all you got, McClain?"

Lance gritted his teeth and questioned his life choices from where he laid on the ground. On his back. Because Keith had put him there.

Yeah. Picking a fight with the guy was a stupid thing to do. Lance saw first hand how Keith handled a sword. What on earth made him think he couldn't use his body just like the weapon escaped Lance. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

Not that he had been thinking clearly.

It was only a day after they'd gotten back. They had been in the debriefing room. Lance had landed the glorious job of giving Shiro and Keith a quick rundown of how things worked around the Garrison (Adam of course tagged along. Lance didn't blame him. Guy hadn't seen his fiancé for three years. Lance wouldn't have left his side either. Not to mention Shiro was a total beefcake.)

Shiro had nodded along, seemingly impressed with their setup. Maybe even with Lance himself if he was being optimistic. But Keith…

"You seriously want us to believe that you are in charge around here?"

Lance had bit down the harsh retort on his tongue. Now that he was back on the familiar Garrison ground, he found he could keep his head a little clearer when talking to Keith.

"We're a collective group and not one person is in-"

"Yes, Keith." Adam interrupted with a small frown. "Lance makes the executive decisions more often than not. Kid's got a knack for them."

Keith remained impassive. "I highly doubt that."

"Keith." Shiro warned.

"You've got it easy." He had stared Lance down. "You've got a lot of good people here. They're doing the hard work."

"I never said they weren't." Lance had argued. "I never said I was in charge either."

"You implied it pretty heavily."

"Surprised your oblivious ass can pick up on that."

Both had stood, glaring at each other across the table.

"Uh, guys?" Shiro had followed them up and attempted to pacify them.

Neither would have it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Keith had scowled.

"It means that you wouldn't realize you were getting hit on if someone hit you with the broadside of a barn." Lance had fired scornfully.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"You don't make sense!"

Before things had gotten too heated, Shrio stopped them. "Alright you two obviously need to let out some stress."

"How about a sparring match?" Adam had suggested simply. Mischief had laced his tone, but Lance had ignored it. His competitive side wouldn't focus on anything but Keith.

"Fine." They had both snapped.

Which was how they ended up here. In one of the smaller training rooms.

Why did he do this to himself?

"That's three to zero, McClain." Keith breathed heavily from on top of him. "Ready to quit?"

Right. His pride was on the line.

"Hell no!" Lance growled. "Get off me." Keith rolled off him and stood up in one smooth motion. The asshole. "Best four out of seven."

"You only have one loss to give then. Sure you don't want to up it to five out of nine?" Keith goaded with a smug smirk.

An exasperated sigh followed by Adams tired tone, "really, Keith?"

"What?" The accused turned his gaze to the other tan man.

Lance shifted his eyes between the two. There was a full blown mischievous grin in the brown eyes of his friend. And a deep scowl on his rivals.

"You know if you just admitted it," Adam continued with an innocent tone. One Lance didn't believe for a second. Him and Adam had been friends for over a year now. And Lance liked to think he knew the other man fairly well. "Things would be a lot easier. I mean-"

"Time to go to bed!" Shiro shouted suddenly and threw a hand over Adam's mouth.

"What?" Lance raised to his elbows. He should really get off the ground but couldn't find the strength to do so in the confusing turn this had taken.

He looked to Keith, hoping the same confusion would be there. Instead he found his opponent extremely pissed. Like more then when he was arguing with Lance.

"Good match you two." Shiro nodded, his hand firmly situated over his fiance's mouth. His other on Adam's elbow as he began dragging him away. "Have a goodnight!"

Keith stormed after them. Not so much as a glance in Lance's direction as he mumbled a "night, McClain," as he passed.

"Uh… night, Kogane?" Lance spoke to the empty room.

Well. That was strange.

Like he said earlier - Keith was being weird.

And now so was Adam.

A/N: Sassy Adam is my jam. And we shall see more of him next chapter since I'm planning on writing the whole thing from Keith's POV. (POV subject to change of course depending on Lance).

Hopefully you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you! :)