Keith shivered. It was another day in the Altean Castle, and Coran managed to mess it up again. This time, it was apparently a problem with the heater. It also happened to be a coincidence that Keith's jacket was in the laundry. He decided to go to the training deck to warm himself up.

"Start training level 17," He called out. 5 bots surrounded him, and he summoned his bayard that immediately transformed into the sword he was used to. Slash, Block, Stab, Parry, Repeat, he thought to himself. Training did distract him from the cold, warming up his body until he was sweating. Once the damaged the robots until they could barely get up, he called, "End training sequence!"

Little did Keith know there was someone leaning against the door of the training deck, watching Keith in awe as he had fought the robots. Keith was still facing away. He heard the squeak of a shoe behind him, and fast as lightning, he drew his bayard, whipped around, and held the enemy at sword point. Lance held his hands up.

"Whoa, whoa, you got me," he said.

"Lance? W-what are you doing here?" Keith asked, lowering his bayard. He looked up at his secret crush. Even through the cold, he could feel heat rise up to his cheeks for no reason. He was wearing a red oversized sweater. Looking at it made Keith cold again, and he shuddered involuntarily. Lance dodged his question. Normally, he would come up with a witty response, like, I came here to train, what else? To watch you? Even though the latter was exactly why he was there. Instead, he took in Keith's skinny frame and realized he was only wearing the thin black shirt he wore under his jacket. He noticed the shudder that ran through his body.

"Hey, are you cold? Here, you can have my sweater," Lance said, already pulling off the sweater. Keith blushed as the thick shirt he wore underneath hiked up slightly, revealing his bronze stomach.

"N-no! I'm not cold, Lance. Keep your sweater." Keith said looking away. Lance shook his head at him and pushed the sweater into Keith's hands.

"Nonsense! I insist. Besides, I'm already wearing like 30 layers, so you don't have to worry about me." Lance said. Keith hesitantly put it on, and he took a deep breath as he did so, to breathe in Lance's scent. It smelled like fresh lime mixed with lavender and-

"Dude. Did you just smell my sweater?" Lance asked with a smirk on his face. Keith, startled, quickly pulled the rest of the sweater on, which was still warm from Lance's heat. Keith was pretty sure his face was a tomato right then.

"No! I was just, uh, tired from training! And I needed some air?" He said, but it came out like a question. Lance laughed, and it sounded like music to Keith's ears. Keith scolded himself. He had to get over his stupid crush over stupid Lance! Lance was head over heels for Allura, and Keith knew there was no way to get Lance to like him back. Besides, Allura was perfect anyway. Better than he could ever be.

"Y'know, I think it looks better on you than me," Lance commented. Keith blushed.

"Thanks. I'll give it back when Coran gets the Castle fixed. Uh! If that's okay with you. I can give it back now if you want. I really don't even need-"

"Keith! Stop worrying. You can keep that sweater. I have too many clothes anyway." Keith was about to give his thanks when Lance's eyes wandered over to the hallway. It was Allura, walking by in her perfect blue dress, with her perfect white hair, and gorgeous turquoise eyes. Keith watched somberly as Lance's face turned into a dreamy expression when he looked at Allura. He was completely mesmerized. Allura noticed the two in the training room and waved cheerily. Lance grinned and waved back. Keith tried for a smile, but it was way too forced. He wanted to hate Allura so bad, maybe he did, but she was so beautiful and smart and outgoing and just perfect. She was just this angel. How could Keith even think about being with Lance when she was around? I'm not even half as pretty as her, Keith thought sadly. Lance quickly turned to Keith.

"So, uh I'm gonna go now," He said. Then he ran after Allura. Keith nearly broke down then and there, but he waited until he got to his room to cry.

After Keith calmed down, he decided he was hungry. He went into the kitchen, but as he passed he saw a sight that obliterated his heart into a million pieces. It was Lance. And Allura. And she was in his sweater. Another copy of the one Lance had given Keith but in pink and blue. And a sob almost escaped his throat when Keith looked at their faces. Their lips were locked together, and Keith's world spun around in circles. It was over. Allura had won. Then again, Keith wondered, why would he ever kiss me? He wished so desperately to be Allura at this point. To have her white hair and copper skin and teal eyes. Anything to be with Lance. But it would never happen. It was over.

Two days later, Lance and Allura announced it when they were all together at dinner.

"Lance and I have news!" Allura announced with her melodious voice. Oh, how Keith longed to have it. Keith already knew what the news would be, and he desperately wanted to cover his ears so he wouldn't have to hear it. After all, if he didn't hear it wouldn't be true, right? But he could not; it would be much too impolite, and he had to at least pretend he was happy for them.

"Allura and I are officially a couple!" Lance finished happily. Shiro, Pidge, and Hunk grinned, congratulating him. Keith forced a smile and told them how happy he was for them. Keith didn't know why he wasn't actually happy for them, though. Keith didn't deserve Lance, and Lance deserved someone exactly like Allura. And Keith once heard that you'll do anything for someone you love, even let them go. So why couldn't he? Did Keith not truly love Lance? He couldn't worry about it now anyway. He could already picture the future: Lance and Allura getting married and having precious children and growing old together. Keith told himself to just get over it.

It had been about a month since Lance and Allura had gotten together. They were so cute together. Keith thought the wound would heal over time, that he would get over it, but he couldn't. Every time he looked at them holding hands as they walked or cuddling together, he wanted Allura to be dead. But that wasn't fair to her. She did nothing wrong.

One day Keith found Lance in the ballroom, a room barely anyone went into. There wasn't that much lighting, but enough to see him sitting on the stairs.

"Lance? Are you okay?" he asked. Lance looked up tiredly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Come sit, will ya?" He said, patting the spot next to him. Keith sat down. Keith had barely talked to Lance one-on-one since the whole sweater thing, so he wanted to create some sort of small talk.

"So… how are you and Allura?" he asked. It was a sensitive subject for him, but he wanted to make sure Lance was happy. Lance sighed.

"We broke up," he said. Keith's anger levels burst. How could Allura break up with this sweet precious guy who did nothing wrong?

"What! Why would she- Allura doesn't deserve you, Lance. Do you need me to talk to her? 'Cause I can give her a piece of my mi-"

"Calm down, Keith," Lance said, chuckling. How could he be so calm about it? As if reading his mind he said, "I broke it off with her." He said. Keith was shocked. He wouldn't admit it, but a spark of hope ran through him. Lance wasn't with Allura anymore. Could Keith make his move?

"Why?" he choked out.

"She took it really well, actually. It was pretty mutual, actually." Lance said, dodging Keith's question.

"Why would you break up with her?" Keith asked again. Lance sighed again.

"Because I realized my heart belongs to someone else," Lance said. The spark of hope in Keith's body simmered away. He likes someone else, a voice in his head kept repeating. Keith's curiosity got the best of him.

"Who is it?" He asked, although he didn't expect Lance to answer, so he was surprised when he did.

"Well, it's a guy. He has the most beautiful eyes, and the cutest hair, although I always tease him about it. I'm in love with him, but I don't know if he likes me back." Lance said. Keith's heart sank to his feet. Lance had found another special someone, and it wasn't him. Even if the guy didn't reciprocate Lance's feelings now, Keith was sure the mystery boy would fall for him someday.

"Do I know him?" Keith asked, his voice quiet. Lance laughed.

"Yeah. You do." Keith didn't know how to react. Then Lance brought his fingers up to Keith's chin and tilted his head so they were face to face. Lance smirked.

"You're an idiot. An oblivious idiot." Keith barely heard the words as he registered the close proximity their faces were in.

"Wha?" Keith said, startled.

"It's you," Lance said, and before Keith could say anything, Lance closed the gap between them and kissed him. Keith was so shocked, he almost pulled away. But he didn't. He kissed Lance back as passionately as he had to him. Lance pulled away and touched his forehead to Keith's.

"It might be too early, but I love you." He said, blushing. Keith grinned, possibly the first real smile he'd had in a while.

"I love you too."