"Stop touching your face," Lance hissed, giving Keith's hand a squeeze.
"This stuff itches!" he hissed back, scrunching his nose. "Why do we have to wear make-up again?"
"It is a gesture of welcome," Lance explained, for like the eighth time. Keith knew why, he just didn't like that it meant his face would itch. "The Palik'Ta'Enpar people paint guests' faces to mirror their own facial markings to symbolize that guests are one of them while on their soil. It is very sweet."
"And itchy," Keith muttered, "how are you not itchy right now?"
"I am, but if I scratch, it will mess up the paint, and possibly offend the Royal Family that are hosting us and celebrating our relationship. Soooo… I'm contenting myself with the knowledge that in a few hours I get to wash it off and doing my best to ignore the itching." Lance smiled at him, "it helps that you look amazing."
"I don't look amazing. I look like an abstract painting."
"I'm the one looking at you," laughed his boyfriend, "trust me, you look amazing."
"Oh," he felt his cheeks heat below the paint. He smiled at Lance, who genuinely did look amazing. One side of his face was covered in carefully rendered pale green triangles fitted together to look like a mosaic. The other side was a soft, shimmering copper. Heavy, dark green lines framed his eyes like kohl, and there was a black dot directly below his bottom lip. Keith's own face was painted similarly, although where Lance had shades of green, Keith had a selection of blues. "You look amazing, too. Your eyes are practically glowing."
"Awww, thanks, babe!" His smile was so big and bright that it made Keith's heart skip a beat. They were waiting for the Blades that had been assigned to them as security to collect them from their guest quarters- a small, round, three-roomed cottage- and escort them to the common dining area where they were to join the Royal Family and a selection of socially powerful Palik'Ta'Enpar for dinner. "I'm kind of loving these romper-jumpsuit things, though. Very comfy and breezy."
"Mmhmm," Keith just nodded, because he knew better than to look. The traditional dress on this planet seemed to be specifically designed to increase the birth-rate! It was a one piece garment that was completely open at the sides and loosely secured at the shoulders with jewelled clasps that created deep scoops at both the neck and the back. Three little copper chains clipped the silky fabric together at each hip and another secured the fabric at the ankles. He'd never really thought of someone's side as being particularly sexy until the tick he'd been greeted with the sight of Lance in that outfit. They were both wearing pale, shimmering grey garments, which was apparently the color for unmarried lovers here. He wasn't used to having such private information broadcasted so publicly, but he could deal with it if it meant that Lance looked like that because of it.
"I wonder if we get to keep these," mused Lance.
"I'm going to guess that we do- these had to be made especially for us," he pointed out. The Palik'Ta'Enpar were, on average, well over seven feet tall. Some of them would make Kolivan seem short. Either they'd dyed children's clothing grey, or they'd custom made the things to fit him and Lance.
"Oh good," he smirked, the expression distorting all those green triangles, "I wanna see you in this some time when I don't have to keep my eyes on your face or risk an intergalactic scandal- this fabric doesn't hide much."
"Lance!"
"What?! You look like you belong in a harem or something! I'm going to notice that!"
"Oh my god, I cannot believe you!" He barely caught himself before he rubbed his face in mortification and ruined the paint.
Lance's smile was sly and Keith could actually see the mischief in his eyes, "I noticed that you are being very careful to keep looking at just my face, too, Samurai- so don't try to pretend you aren't in the exact same boat as I am. I'd kiss you right now, but…" He trailed off, because between the carefully applied paint and the thin fabric it was obvious that kissing was probably a bad idea, given how easily they both seemed to get caught up in it.
There was a knock at the door and Lance winked at him, "ready, Cutie?"
"Cutie?!" He rolled his eyes, "don't call me cutie- but yeah. Let's go." He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. You'd think after all these years, he'd have gotten used to formal dinners and meeting the high muckety mucks of alien cultures, but- nope. Still felt like stage fright every single time. Imposter syndrome was a bitch.
"You'll do fine, babe," Lance said softly as he opened the door, "it's just dinner and I'll be right there with you. If you need to bail on a conversation, just call me Hot Shot and I'll whisk you away. Got it?"
"Hot Shot," he repeated, nodding. "Just like the old days." As much as he disliked needing it he was very glad to have an escape strategy, and this was one Lance had come up with all the way back to before he was the Black Paladin. Bringing his mind back to the present, he couldn't help but grin at the sight of Tengrill and Lo'Kasil, two of the Blades that had volunteered to play bodyguard for them. Lo'Kasil had fur, so he'd been spared the experience of being painted to match their hosts, but he did have to wear the traditional clothing, and the solution that the Palik'Ta'Enpar had come up with for the lack of face markings was a carefully detailed mask. Keith could tell he was scowling just from seeing his eyes through the holes in the mask. Tengrill on the other hand, kept lifting his hand as if to scratch his face and dropping it with a small, distressed noise. Both of them had weapons strapped to their backs, and communication gauntlets on their forearms. It made for a strange juxtaposition against the delicate, fluttering clothing they wore. The warm yellow worn by unattached adults was surprisingly flattering, too.
"Looking good, guys," Lance said cheerfully, stepping out of the room. "Ready to eat? I hear the food on this planet is delicious!"
"They are vegetarians," Lo'Kasil said, his voice gruff and dismissive, "I'm not sure that their food will be well suited to a Galran palette."
"You'll eat it, and you'll be complimentary," Tengrill insisted, "unless you want to explain to Kolivan how you damaged relations with a valuable ally because they didn't serve you meat."
"Next stop after this one is a race of obligate carnivores," Keith reminded him, as they started walking, "so there'll be lots of meat for you to choose from."
"Hey, I used to be the same way about vegetarian foods from Earth," Lance said conversationally, "then I had this like chickpea and lentil curry thing at Shiro's that was… it was just soooo good, you guys. It was delicious, and every bit as filling as like a steak."
"Who cooked?" Keith asked, laughing softly, "because you said it was delicious, so I know it wasn't Shiro!"
"Curtis," answered Lance, with a grin, "that was one of the conditions of me agreeing to go to their place for dinner in the first place! I'm not eating anything Shiro cooked! Are you nuts?"
"Ok, to be fair- Shiro can barbeque pretty well." Lance caught his hand as they walked and Keith nearly forgot what he was saying. He was not used to this kind of casual intimacy with Lance yet.
"Barbeque isn't cooking, though," Lance countered, which pulled Keith's attention back to the conversation. "Not really. There's no, like seasoning, or recipe. I'd eat something that Shiro barbequed... I think… maybe... I'd have to see it first."
They continued to chat amiably as they made their way to dinner. Tengrill and Lo'Kasil joined in once they started talking about their favorite meals. Keith was surprised to discover that he and Tengrill had the same favorite Galran dish- a spicy meatball dish served with a traditional flatbread made with grains native to Daibazaal. Lo'Kasil bragged about the Gengen pie that his mate Churrla made on special occasions. Lance waxed poetic about garlic knots, pasta, and arroz congri.
With all that talk of food, by the time they reached the common dining area, Keith was famished. Long, low tables were arranged in two semi-circles and little seats that were essentially inverted baskets surrounded the tables. The clearing itself was circular, paved with smooth, flat stones that looked like seaglass and glowed slightly. As they walked, the stones hummed softly, reminding him of some kind of pan flute.
They were greeted by the eldest daughter of the Royal Family, who they had met when they arrived. She gushed over their appearance and sang the praises of the artists that had done their make-up. It was only then that Keith found out that the triangle pattern was something that each Palik'Ta'Enpar had tattooed into their skin when they were 'venturing age'. Apparently, prior to that, their young never left the safety of their home, and never met anyone outside of their immediate family.
He kept quiet, for the most part, letting Lance do the majority of the talking. Winla, the Princess, was pretty friendly, and seemed happy to answer any questions they had, but somehow Lance managed to ask her a million and one things without it feeling like an interrogation or an interview. Keith watched in something close to awe as Lance chatted and charmed until everyone, including Lo'Kasil and Tengrill, were relaxed and in a good mood. Keith had no idea how he did that. He even made a joke about the terrorist's threats that was genuinely funny!
They were introduced to all of the various guests, which meant that Keith had to let go of Lance's hand to do the traditional Palik'Ta'Enpar double-handshake- which was really more of a simple forearm-clasp, with the arms forming an x, than an actual handshake. After the third introduction the names all started to blur together, so Keith was more than a little relieved when they were shown their seats.
Once everyone was settled, Lance gave his knee a little squeeze and smiled at him, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "I love that they eat together as a community here. Reminds me of church potlucks."
"Yeah, it's nice," he answered, even though he wasn't exactly a fan of them eating out in the open like this with those threats hanging over them.
Soothing music began, and several Palik'Ta'Enpar arrived, carrying large bowls that were placed on the tables at intervals of two or three people. The brown bowls were piled high with crispy little cups about the size of a shot glass, and the pale blue ones were filled with thick, steaming soup. Keith watched as Winla took a little cup thing from the brown bowl and scooped up the soup, popping the entire thing into her mouth.
Terrified he was going to screw up somehow- break or drop the little cup, get his fingers in the soup, spill his food over himself, gag on the unfamiliar food, God there were so many ways he could screw this up!- Keith nervously followed her example. He didn't relax until he closed his mouth around the food and got a taste. It was delicious! For some reason he'd been expecting it to taste like a curry, but it didn't at all. There was a kind of mushroomy flavor, a hint of spiciness, something that reminded him a little of rosemary (Hunk would be so proud that he identified that!), but overall, it didn't taste like anything he'd ever eaten before. It was a whole new kind of delicious. He smiled, an odd tickle working its way through his skin.
"You look so relieved," chuckled the Palik'Ta'Enpar man sitting beside him, "were you concerned we would poison you?"
"What? No! No, of course not!" He shook his head, "I was worried I would commit some kind of awful faux pas and offend everyone." Wait- why had he said that?
"Ahh, I see," the man smiled down at him. He wasn't as tall as most of their hosts, and neither was the woman sitting beside Lance. Keith suspected that they'd been seated in this order to minimize the awkwardness of the height differences. "I am Vanzir and I must confess that I am absolutely terrible with names. Are you Keith or are you Lance?"
"I'm Keith. It's nice to meet you… again, I guess, Vanzir." He grinned, taking another bite of food.
"I am honored to make your acquaintance for the second time," Vanzir replied, "if it isn't… a faux pas, as you phrased it… I would love to hear how you met your mate."
"My mate? Oh! Yes… you mean Lance- we usually use the term boyfriend." He shifted in his seat- it was very odd to feel the shifting air in so many places while fully clothed. "We… uh… we were actually students together when we were young."
"Ahhh, first loves- there is nothing quite like them," Vanzir nodded, getting food for himself.
"Oh no, we were not first loves. We competed to get the best grades, to be the better pilot. We barely knew one another." Lance's first love had been Allura. Keith's had been… oh. Wow. Lance. He'd crushed on people before that, but never anything serious, and the few dates he'd been on were barely memorable. Likewise for the occasional hook-up or blind date he'd gone on, or the couple of not-that-serious boyfriends since the Lions had left. He'd cared about people, sure, but no one had ever claimed his heart like Lance had.
"And yet- here you are…"
"Yeah- but that came later." He paused, reflecting on the winding and sometimes painful path that had led them here as he ate another scoopful of soup. "Working together as Voltron made us teammates, and then friends."
"I see- are you not lovers, then? Do I misunderstand your status? Are human customs different? You are in love with him, yes?"
Keith blinked, he hadn't really expected to be asked that quite so bluntly. Still, they were here specifically because they were on their way to officially declare that they intended to marry. "Yes, I'm in love with him. Very much so." He felt his cheeks burning and was grateful that the make-up obscured the blush. "You aren't misunderstanding the situation. You asked how we met… but it took us a long time to… figure things out."
"Is that common for humans? We Palik'Ta'Enpar most often recognize our mates the first time we look into their eyes."
"I think it is pretty common for humans to fall in love with a friend." He hadn't really given much thought to it before tonight, to be honest. "I definitely didn't recognize Lance as my… uh… mate the first time we looked into each other's eyes. If you'd asked me then, I probably would have said we'd never get along, let alone… all this," he made a vague gesture.
"So, when did you know that your hearts matched?" Vanzir asked, leaning on one elbow to close some of the distance between their heights.
"Ohhh… what a nice way to phrase it," he sighed, a smile tugging at his lips. He took a breath, this was exactly what they'd talked about back on Thayserix. They'd decided on a little script that was close to the truth, vague, and easy to remember. So, he had no idea why he opened his mouth and said, "I was lost, with my mother, in the Quantum Abyss. It was two deca-phoebs for us, but only a couple of phoebs here in normal space. That's when I knew- when I was lost and thought I'd never see him again."
Vanzir sighed, "like the story of Ornabal and Freelilyal! Kept apart by the whims of the universe, then reunited with a declaration of love."
Keith laughed, despite his confusion on why he'd answered the way he did, "not quite, no declarations of love at that point."
"This is not at all the conversation I was expecting when I asked you how you met your mate," Vanzir said, shaking his head at Keith.
"Trust me," Keith chuckled, "I'm just as surprised as you are."
"Keith?" Lance's hand settled on the small of his back. The fabric was thin enough that he could feel the heat of the touch even through the folds of material in the low-hanging scoop-back. "You're not... uh… eating," he licked his lips and smiled, "umm.. are you… um… feeling alright?"
"I'm fine," Keith answered, smiling back, "just a little confused about why I am so chatty." He froze. Why had he said that? Something was definitely off. Tengrill and Lo'Kasil seemed fine, but Lance kept blinking very slowly, like he was having trouble focusing.
"Your eyes," Lance leaned closer, his face scrunching up in concentration, "don'look… right.. You sure you're okay?"
"Ummm…" He went quiet, paying attention to how he felt beneath the nerves and the stress about this whole 'celebrity couple' thing. "I think… I might have a buzz?"
Lance patted his thigh and turned away to speak to the woman beside him. "They think," Lance said when he turned back to him, his rarely-heard accent leaking out and changing the pitch and cadence of his voice, "it might be… the.. Uhhh… los champiñones…" he snapped his fingers, "los champiñones, los champiñones… umm.. The mushrooms! Yes, the mushrooms in the soup… never had humans here before."
"Are you alright?" he asked, starting to worry.
"Mmhmm… ate more than you is'all," he nodded.
"Should we… stop?" It was very hard to hang on to the concern that whispered through his mind. Lance just blinked at him, smiling sweetly. "Tengrill? Lo'Kasil?"
Tengrill moved to crouch down beside him, "we've analyzed the food, it's perfectly safe. The fungi contain a fast acting, short lived, mild intoxicant that is similar to some medications in our database from Earth. Safer than alcohol. Apologies for not mentioning it in advance."
"It's fine," Keith answered, "as long as there's no danger, don't worry about it. It's really pleasant actually."
"Babe," Lance giggled, "remember that kids' story about the stone soup? Is'like that! But different."
"How is this like a story about getting people to share?" Keith asked, shaking his head at Lance.
"Stone soup- get it? Soup that makes you stoned!"
"Oh my God, you doofus," he chuckled, "maybe take a breather from the soup? For a little while?"
"Mmmhmm… probably a good idea," he nodded, lacing their fingers together under the table, "don't wanna cause an incident."
Lance looked so happy and relaxed that it was hard for Keith to match it up with the man who had agreed to come on this trip with him in the first place. Had that really been less than two movements ago? So much had changed, so fast. Love swelled in his chest and he ran his thumb over Lance's skin. "You're not going to cause an incident," he said softly, "you're too good at this kind of thing. So, just enjoy yourself, okay?"
He hummed softly and then nodded, "yeah, okay. You, too, though- kay?"
"I always enjoy myself with you, Lance."
Vanzir sighed beside him. "I never tire of seeing new lovers," he looked like he wanted to pat Keith on the head, his smile was so indulgent. "What was this children's story you were discussing? It sounds so charming."
The rest of the night flew by in a pleasant haze. After the festivities died down, Tengrill and Lo'Kasil patiently herded them back to their little cottage thing with hardly any laughter at all, which Keith was counting as a win. He felt like he'd had one glass of wine too many- not completely drunk, but solidly tipsy and in that lovely mood where everything was both interesting and delightful. Mostly Lance. Lance was endlessly interesting and utterly delightful.
The way he'd pulled Keith into his arms and laughingly started to dance because the seaglass paving stones 'made their own music!' was adorable. The look in his eyes when he told the story of how Keith had become the Red Paladin was beyond charming. He had to have won over any guests who might have had the same concerns that the threats had referenced. There was no way that anyone could have been in his company tonight and not seen how genuine and kind and good Lance was. If Keith hadn't already been in love with him when the evening started, he definitely would have been by the time he leaned against the door to their cottage to close it.
"Baaaaabe," Lance purred, "guess what?"
"What?" he replied.
"Dinner's done- that means we get to wash this stuff off our faces!" He grinned, mischief dancing in his eyes, "race'ya!"
Thankfully, the paint washed away easily, and didn't stain their skin. Keith didn't even want to think about how long they spent standing in the bathroom scrubbing at their faces with the slightly coarse towels to alleviate vargas worth of itchiness. It was amazing how good it felt for his face to simply not itch after an entire night of being unable to scratch.
"Aww, your skin is all red," cooed Lance, pressing the back of his hands to Keith's skin to soothe it. "Mine probably is too, huh?"
"Lil'bit," he answered, settling his hands on Lance's narrow hips and tugging his boyfriend closer, "s'kinda cute though."
"You're cute," countered Lance, making him laugh.
"You're drunk… or high… whatever."
"So're you," he leaned in to press a sweet little kiss to Keith's lips. "Tonight was fun."
"It really was," he smiled and Lance moved his hands to loop around his neck, "you are amazing."
"You keep saying that. I mean, don't stop because I love hearing it, but you say it a lot, Mullet."
"You keep amazing me," he answered, toying with the little copper chains, "I'd be so lost right now without your people skills."
"It's nothing."
"It's not," he insisted, even with a fuzzy head he didn't like how Lance did that, "you think it is because you are so good at it, but it is important and it is hard. S'like… how Hunk thinks deboning a fish is easy because he's good at it, but no one else does. Stop acting like your talents don't matter. Like you don't matter. They do. You do."
"Deboning fish? That's what you came up with?"
"Yeah? What?"
"Nothing," he shook his head, laughing. The marks on his cheeks glowed softly, and he looked happy. Just… so happy.
"God, I'm so in love with you," Keith sighed, the words spilling out of his mouth before he was really aware of it. They'd talked around it- talking about 'their love story' and deciding on what to say in interviews, but neither had said it so clearly before.
"Keith?" Lance went still, "that's… I… I'm in love with you, too. So, so, so in love with you."
Heart in his throat, Keith kissed Lance with every scrap of love that thrummed in his veins. His hands slid around to Lance's back, one tracing up his spine, holding him close as he took his time with the kiss. Lance sighed, sinking one hand into Keith's hair. Even with his buzzing head, it felt important.
When they pulled back, Keith felt like he was lit up from the inside, giddy joy humming in his chest. Lance was smiling so big that Keith didn't even notice the tears on his cheeks for a solid dobosh. "Hey," his thumb wiped away a tear, "happy tears?"
"Umm… just… a lot… I think." He wiped the other cheek, "a lot and… emotional drunk… and…" He shook his head, his smile returning, "you told me you were in love with me for the first time in the can, Samurai… was that the plan, orrrr?"
"What? Oh God," he glanced around, realizing that Lance was right. "Can I blame the weird trippy soup? I'm sorry, Lance… really…"
"Stop. Stop- I'm just teasing," catching Keith's face between his hands and meeting his eyes, he laughed the sound soothing Keith's rattled nerves, "all I care about is that you meant it."
"I meant it," he promised, "I definitely meant it."
"Me, too… and… that's a lot… for me," he said shakily, "it's been so long since…"
"Oh." He took a breath, trying to be whatever Lance needed him to be in the moment, because he could tell this was a big deal, but he didn't know how to react. He didn't know how to make this better. How to make it less of a reminder of what Lance had lost. How to not be disappointed or jealous that he'd just heard Lance say that he was in love with him and now they were going to be talking about Allura.
Shame burned through him, eradicating the last of his lingering buzz. Allura had been his friend, his teammate. She'd been a truly good person. Someone he admired. Someone he loved like family. One of a very few people in his entire life that he'd genuinely considered a friend. She'd been there for Lance when Keith had been running from his feelings, and from whatever fledgling connection they'd been forging. She'd seen how amazing Lance was. She'd loved him. He'd loved her. Keith had felt the edges of it whenever they'd formed Voltron. Even though it had hurt him to see them together when he was still grappling with the reality that he loved Lance, he'd wanted them to be happy. They deserved to be happy. They should have had years together. They should have had the chance to enjoy one another. They'd been robbed of that.
He knew all that. Believed all of it… but something sour and painful twisted in his gut. And he hated himself for it.
"Keith?"
He mustered a smile, because Lance deserved better than his pettiness. "It's not the same, I know… but it's a lot for me, too."
"It's not that different," Lance said, surprising him. "You've lost people you loved. You know how… scary… it is to let yourself get close again. For you, it's your Mom, your Dad… Shiro… Shiro again…" A wry smile crooked his lip up, "geez, he's really lacking in self-preservation, isn't he?"
"Too heroic for his own good," he answered, "but that's not what I meant. It's a lot for me for different reasons than you. That's okay."
Lance's smile changed, he dragged his thumb over the scar on Keith's face, "It was weird not to see this all night. Made you look so much younger. I kinda missed it."
"You missed my scar?" Apparently, they weren't going to talk about Allura.
"Mmhmm," he nodded, "I don't even really think of it as a scar… it's so much like Krolia's markings… I just kind of see it as part of you. Like your eyes, or the way you turn into a complete sap with Kosmo."
"I do not- he's just the best boy!"
"You don't have to convince me," Lance assured him, "I'm a big Kosmo fan! He's the best… no… the second best nap buddy- your growling puts you in first."
"Mmm… because I'm better than a white noise machine," he said dryly, shaking his head as Lance dragged him out of the bathroom.
"You are so much better than a white noise machine," purred Lance, turning in his arms so he could press little kisses to Keith's throat as they made their way through the little sitting room-slash-kitchenette to the bedroom.
Keith fought to keep his attention on the path they were taking through the unfamiliar room, not wanting to trip over something and ruin the moment, but somehow, even the tiniest contact from Lance made him go haywire. Each touch of his lips to Keith's skin felt like an ignition point and within ticks he was ablaze. Making a low, rumbling growl he'd never heard before, he wrapped his arms around Lance and lifted him.
"Woah," Lance breathed, wrapping his legs around Keith's hips. "Hot, Samurai… seriously fucking hot!"
"Walking too slow," he explained roughly, his head dipping down to nuzzle at the curve of tempting muscle that bridged Lance's throat and shoulder. He growled again, drowning in the scent of Lance's skin. His hands relocated themselves, ducking under the gaping fabric of the alien garment to grasp two strong thighs and hold Lance exactly where he was. "Bedtime."
"I agree completely," replied Lance.
Somehow, Keith could feel the smile on Lance's face. He'd thought Lance smelled too good in the Houston on the way to Thayserix? Sure, his scent had been infuriatingly distracting, but it was nothing compared to now. Now Keith knew how Lance's scent shifted as he got turned on. He was learning to read him with his nose- which was kind of weird, he admitted, but also felt so natural and effortlessly right that it settled something that had always jangled uncomfortably deep in his soul.
Another growl rumbled through him and he let himself kiss that fragrant, tantalizing skin. Lance whimpered his name when his teeth closed, ever so gently, over the muscle, and Keith was rewarded with a bloom of arousal hitting his nose and long, eager fingers burrowing into his hair, clenching and twisting roughly to hold him exactly where he was. The little cottage thing was small. Cozy. Barely big enough for two people not to feel crowded, and Keith was glad for that, because it meant that it took fewer steps to get to the bed- which was exactly where he needed to be... like, yesterday.
He tore his attention away from Lance's skin just long enough to nudge the door open with his foot and cross the short distance to the bed. They sank into the bedding together, and Lance laughed when the mattress kind of… bobbed. "Oh my God! It's a waterbed!"
"A what?" He vaguely remembered hearing something about waterbeds when he was a kid, but between the haze of desire and the vaguely unsettled feeling of having his bed move around beneath him, the memory was eluding him.
"A water bed," Lance repeated, "the mattress is like, a really sturdy water balloon in a frame. They're supposed to be really comfy."
"Comfy," he echoed, rolling away from Lance and freezing as the bed sloshed and bobbed again.
"Keith?" Lance sat up- which sent a whole new surge of jello-like jiggling through the bed. "Are you okay?"
"It keeps… moving," he hissed, trying to stay as still as possible.
"Keith? Holy crap- you look like a terrified cat! I think your hair is puffing up!"
"Make it stop moving!" Panic was starting to make its way through him. Which was ridiculous! It was a bed! There was no danger here! Just a bed and his very hot boyfriend who was one hundred percent about to have sex with him… on this weird jello mold be- nope! Nuh-uh! Not happening! "Lance- I don't like this! Make it stop!"
"Woah!" Lance's laughter died in his throat, "oh shit! You are really freaked out! Okay- okay…. I… ummm… I can't make it stop, baby. We just… uh… Let's just get you off of this thing, okay?"
Removing themselves from the waterbed had not been a fun experience for Keith. Every time either of them moved, it sent the whole mattress sloshing again and the more that happened the more freaked out Keith got. So it had become a long, very UNsexy procedure of Lance moving slightly, Keith freaking out, and both freezing until the bed had stopped rippling, which was repeated over and over until Lance finally was able to pull Keith off of the mattress completely.
Keith felt bad, because Lance had seemed to be kind of excited about the whole waterbed thing, and his irrational reaction meant that they had opted to sleep in the sitting room. "It really is fine with me if you take the bed," Keith insisted for probably the thirtieth time as Lance entered the sitting room with his arms loaded down in bedding.
"Yeah, well, it's not fine with me so I'm not going to," Lance replied, dumping the blankets and pillows onto the barren frame of the couch. He helped Keith push the missing cushions into something that would function as a bed for the night. "I'm sleeping next to you and that's the end of the discussion- we can't sleep in the same bed on the Houston and I miss it."
He went still, turning to look at Lance properly. Still dressed in the silky grey thing from dinner, hair still sticking out at odd angles from Keith's fingers prior to the whole 'water bed' mess, Lance was regarding the haphazard pile of pillows with a critical eye. There was a little line creasing his brow, the thin, expressive eyebrows drawn together in concentration as he tapped at his pursed lips with his finger. "I wish we had… like… some rope…" Lance mused and Keith's heart stopped in his chest.
"What?!" He squeaked, his mind veering far, far away from the current situation.
"So we could tie the cushions together… or like… make a kinda… belt-thing? To keep them from sliding apart during the night… you know what I mea-Keith? Oh my God, are you okay?"
"Yep," he wheezed, nodding like a bobble-head, "yeah, I'm fine. Fine… Uhhh… what if we… umm… put the pillows against the wall, and like flipped the couches over to make kind of a frame?"
"That could work! Nice thinking, babe!" Lance flashed him a smile that he felt all the way down to his toes and immediately grabbed a couple of cushions off the floor and kicked a third toward the wall like he was at soccer camp.
"Do you really?" Keith asked, tossing pillows across the room, "miss it, I mean…"
"What?" Lance glanced over at him, distracted. "Oh! The Houston thing? Yeah." His smile went soft, and a light blush dusted over his features. Keith had never thought blushing was cute until this trip, but now it made something near his heart tingle. "I love sleeping beside you."
"Best white noise machine ever," Keith guessed, smiling back.
Lance's blush got brighter and he cleared his throat, "yeah. Exactly. Plus… you know… morning sex."
"Lance!" He tossed a pillow at his boyfriend's head, laughing.
By the time the pillow fight ended, one of Keith's shoulder clasps had come undone, and there was a small tear in the ankle of Lance's clothes where the little copper chain had ripped out. They were winded and flushed, but smiling from ear to ear and finally managed to make a bed for themselves on the floor. Keith didn't think it would ever cease to surprise him how Lance always managed to inject some genuine, innocent, playful fun into mundane tasks. When he'd been younger, Keith hadn't appreciated what a gift and blessing that was.
They'd been kids, carrying the weight of the universe on their shoulders and the stakes had been so high. Even Allura and Shiro had been too young and unprepared for having so much responsibility. Just a bunch of kids, hardly any back-up, virtually no training, learning on the job in giant magical robots fighting to save everything. They'd done it. They'd managed to succeed. There were losses that still hurt, and scars that still made themselves known, but the surviving members of Voltron were mostly okay… and Keith knew, had known for years, that a big part of that was because of Lance and his knack for reminding them that joy was still a thing that existed and was attainable, even if it was just for a few doboshes at a time. They all owed him so much, and he really didn't think that Lance understood that.
"What?" Lance asked, head cocking to one side, "what's with the face?"
"I just…" He sighed, he wasn't good enough with words to convey everything he was feeling and have it make sense. "I love you. I'm… so lucky that I met you."
"Yeah, you are," Lance answered, still in a playful mood, "if you hadn't met me, you might still be wearing fingerless gloves and half a jacket and thinking that those were acceptable fashion choices! Yikes." He bumped their heads together gently, his smile going tender, and kissed him, short and sweet. "I feel the same way about you, Cutie."
"Don't call me cutie," he answered, letting out a happy sigh. "Time to sleep?"
"Once I'm done with my bedtime routine, yeah. You get comfy, I'll be back in a jiffy."
"I need to brush my teeth, dumbass," he teased, following behind Lance, "you aren't the only one with a bedtime routine- yours just takes like, a varga." He enjoyed bugging Lance about it, but honestly he thought the bedtime routine was adorable. He liked the small domesticity of getting ready for bed together, chit chatting about nothing while they shifted gears at the end of the day. It was nice. Comfortable. Safe. It felt like home, and his life had been one that taught him to cherish home wherever and whenever he found it.
Still, he was done long before Lance and after the third yawn, Lance shooed him out of the bathroom to 'go to bed already.' The furniture cushions were surprisingly comfortable and somehow, he hadn't noticed that Lance had grabbed the Grekagan angora blanket he'd fallen in love with from the Houston when they'd arrived. But, obviously he had, because it was on their little improvised bed. He smiled, loving the little thoughtful gestures that Lance didn't seem to realize were rare for most people.
He was barely awake when Lance crawled under the blankets and curled up around Keith like he was a body pillow, his head settling on Keith's chest, directly over his heart. "Mmmm," Keith managed, wrapping his arms around Lance, "night."
Lance sighed, nuzzling his chest, getting comfortable, and Keith didn't even mind the little prickly scratch of whiskers against his skin. "Love you," Lance breathed, going still.
He smiled and mumbled something that was supposed to return the sentiment, but clearly didn't, because Lance started laughing and the sound and motion jostled Keith out of his drowsy haze to discover that Lance had propped himself up on one elbow and was grinning at him, the marks on his cheeks glowing softly. "I always figured you for a night owl," Lance said, shaking his head, "but you are like a little kid up past his bedtime."
He yawned, squeaking slightly on the end of it, "I used to be… but then Shiro started dragging me out for five am jogs when I was at the Garrison and I just got into the habit of working out really early in the day. It works for me- the whole 'early to bed, early to rise' thing... 'specially now that I have a farmer for a boyfriend. You probably wouldn't need so many naps if you went to bed at a sensible time, you know."
"Backwards," teased Lance, "I stay up late so I can have wonderful naps during the day. All about priorities, babe."
"You're ridiculous!"
"You love ridiculous," he pointed out.
"I do."
"I know," Lance took a deep breath and let it out, "okay- confession time. The growling in your sleep thing?"
"Yeah?" What the hell kind of confession could Lance have about that? Unless… did he actually hate it as much as he claimed Veronica did?
"I mentioned that I knew it was a Galra thing," he said, fidgeting slightly, "because of Acxa and my sister… but… the first time I mentioned it… things weren't- we weren't… like this. It's just, you were so skittish and I was trying to get you to chill out a bit… to relax. So, I cracked a joke and then I kind of realized what I'd said and you were asking me about it and…" He trailed off, making a face.
"I'm confused- does it keep you awake or something?"
"No! No, I love it. I really do. But… uh… part of that… is… umm…" Cheeks blazing, he took another deep breath and cringed, "I know what it really is… the purr. I know what it means… I've known for years. I knew the first time I heard it, that first night on the Houston. I never should have played it off like I was clueless! I'm sorry, I just… I knew what it meant and I was trying to kind of… let you know it was okay, it wasn't one-sided… Acxa told me a whole bunch about… Galra… how they know when someone is interested, how they… court, I guess... the like, instinctive stuff... but… this is such a big deal for me, Keith… I wanted to- be bold, fearless… like I used to be. But… I'm not that kid anymore and I could only put myself out there so much… I needed you to… to choose to do the same thing and-"
Keith kissed him. He pulled him back into his arms, taking his time with the kiss. He cradled Lance's face, and stroked his hand down that strong back, and tangled their legs together. He kissed him until he felt the nervous tension leave Lance's frame, until he was warm and pliant in his arms, returning the slow, lazy kiss with the same kind of languid ease. Only when he was sure that Lance felt safe and comfortable in his embrace did he lift his head. "We're a mess," he said smiling a little, "or… when we are apart we are, anyway. I thought I was going nuts. You were driving me nuts. I kept telling myself 'Lance is just flirty, he doesn't mean anything' to keep from losing it. But now, I don't care about any of that stuff. Okay? I'm not mad or whatever about the whole growl or purr thing… I am going to have a conversation with Acxa though, because she could have said something and made life easier for us… but you and me? We're good. Better than good. Okay?"
"Yeah," he smiled, "okay. Good. That's good. Don't be too hard on her… she was in an awkward spot."
"Mmmhmm," he conceded, "go to sleep, Hot Shot." He could feel the smile as Lance settled back against his chest.
"Coupla'interviews t'morrow," Lance mumbled, "still think we need a cutesy couple-name…"
Sometimes, having a sensitive nose was a blessing- trying to navigate a smoke-filled room was not one of those times.
He'd stirred slightly because the warm body that was supposed to be curled around him wasn't. Lance had left the bed for some reason and that was enough to wake him. His eyes adjusted to the low light easily. No sign of Lance in the sitting room and the door to the bathroom was standing open, so he'd wrapped the blanket around his hips and climbed over the inverted couch to make sure everything was okay.
He hadn't gotten more than a few feet before he felt a vaguely familiar tremor in the floor and the world went white as a wall of heat slammed into him and knocked him on his ass. A dull roar filled his ears and he couldn't tell if it was an actual sound, or just the rush of his own blood. He blinked, shaking his head to try to get a better sense of what was going on.
When his vision cleared, he was treated to the image of blue flames rushing along the ceiling and his heart clenched in his chest. "LANCE!" he screamed, scrambling up off the floor. Smoke and flames were pouring out of the ruined door to the bedroom like liquid, pooling on the wooden floor and rapidly filling the small cottage. Fighting to stay calm, he kept close to the floor and hurried to the bathroom, hoping and praying that that's where Lance was. It was on the opposite side of the cottage from the bedroom that now appeared to be an utter inferno.
He was shocked at how fast the smoke accumulated, even crouching, he couldn't seem to stay below it. His eyes burned, and it felt like acid was being poured into his nose with every breath. The bathroom was empty, but he was able to grab the still-wet cloth that Lance had used to wash his face before bed and cover his mouth and nose before he crawled back out into the sitting room.
Still no sign of Lance. The only other option was the tiny alcove at the back of the room that served as a little kitchenette because he refused to even consider that Lance had been in the bedroom. He had no reason to be, and so he wasn't. It was that simple. He got about three feet into the room before a curved support beam cracked and the path to the kitchenette was smoldering, flaming rubble. "LANCE!" He screamed again, trying to get his bearings. The ceiling falling in had made the room unrecognizable and panic had started to eat away at his awareness. "LANCE!"
"KEITH!" he heard his name about half a tick before a large, strong hand grabbed his shoulder and he was yanked backwards. Everything happened so fast that he didn't even have the chance to fight. One tick he was surrounded by fire and smoke and the next he was sitting on the ground watching the cottage cave in on itself as a mask was slapped on his face and tall figures moved around- distorted and bizarre in the shifting illumination that backlit them and the smoke that was still stinging his eyes.
"MULLET!" He'd never been happier to hear that stupid nickname and the instant that registered in his brain, he had a lapful of Lance McClain. "Oh my God, you're okay! You're okay!" Lance sobbed, pushing his hair back away from his face and raining kisses over his forehead, since the mask covered pretty much everything else. "It happened so fast… Holy shit! Don't scare me like that, Cutie!"
"What?" he croaked, triggering a bout of coughing. Lance clambored off his lap and rubbed his back until the coughing passed.
"There was a threat. Tengrill came to get us. I stepped out of the cottage for like… a minute and then… that!"
He was okay. Lance was okay. That was the important thing at the moment. "Tengrill?" he said carefully, looking around, trying to spot the Blade.
"Tengrill is okay. Everyone's fine. We're all fine," Lance repeated and Keith wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure, but he figured that didn't matter much, because they both could use the comfort.
Lo'Kasil appeared, crouching beside them, "rest your throat, you inhaled smoke, and there was some kind of accelerant used, so we don't know what that might have done. We are securing a medical facility now and then we are going to get you checked out… and… uhhh… find you both some clothes."
He nodded, arms tightening around Lance, who, he was just now realising, was also dressed in a blanket. Downside of them sleeping naked? If there's a fire you don't have clothes. Upside of them sleeping naked? Naked Lance. Yeah, he was finding it difficult to feel bad about the whole blankets thing.
"This was the threat, wasn't it?" Lance asked, showing far more focus than Keith was able to muster up.
"I think it is safe to say yes," Lo'Kasil said with a nod, "I've seen this kind of fire before. My guess is there was a bomb hidden in the bed chamber. It's remarkable you are both unhurt. Especially you, Keith."
Lance curled into his shoulder, a little tremor rolling through him and Keith felt rage take hold deep in his gut. Someone had tried to hurt them. He had been prepared for that. But this was different. They'd faced a lot together, back in the war. This wasn't the war, though. Someone had tried to hurt Lance specifically because they cared about each other. That was… new, and awful… and Lance was scared and it made Keith want to… rip the universe apart until he found the person that did this to the man he loved and then make them hurt. Instinctively, he tucked his nose against Lance's cheek, trying to draw in some of the small comfort that was the scent of Lance's skin, but all he got was char and smoke and fear... and then panic started to sink its claws into him again.
They could have been killed! Lance could have been killed! For what? Because he loved Keith? Because some violent assholes hated the peace they were forging in the Universe so much that one couple, in the public eye, might represent it to other people. Might give some people some hope. Might make it seem like actual peace might stick around.
He never should have asked Lance to come with him on this trip. This was all his fault. Lance wanted a quiet life- not this media circus insanity. Not terrorists and politics and security details and… God… bombs in their bedroom!
"Hey," Lance's voice was soft, soothing, "pretty sure growling like that counts as not resting your throat, Cutie. You're okay. We're okay. No one was hurt." He tipped Keith's face up until he could see those blue eyes, full of concern, "no one was hurt. That's what matters."
After that, word came that the medical facility was secure, and they were both carried off to get checked out. Concerns about possible toxicity in the smoke from the accelerant and alien building materials meant that both Lance and Keith were given some kind of medication through an iv that knocked them both out for a bit and when Keith woke up again, he heard very familiar voices outside his door. He tried to sit up, ready to tell everyone he was awake when he heard a soft whine and felt soft fur and a wet nose butt up against his hand. "Kosmo!" He forgot all about the people outside and turned his attention to his wolf, "Heyyy bud!" Rolling onto his side, he hugged the massive animal, burying his face in warm fur and scritching him behind the ears. "Am I glad to see you!"
"He hasn't left your side since we arrived," Krolia said from the doorway, her voice uncharacteristically soft. Before Keith could even lift his head to reply, he felt the dip in the mattress and the strong arms of his mother wrapping around both of them. "Of course you'd wake in the ten ticks I stepped away."
"You're here," he whispered, something unclenching in his chest as the comforting scent of Krolia's embrace filling his nose and somehow overpowering the awful lingering smell of the fire and smoke.
"Of course, I am," she cooed, smoothing his hair back from his face, "we were already en route to meet up with you when we got the report." Shifting on the bed, she kissed his forehead, "Kolivan seems to think you pilot like I do. He kept muttering about it once I took the helm."
Keith laughed, having been on the receiving end of Kolivan's muttering about his own reckless piloting. "I'm so glad you are here. Where's Lance?"
"He's fine," Krolia insisted, "he woke not too long ago, and I'm sure your room is about to be flooded with visitors once he finds out you're awake."
"Flooded? What? Who else is here?"
"You'll see," she smiled gently, finally releasing the hug, "you are loved, kitling."
"She would have forgiven you for jumping the queue eventually, you didn't have to go get yourself blown up for sympathy. Even Veronica doesn't hold grudges that long, Paladin."
"Acxa?" He leaned around his mother to see another member of his little make-shift, patchwork family. "When did you get here? How long was I out?"
"Better part of a quintant," Krolia said softly, moving to one of the low seats that lined the wall opposite the bed. "Your hosts were very insistent that you get a thorough treatment for potential toxic exposure. They are quite invested in ensuring that no blame falls on them."
"Do we know what happened yet?"
"We do, and you'll be fully briefed," Acxa grabbed his hand and gave him a one-armed hug, tapping his nose playfully as they pulled away. "Once we are on a secure ship, and not a tick before- and before you even start, Lance wasn't able to cajole any information out of us, so you definitely won't be able to."
"Who is here?" he asked again, getting himself situated properly in the bed so he was sitting up. Just that small thing made him feel so much better. He hated seeming weak or sick or helpless.
"Other than the people in this room, Veronica, Kolivan, Coran, Romy, Shiro, Pidge, and Hunk. You almost had the entire McClain clan to contend with- so, make sure you thank Veronica for stomping out that spark before it caught- uh… sorry, probably should avoid that expression for a while."
"Why so many people? The ceremony is supposed to be pretty small… Oh! Hey Pidge."
"'Oh! Hey Pidge,' he says… like we just bumped into each other running errands," Pidge rolled her eyes and climbed up onto the bed beside him, "you know- it was bad enough when Lance was the only one getting himself blown up. You're not supposed to pick that up from him, you know."
"I didn't get blown up," he insisted, hugging Pidge, "there was just a fire…"
"Bullshit, I've seen the data." She squeezed him tight. He never seemed to remember properly just how strong she was so he always ended up being surprised when it felt like she was going to crack ribs from hugging him. "Thank God you guys are okay."
"Pidge! Hands off my man!"
"Oh no! Keith!" She clutched the bedding and flattened herself to his chest dramatically. "He caught us in bed together! The scandal!"
"Don't make me throw hands, Pigeon!"
"Pfft! Look at you! You're connected to an iv stand and wearing a nightdress. I could totally take you, farm boy!"
"You keep telling yourself that, Gremlin," Lance snickered, flicking his fingers at Pidge in a shooing motion, "just do it somewhere not in bed with my boyfriend."
Pidge made a show of rolling her eyes before kissing Keith's cheek softly, "so glad you're okay." She slid off the bed with a petulant huff and patted the mattress for Lance, "here you go, drama llama!"
"Llamas are awesome," he pointed out as he walked over, pulling the hovering iv stand along with him. "So, I'm taking that as a compliment. Hiya Cutie."
"Don't call me cutie," Keith answered, unable to wipe the smile off his face, even as more people piled into the room. Each of them managed to either hug him or squeeze his shoulder, which was really sweet but he was worried about Lance, still. "Are you okay, Hot Shot?"
"I'm fine," Lance answered, settling in beside him, "I was outside, remember?"
"Right… it's all kind of a blur."
"That's probably a good thing," Krolia said gently, "at least for now."
"They are going over the Houston with a fine tooth comb right now," Lance said, snuggling close. Keith curled his arm behind Lance's back, the contact helping with his lingering worry. Lance tucked up under his chin easily and he must have showered since he woke because the smell of his still-damp hair barely held any trace of soot or smoke- which helped even more with the worry. "Once it is declared safe, they're gonna move it onto one of the bigger ships for a bit."
"One of the bigger- how many ships are there?"
"Three from Earth, one from New Altea, four from the Blades," Romelle counted off helpfully. "You are going to be very protected."
"This is… too much! You guys! This is insane! All of this because of a typo?!"
Shiro shook his head, "we aren't here because of a typo, Keith. We are here because you and Lance are being threatened and we can't be anywhere else."
"But you guys have other responsibilities you need to-"
"We need to be here," Hunk insisted.
"You should know better than to think any of us would be anywhere but at your side when you are facing an unknown threat like this, Number Four," chided Coran. "We are here to help… and if that further cements the knowledge that our peoples can be more than allies, can once again be true friends, then all the better."
"I think what Coran is trying to say," Pidge cut in, "is pick a fight with one of us and you pick a fight with all of us…"
"And some of us have really good fucking aim," added Veronica, leaning back against Acxa, "and some anger to get out of our systems."
"You guys are the best," Lance laughed, "I can't believe how fast you all got here."
"I might have pulled some strings," Shiro said, his cheeks flushing.
"Which is good, because he was much nicer about it than I was going to be," Veronica smirked.
"Badass," teased Keith, finally starting to wrap his head around the fact that they'd all come to help. He reached out to bury his hand in Kosmo's fur.
"Now," Krolia said, clapping her hands together, "there's still a lot of work to do and we are well over the capacity for visitors. There will be plenty of time for conversation once we are off planet. Come on, let's go." She shooed everyone toward the door but Keith and Lance both still ended up getting hugs, hair musses, or shoulder claps from each and every one of them on their way out. Romelle was the last to go and she clung to him so tightly for so long that he thought his mother might come back to get her.
"Don't you dare scare me like that again," she whispered fiercely, "you're not allowed to get yourself killed. You hear me? I can't lose another brother."
"I'm not going anywhere, Romy," he promised, "not if I can help it."
When she stood, she had tears in her eyes and she was practically oozing determination. "We're going to find the people that tried to hurt you."
He smiled, he wasn't sure they would but it was nice to think that she was so certain. She waved at Lance, clearing her throat and practically ran from the room.
"I have a feeling that Romelle might be genuinely dangerous if she crossed paths with whoever it was that started that fire," Lance whispered, "and here I though my sisters were scary."
"Veronica is terrifying," Keith chuckled, finally snuggling into Lance to the extent that he wanted. Kosmo hopped up onto the bed, curling up by their feet.
"Keith," Lance's voice was playfully chiding, "do you let Kosmo sleep on your bed?"
"Well, I don't give him his own bunk, that would be weird!"
"Oh, my God," Lance smiled up at him for a tick before kissing him. Keith sighed, his arms tightening around Lance and holding him close as they took their time with the kiss.
"I love you," he whispered when they came up for air.
"I love you, too, Cutie."
"Don't call me cutie…"
"Don't do that again," Lance whispered, "I need you to have faith that I can get myself out of danger. Enough faith that you don't put yourself in more danger."
"What?" He brushed Lance's hair back from his forehead.
"You went looking for me," Lance whispered, "I know you did- don't try to tell me different."
"Of course I did. I wasn't about to leave you in a fire, Lance!"
"But I wasn't in the fire… I was out- and you would have kept looking until it was too late. I'm not some damsel in distress that needs rescuing… and you are not expendable."
"Lance…"
"I'm serious, Keith. We have each other's backs. I get that… but don't do that again."
"I'm not cutting my losses and leaving you in danger, Lance. Forget it. I wouldn't do that to a stranger, let alone you. I love you."
"I'm not saying leave me in danger, Keith- I'm saying don't go up against impossible odds…" He sighed in exasperation, "how's this for a guideline- if you'd keep Shiro from doing it, then you don't get to either?"
He huffed in frustration- he didn't like this conversation, at all. That wasn't how he worked. Lance knew that. Lance had known him long enough, had seen him in enough situations to know that he couldn't promise that. There was no way that Keith would be able to leave someone he loved in danger, even if the chances of him being able to save them were tiny. "Lance… what you're asking…"
"Keith, listen- I watched the woman I loved sacrifice herself to save all realities… and… it wrecked me. You know it was bad, but… She saved everything. Everything... and sometimes… I hated her for it… most of the time… I hated myself- for not being enough, for not being the one that could make that sacrifice in her place, for not being able to let go of my pain and hurt enough to appreciate the amazing thing she did… It was bad. I didn't stay away from space because of bad memories, Keith. I… uh…" he petered out, pulling back slightly and dropping his gaze to their entwined legs.
After a few ticks he plucked nervously at the blankets, long fingers pinching and twisting the dull green of the bedding. Finally, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, the words coming only on the tail end of the exhalation. "I stayed on the farm because… umm... it was safer. For me. I was safer there. I wasn't alone for more than an hour or so at a time… I wasn't put in situations where I could nudge a little further on the scale between brave and reckless. I… didn't trust myself to make good calls, Keith. It would be too easy to get myself killed without it being obvious that that was the goal… and like… most of the time- that really would have been the goal. My head was a mess. I knew it."
Keith knew how it felt to value your own life less than that of the people you loved, or even strangers. He'd always been aware that there might be times where he had to be willing to do that- but what Lance was talking about wasn't that… Lance was talking about looking for an excuse to die and that was a completely different thing. "God… Lance… no…"
"Hey… shhh… it's okay. Really. It was hard and awful, but I knew it was fucked up thinking, and I got help. Good help. I got therapy. I took meds. I went to support groups. I stayed close to home, to people and places that made me feel… more okay. It was hard and it took time, but I got better. I'm better. I've been off my meds for almost three years."
"I had no idea," he cupped Lance's face in his hands, "how did I not know?"
"Because I was better when you were around, so you didn't see it," Lance answered, smiling softly, one of his hands lifting to cover Keith's. "Whenever any of you visited, whenever we all got together, I did better. I was happier, upbeat, hopeful. Not all angry and morose and resentful. I wasn't incapable of feeling good things- it was just that when things went bad, they went really bad, really fast. And… I didn't want you guys to know. I didn't want you to look at me differently, or tell me I was disrespecting Allura's memory. I just… I needed to feel like myself and I couldn't do that if you guys were as worried and careful as my family was."
"It sounds awful," distraught at this new knowledge, he pressed a kiss to Lance's forehead.
"I was sick," Lance whispered, "heartbroken and traumatized… but I got help and I worked hard. Keith, I got better. I'm better. I would never have come with you if I wasn't."
"You're sure?"
"Yes. I'm sure," he smiled within the frame of Keith's hands, "I promise, if I wasn't healthy, I would never have left Earth in the first place. I've been better for a long time. Just… careful, cautious. All of this… I was being so careful to make sure that I was really ready. To leave Earth. To come back to space. To step back into my life. To… start our love story. All of it. I was so careful, and I was right to wait- because I am so ready for this, for you, for us… for the weird, over the top, dramatic bullshit that follows us around out here. Okay? This is where I am supposed to be. This is where I am happy. You make me happy. I can do this. I need you to believe me."
"I do. I believe you, Lance," Keith whispered, a little bit in awe of him. He'd always known that Lance was brave; strong in a way that Keith wasn't. He wasn't sure that he would have been able to recognize that he needed outside help if he'd been in Lance's shoes. He had a sneaking suspicion that if the shoe was on the other foot, so to speak, things would have gotten really dark and scary and ended up with an intervention and several frayed friendships… or worse.
"Okay, good. So, Keith, please… promise me that if I am in a situation that you would stop Shiro from wading into to save me, you'll stop yourself? I need to know that loving me, being with me is not going to get you killed. Please."
He went quiet, digesting everything Lance had just told him. He chafed at the idea of doing what Lance asked, but it wasn't unreasonable. Lance wasn't trying to say that he'd never need help. He just wanted there to be a line. This far and no farther. "Fine," he muttered, "but, the same goes for you. If you'd stop Shiro from going after me, you can't either."
Lance's face screwed up, "yeah- I get the arguing now. That really makes me want to fight you… but… deal."
"We probably shouldn't tell Shiro that he's our reference point for 'stupidly sacrificial', right?"
"I think he most likely knows," chuckled Lance, "but yeah, probably best if we don't say anything."
Keith laughed, holding Lance close; suddenly acutely aware of the possibility that he might never have had the chance to be with him like this if any number of tiny little details had played out differently over the years.
They ended up doing some press from the hospital room. Specifically, a statement and two different interviews (although they were eerily similar in how they played out) that Lance handled like a trooper while also giving Keith the perfect excuse to stay quiet by repeatedly stressing that the 'only injury was to Keith's voice from smoke'. He didn't mind. Far from it, actually. He was fairly comfortable giving speeches at this point, but interviews were something completely different and he always ended up flustered and stressed that he'd say the wrong thing. Lance, on the other hand, shone like polished copper in the sunlight during an interview.
He praised their hosts for the skill of their emergency services, the high level of medical care they'd received, and the excellent security response. He reminded everyone that, while they were not cowed by the threats and were confident of their continued safety thanks to the excellent people working with them, the people who were making the threats were lingering Zarkon loyalists, many of whom were highly trained military. He stressed that Palik'Ta'Enpar people were not at fault in the slightest for the incident and turned the conversation to a humorous anecdote about sneaking out of the Garrison as a student.
Lance talked about how much he was learning about Galran history from before Zarkon's rule- something Keith had no idea he was doing- and how proud he was to be connected to such a rich culture through his relationship with Keith, squeezing his hand affectionately when he said his name. He mentioned, by name, several Blades that had died protecting civilians over the years and how much he admired them.
He answered questions about Allura and New Altea with a quiet grace and a soft smile and when his voice cracked slightly, Keith took the opportunity to say how much he had admired Allura and valued her friendship; how much all of Voltron had loved her, each in their own way. His voice was shaky from nerves and rough with emotion, which only supported Lance's comments about why Keith was being so quiet. The second interviewer asked Keith what he thought Allura's feelings would be about him and Lance. As he took a tick to gather his thoughts he glanced at Lance and in that instant he knew all the way to his core, what to say. "Allura was someone who faced life bravely and head-on. She took risks and put herself on the line for the well-being of others. She led by example and held herself to a high standard and by doing that, she inspired others to do the same. She loved Lance very much, and I think she'd be really happy to know that Lance is loved that much again, because he deserves that and he deserves happiness, and she'd want that for him."
Lance cooed and kissed him sweetly, turning to the camera and smiling, "I think she'd probably cheer me on for landing the hottest bachelor in the universe, too. She was big on celebrating victories." It was such a surprise that Keith felt his cheeks blaze with a sudden blush and covered his face before he even realised what he was doing- because seriously Lance?! That just made Lance laugh and continue, though. "Awww… he's so cute when he blushes! Look at him, all flustered… I mean, honestly, I am a very lucky guy. Keith is brave and kind and smart… not to mention gorgeous, but most importantly, we understand each other and I hope I make him as happy as he makes me."
That seemed to shift interviewer into general cutesy gossip territory, and questions about how they got together, and other frivolous stuff. Keith didn't understand why anyone would care about any of it, but he deferred to Lance on that… and then, Lance did something that made him cringe. He flashed Keith a smile that he'd long since learned signified something he was not going to like and then looked directly into the camera and said, "actually, we can't decide on what our couple name should be, so I posted up a poll and we want everyone to vote! Should we be Klance? Laith? Or McKogane?"
Which was how, vargas later, Keith found himself in a room on the Galra cruiser with his two honorary sisters listening to them hotly debating the merits of each 'shipname' option. To be fair, this was exactly the kind of thing Romelle would eat up… Acxa was the one he was disappointed in. "I don't understand why we would even want a stupid couple nickname," he muttered.
"Because it is charming," insisted Romelle, "and it makes it easy for your fans to talk about you and that increases your popularity."
"I don't care about being popular, though," he pointed out. "My relationship with Lance isn't anyone else's business!"
"Tactically, it makes sense to make as many people as possible invested in your relationship's success. When people care about you as an individual, they tend to be more vocally supportive of your actions- which could make a big difference in contested areas and helps to impede the progress of anti-coalition propaganda," Acxa added.
"Easy for you to say. No one is trying to turn you and Veronica into some kind of catchy portmanteau that sounds like floor polish or something!"
"It's Veracxa. It's adorable. And we've been using it for years."
"Yeah! I'm a hardcore Veracxa shipper," Romelle nodded enthusiastically.
Keith groaned, "I was about to complain about sisters… but then I realised that Shiro is just as bad. How did I end up choosing such dorks for my family?"
"Shirtis," Romelle said quietly, "Shiro and Curtis are Shirtis."
"Yup. Of course they are. I'm not even surprised."
Shiro's head poked through the door like he'd been conjured by their conversation, "the briefing is about to start. We just got the last of the forensics we were waiting on."
They shuffled out of the room, Shiro taking the opportunity to give Keith a noogie like he was twelve. He scowled and swatted at Shiro, which left him open to a sneak tickle attack from that damn floating arm. "Shiro!" he yelped, jumping away, "oh, my God, why are you like this?"
"Missed you, kid," he answered, "and you gave us a fright. Thought you could use a little bit of normal."
"That isn't normal! That's just you being a dork, Shiro," he muttered, fighting the urge to smile. As annoying as it was, it was definitely familiar. "Normal people don't go around lumping their name with their husband's and deciding Shirtis is an acceptable thing to answer to!"
"Mmm… for the record- 'Klance' is currently in the lead for that poll," he replied, voice mild, even though Keith could see the shit-eating grin on his face.
"That was all Lance! I didn't even know he was going to do that!"
"Mmmhmm…"
"I think his point was that you shouldn't complain about the juvenile behavior if you are in love with someone who does the same thing."
"Yeah, thanks Acxa, I got that," he answered drily.
"I think I like Laith better than Klance. It's more balanced. Klance is just his name with your initial in front of it. That doesn't seem right."
"I still don't get why we can't just be Keith and Lance, or Lance and Keith. Why do we need a couple nickname?"
"I mean, we could just call you Hot Shot and Cutie," Shiro suggested and Keith came to a complete stop.
"What?"
"Oh, did you think no one noticed that?" One white eyebrow shot up in question, "I mean, Hot Shot has been around for years, but Cutie is new…"
"You…" he took a deep breath, glaring at Shiro, "you… ugh… you know what? Nope. I'm not falling for that. I'm not going to argue about this stupid nickname thing anymore. I'm done. I do not care."
"You got it... Cutie."
"So help me Shiro!" he snapped, pointing a finger in warning.
"I think it is charming," Romelle offered.
"Of all the things I've heard him call you over the years… Cutie is definitely one of the better options… some of the others were rather… explicit…"
"Explicit? Wait… what?!" Keith blinked at Acxa, "you need to explain that!"
"Sorry, I can't do that." She smiled. Shit. She was enjoying this, "it's a 'mutually assured destruction' kind of situation. You are going to have to ask your intended to explain."
"My inten-?" Rubbing his face in irritation, he shook his head. "Lance. Just Lance. Can we please just stick to names?"
"Hey, Cutie!" Lance greeted as he rounded the corner in the hallway with Veronica, and despite his best efforts Keith felt a smile bloom on his face that was sappy enough to trigger a chorus of coos.
"Lance," he replied because that was his freaking name and names are not difficult to use. Keith had had the chance to get cleaned up from the fire and managed to rid of his skin of that weird 'hospital smell' that seemed consistent across every planet he'd ever been to, and they were both wearing Blade jumpsuits. There was another round of completely unnecessary coos as Lance gave him a small, totally innocent and unremarkable little kiss hello that nonetheless made his stomach drop and his heart race and his spine tingle.
"Ready for our first real tactical meeting together in years?" Lance asked, eyes bright as he draped an arm over Keith's shoulders casually and kissed his cheek, like it was something they'd been doing forever. Keith's brain screeched to a stop. He was not prepared for this whole 'being a couple in front of friends and family' thing and now that the relief of seeing Lance unharmed after the fire had been tempered a bit, it was really starting to sink in that there were witnesses to this stuff. Witnesses who were more than willing to use any cutesy stuff as ammo against him. Which was confirmed by the poorly smothered snicker from Romelle. He glared, slipping his arm around Lance's back and letting his nerves settle.
Lance smiled at him and gave him a little squeeze, well-disguised tension letting go in his face. Oh. He wasn't quite as comfortable as he was acting. That was good to know.
"Alright, lovebirds- are you actually going to go into the conference room? Or just stand here looking like a poster for the Marmora Homecoming Court?"
"Oh my God, Veronica! Enough already!" Lance's cheeks reddened and he rolled his eyes, "sorry about her- she's been acting like we're back in middle school since we left orbit!"
"Yeah," he grumbled, "that seems to be going around."
The meeting was pretty straightforward. They went over the evidence from the fire- an incendiary device was discovered among the charred remains of the bed and they concluded that the liquid (which was not water) in the mattress had been contaminated with an accelerant.
"Holy shit," Lance had breathed when that came to light, his hand tightening on Keith's knee under the table as he turned to look at him, eyes wide, "if we hadn't been in the sitting room…"
"But we were," he'd whispered quickly, not wanting to think about just how close they'd come. Beside him his mother had growled low in her chest and demanded to know how someone had gained access to where they were staying and the meeting picked up speed again.
By the time they were done, Keith was feeling much more confident about the entire situation. Subsequent trips to the surface of the planets they were travelling to had been cancelled in favor of staying on board the Marmora ship and all press commitments were changed to transmitted interviews. Everyone was filing out of the room when Kolivan gave him a nod that he knew from long experience meant to stay behind. He tugged at Lance's wrist to relay the message and as the last of the assigned Blades drifted out of the room, Krolia shut the door.
Koliva leaned against the table to mitigate the height difference somewhat and spoke quietly. "We are going forward with the plan we just detailed, but that is primarily as a way to flush out the people behind the threat. In the meantime, stay together, stay on alert, and keep Kosmo with you."
"I want a gun," Lance said, surprising Keith. "No offense to you guys but I don't have a bayard anymore or a luxite blade…"
"But I have a blade," he pointed out.
"Which is going to do sweet fuck all for me, babe."
Krolia turned her attention to Lance, "it's been many years since-"
"I know how long it has been," he snapped, "but I've kept up my skills. I do target training with Veronica, kept my certification current. I'm as good a shot as I ever was, and if you think for one insta-" He cut himself off, taking a breath and when he spoke again it was with a calm confidence Keith recognized. "These people almost killed the man I love. So, you guys figure out the plan and we'll defer to your strategic experience. But, I'm going to need a fucking gun, because I will be damned if I lose him becaue somebody else missed a shot I could make. Understood?"
Kolivan looked like he was about to argue, but Krolia put her hand out, resting on his crossed forearm and shook her head once before unholstering her own blaster and handing it to him. "We'll get you something better suited to your skillset, but you can use this for now, Paladin."
"Thank-you, Krolia. I appreciate it."
"Yeah, thanks, Mom." She hugged them both, quickly, and nodded. Keith suspected she was struggling to keep her composure and reached out to squeeze her hand in reassurance.
"So, stick together, eyes peeled, stay close to the teleporting space wolf. Seems simple enough," Lance said, voice upbeat despite the subject matter, "anything else?"
"Be careful of what you say around anyone you don't consider family. The Blades on board are all hand selected, but the fewer people privy to personal details, the better. We are sending out several dummy itineraries to confuse any attempts to gather intel and are ready to change course on a moment's notice. We've got this in hand, but we should be careful to avoid overconfidence. Keeping information compartmentalized is prudent."
"Understood," Keith said with a short nod.
"We will protect you," Krolia said, her eyes glowing slightly as she cupped Keith's jaw, "both of you."
"I know that, Mom," he said softly, smiling at her.
"These idiots have no idea what a mistake they made," Lance added, "this is not a family you cross easily. Mess with one of us and we circle the wagons."
Keith snickered and his mother laughed, shaking her head.
"What?" Lance was so adorably confused. Keith exchanged a look with his mother and gave her a little nod.
"Keith's father loved that expression," she explained, her expression soft.
"Oh. Okay," leaning into Keith's side affectionately, he smiled at Krolia, "I am in good company then. It's one of my favorites. Okay, Cutie, we should go find Kosmo, and then Pidge wanted us and Hunk to come by her quarters to play video games and relax… which I think is probably a good plan."
"Don't call me cutie," he said reflexively, even though it hadn't worked so stop Lance yet and he really doubted it ever would. "I'll check in with you later, Mom?"
She nodded, making a little shooing gesture toward the door and he and Lance headed out hand in hand.
"Circle the wagons?" he heard Kolivan ask as they left, the confusion clear in his voice.
"It's a figure of speech from Earth. I'll explain it before we turn in for the night when we've got some privacy."
"Wait," Lance whispered, "Keith! Did you… wow… niiiiice! Go Krolia! You get it!"
"Oh my God, Lance… don't! That's my Mom!"
"Yeah… and Kolivan! I mean, come on here, Keith… dude is a silver fox…. Or uh… a purple cat? I dunno how to translate that into something Galra-appropriate… still… He's a catch. That's all I'm saying."
"Just…don't say it, though, okay? Just pretend neither of us heard anything. Please."