(A/N- Sorry for the delay with this. My health hasn't been great and I've barely been keeping up with my writing commitments, so editing this kept getting delayed. I hope you enjoy it!- Ebh)
Video games with Pidge and Hunk had grown significantly over the course of the evening as first Shiro, Coran, and Romelle dropped by and joined in and then less than a varga later "Veracxa" arrived, hand in hand and toting a bag of snacks that Veronica had brought from Cuba. With only four controllers and nine people, they cycled through players pretty steadily.
Space was also an issue. Pidge, Hunk, Romelle, and Shiro all crammed onto the couch-sized seating with Veronica and Acxa snuggled up on the floor in front of them. Coran sat in one of the free standing easy chairs, failing terribly at 'sneaking' treats to Kosmo, who recognized a source of tasty nibbles when he saw one. Keith and Lance were tucked up together in the other wide chair, Lance sitting sideways in Keith's lap with his legs draped over one of the arms of the chair.
The coos and teasing had pretty much died down, but every now and then Keith saw one or another of the group glancing over at them and smiling fondly. In some ways, it felt so much like downtime back on the Castle that it made his heart clench and his throat tighten up. The differences were stark though- some good, like Lance in his arms, cheering him on and kissing him quickly when one of them did well on a game. Or the clumsy Galran trash talk from Veronica when she was competing against her girlfriend and Acxa's soft laughter at her attempts. Others… less so.
Overall, it was good. The simple comfort of family and long term friends did a lot to mitigate the stress of the reason why everyone was together in the first place. Eventually video games fell by the wayside and they all fell into conversation- mainly telling stories and sharing memories. Shiro and Veronica did not shy away from stories of Keith's and Lance's younger days that had one or both of them pelting the storytellers with fluuto beans or hiding their face in the other's shoulder. Hunk, bless his soul, was already to jump in with a story that redeemed them, often with hilarious side commentary from either Pidge or Coran- who had decidedly different takes on most situations. Eventually, Pidge grumbled that Coran would always take Lance's side in any situation 'because of the whole explosion thing'.
Which, of course, Veronica asked about, her face going more and more still and impassive as the story continued. When it was done, Lance flashed some finger guns and made a quip about all the action movies they'd watched growing up. Pale, expression serious, Veronica untangled herself from her girlfriend and crossed over to the chair he and Lance were sharing. Hunk, who could not see her eyes, cooed and Keith shook his head frantically- because there was fire in her eyes.
Lance cringed, but it did nothing to stop her from smacking at his shoulders and the back of his head, telling him off in Spanish so fast, accented and heavily dialectical that Keith was lost as to what exactly she was saying with the exception of three different ways to call someone an idiot, some language that was vulgar enough to make Acxa blush and look away, and more than a few ways to call him brave or heroic (all of them directly connected to the idiot comments) . Lance squawked and flailed, making a show of protesting his sister's assault without actually using any of his considerable skill at blocking and dodging blows.
Keith was unsure how he was supposed to react. He was pretty certain that he didn't need to actually defend Lance from his sister, especially since Lance was perfectly capable of a much more effective defense. On the other hand, he was also pretty sure that it was not really acceptable to let someone treat his boyfriend like that. There was also the minor issue that Lance was still in his lap and that meant he was absolutely in range of a stray hand or elbow.
"Alright, alright… that's enough, Hellcat," Acxa coaxed, tugging Veronica away, "you've made your point. It was ages ago and getting mad now won't change the past. They all did things that seem reckless in hindsight… and so did you."
"Yeah- you think I haven't heard the story about you staying behind to provide cover for the MFEs that time that everyone thought you'd been killed? Because I have and I felt just like that but I didn't go off on you!" Lance managed to glare and pout at the same time, which really shouldn't have been hot. Why was that so hot?
"Who told you that story?" Veronica demanded.
"Like… everyone? Sam first, then Griffin and Kinkade, then Marco ranted about it, and Curtis, and Nads… it's like the most popular 'Badass McClain' story on the go- I've heard it almost as many times as I've heard the story about the time Matt got locked out in his underwear and bribed Kinkade with some kind of weird fungus or something from the biotech wing. So… like… a lot."
"It was yeast," Pidge and Hunk said in unison, making Romelle burst out laughing.
"Oh! For the ale he makes in his quarters? I quite like it. He gave me a bunch of bottles the last time I was on earth. Very tasty."
"Ale? Oh, my God," Lance and Veronica looked at each other and snickered, "homebrew! No wonder he geeks out about yeast so much!"
"Wait… was that a secret?" Romelle looked horrified that she might have broken her friend's trust.
"I don't think so," patting her knee, Hunk smiled warmly at her, "don't worry about it."
"Just how much time do you spend in Ryan Kinkade's quarters, Romy?" Keith couldn't quite hide the little snort of amusement he let out when he heard Shiro break out his 'big brother' voice for someone that wasn't Keith for a change.
"Um… a… normal… amount? I think?" She tapped at her lip, pondering, "more than I spend in Griffin's or Ezor's… less than Ina's or yours. So, probably an average amount. Why?"
"Shiro- you realize that Romy is actually older than you, right?" Acxa laughed, "and that she's talking about Kinkade so maybe stop being overprotective and just relax. Ryan's a good guy."
"I know Ryan's a good guy!" Shiro protested, "I just didn't know they were all that close?"
"What's happening?" Romelle asked Hunk softly.
"Shiro's jumping to conclusions," Keith could see Pidge rolling her eyes as she spoke even from the other side of the room.
"Shiro!" gasped Romelle, hitting his shoulder, "no! I'm not having sex with Ryan!"
"More's the pity," Acxa observed drily, "even I think that guy is… ummm… never mind… I love you, Hellcat…"
Veronica chuckled, "oh no… please, go ahead and finish that comment about my friend and coworker… Don't let me stop you…"
"I think… that guy is… very handsome," Acxa tried.
"Oh, please! He's sex on legs and I'd bet dollars to donuts every person in this room has at least one dream that made them very grateful that he's not really one for casual conversation because that would be sooo awwwwkward!" She shoved her girlfriend playfully, "the man is a bottle of gin!"
"A bottle of gin?" Shiro echoed, expression incredulous.
"Lesbian slang… Gin used to be called 'panty dropper'... because like… well, I'm sure you can figure it out."
Coran nearly choked, his face turning beet red as he spluttered and fussed, twirling his mustache, which made everyone else burst into laughter.
"Save me from my sister," Lance groaned, dropping his head to Keith's shoulder dramatically. "Please, Cutie!"
"Don't call me cutie… but… I mean… I can if you are serious…" he whispered while everyone was distracted by Coran's discomfort with the conversation.
Lance lifted his head, his blue eyes curious and his smile soft. He took a breath and glanced quickly at the others, biting his lip as he thought. Keith's gaze caught on those white teeth digging into the soft flesh of his lip and it made something hot and primal curl deep in Keith's gut. Suddenly, 'saving' Lance from his sister was appealing for a whole new reason. His hand shifted slightly where it rested on Lance's hip, thumb stroking back and forth over the bone because he was suddenly starved for contact, despite the fact that Lance was literally in his lap. "Yeah," Lance whispered, and Keith watched his mouth form the words more than he really listened to what the words were, "I'm serious."
"M'kay," he whispered back, flashing a smirk an instant before he changed the position of his arms and stood, lifting Lance bridal style.
"Keith!" squawked Lance, those strong arms snapping around his neck and holding tight. Lance's expression was shocked, but his scent had shifted in an instant, going musky and need-filled, and he could see the heat that flared in those Varadera eyes. Oh… he hadn't really been expecting that reaction, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't absolutely thrilled with it. In fact, Keith was pretty sure this was the best plan he'd ever had in his life. "Oh my God," chuckled Lance, hiding his face in the curve of Keith's throat, the little hitch and stutter in the warm air that steamed his skin doing roughly nothing to change Keith's mind about the brilliance of his idea.
"Thanks for the invite, Pidge," he said calmly, "it was fun to hang out with everyone for a while. See you in the morning!"
Pidge made a face and tossed a fluuto bean at him, and Shiro shook his head, but they all laughed and said their farewells. Then Hunk made a low whistle, and Romelle pretended to swoon, and Coran sighed wistfully and the whole group descended into chaos- each of them trying to outdo each other with double entendres and risque comments as he headed for the door with Lance in his arms, followed closely by Kosmo.
"Aren't you even going to say goodbye, baby brother," crooned Veronica, and he felt Lance move one arm in something that could have been a wave or a lewd gesture based on the cackles it prompted.
"What am I going to do with you?" Lance muttered, his face still pressed into the crook of his throat.
"I'm pretty sure you've got a long list of options, Hot Shot," he answered as he strode toward their quarters, "but the short answer is anything you want..."
That night, for the first time, Lance didn't sleep well while they shared a bed. His restlessness woke Keith, who recognized the little distressed noises Lance was making. Lance's nightmares weren't dramatic. He didn't thrash or toss and turn. There were no screams or talking in his sleep. Just heartbreaking little noises and a fine tremor that shook his whole frame… and the stench of fear rolling off his beautiful skin.
Kosmo was already awake, watching them from the foot of the bed. Keith was sure the space wolf was ready and willing to flash them away from any threat if it became necessary, but after travelling in the Black Lion with Keith, Krolia and Shiro, Kosmo was also no stranger to nightmares so he just lay there, massive tail thumping softly against the mattress.
"Lance," Keith said softly, pulling him closer and trying to soothe him into more peaceful dreams or gently wake him. He stroked his hand up and down Lance's arm and pressed little kisses to his face, making what he hoped were comforting noises between promises that he was safe, that everything was fine, and that he wasn't alone. Slowly, Lance began to relax against him, his breathing settling down in small increments.
It was working. Keith sighed in relief, shifting them so Lance was draped over his chest the way he liked. He twined his fingers in the soft brown hair, doing his best to keep up the gentle, comforting touches that seemed so effective. His fingertips traced the line of Lance's throat and skimmed over his shoulder. He brushed his knuckles along the high, sharp collarbones, and the graceful curve of his jaw, shushing and murmuring the whole time. Lance sighed and wriggled slightly, settling against him and Keith smiled, running the flat of his hand down Lance's back.
Which was a mistake.
Lance shrieked and bolted upright- eyes wide and and wild. He barely gasped any air into his lungs before the agonized sound repeated. Keith clamored in front of him, trying to catch his attention, but Lance wasn't seeing him. He was obviously still caught in the nightmare; hands clutching at the blankets reflexively. Kosmo whimpered and shifted, making his way over the bed to sniff at Lance and whine. Keith managed to pull him away before Lance flailed or something and caught the wolf with an elbow.
"Lance," he didn't yell, but he spoke loudly and clearly. He'd seen enough of Shiro's nightmares to know that yelling was a bad idea. "Lance! Wake up!" Carefully, he reached out to shake Lance by the knee. "Come on, Lance… wake up… wake up for me…"
Kosmo barked and the room flooded with light, Veronica and Acxa tumbling through the door with an impressive number of weapons, clearly ready to wage war. Veronica took one look at the bed and dropped her rifle, her arm darting out to signal for Acxa to do the same. "Shit… Okay… Keith, you gotta give him a hard shake or it won't wake him. Grab his shoulders!"
Moving quickly, he did as she instructed. He shook Lance hard enough that his head wobbled from side to side and he blinked. The screams faltered and broke off. Beside him the bed dipped and Veronica leaned in close, speaking in soft, hushed tones, their first language sounding almost like music to Keith who wasn't quite awake enough to follow what she was saying.
"Lluvia?" Lance whispered, curling into Veronica like a little kid.
"That's me," she replied, hugging him tight. "You had a bad dream, that's all."
"Oh… yeah… I guess…"
"Love, we should get back to our quarters… he's awake… everything's fine in here," Acxa said softly, still loaded down with weapons.
"Yeah… just… gimme a minute…"
"Whaz.. umm… Veronica? Why does Acxa have guns?"
"We heard a ruckus- thought you might need back-up.. But you're fine. Everything's fine. I'm right next door, though. If you need me. Okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, it's fine. Go on back to bed. It was just a dumb dream. I'm fine."
"Thanks, Veronica," Keith said, keeping his voice low, not wanting to startle Lance, who seemed to realize he was there for the first time.
"Oh, God," he groaned and Keith could watch Lance remember where they were and why his sister would have assumed weapons were needed, his cheeks reddening as things sank in.
"No thanks needed," she answered with a shrug, rising from the bed. "You guys sleep well when you settle back in for the night."
There was another round of 'good-night's before the door slid shut behind the women and they were again. "Are you okay?" he asked Lance, "really?"
"Yeah, just… embarrassed…"
"About the nightmares? Lance, everybody has bad dreams sometimes."
"Yeah- I know, but… I dunno… makes me feel like a little kid or something."
He shifted closer, catching Lance's hand, "you wanna talk about it? Or you wanna talk about something else, as a distraction?"
"Something else," he answered immediately, "ask me something… anything, just nothing about the dream."
"Okay, sure… umm… oh! What did you call Veronica? You said something I didn't catch…"
Lance paused, thinking. "Lluvia?" Keith nodded and he smiled, "it means rain. I used to call her that when we were kids."
"Kind of a strange nickname- is there a story?"
"I was really young… so I'm not sure exactly how it started. But, yeah. Rain… uhh…"
"You used to talk about how much you missed rain all the time…"
"Well, I did. I love the rain. But, Veronica was with me at the Garrison. She was like, my little portable chunk of family so I never really felt like I was completely alone, you know? We've always been close… and I was a dumb, prideful kid. It felt less pathetic to talk about how much I missed rain than to whine for my big sister… so sometimes I'd pretend it was like… a code."
"We'd probably have thought it was less weird to miss your sister than to go on about rain as much as you did," Keith pointed out, his voice teasing and gentle.
Lance gaped at him, and then hit him with a pillow, "you ass I was sharing!"
Keith chuckled and let the pillow knock him over so he could smile up at Lance, "I love you."
He huffed, his petulant expression not quite reaching his eyes, "finnnnne… I love you, too. Let's go back to bed."
They settled back into bed, Kosmo huffing protectively at Lance a few times and nudging his face with his muzzle for good measure before he curled up at the bottom of the bed again. Lance had giggled from the soft contact, Keith guessed the fur tickled based on the way he'd squirmed. It was adorable and did a lot to reassure him that everything was alright, even with the stress of the nightmare so fresh.
Lance crawled onto him- he'd kind of figured Lance to be big on spooning, but so far he seemed much more inclined to sprawl over Keith like he was a body pillow. It was nice. Keith liked feeling the warm weight settled over him. He liked the way Lance skimmed his hand down his side and wrapped it around his hip.
"Um… you're naked," Lance said, going very still.
"Yeah? So're you…" They'd actually started the night naked, so he wasn't sure why Lance was surpris- oh. Oh no.
He felt Lance start to laugh before he heard it, but before he could say anything, Lance gave into the helpless laughter he'd been fighting. "Those poor lesbians," he half squealed, laughing until he went silent and then just shaking through breathless gasping giggles.
Keith would have been fine if Lance hadn't managed to say that, but he sounded so perversely delighted that Veronica and Acxa had busted in on both of them completely starkers that Keith caved, letting his own laughter roll through him. Honestly, they'd all been so focused on Lance, he wasn't even sure if either of the women had even noticed their lack of clothing. He certainly couldn't remember what Veronica had been wearing- although he'd definitely have noticed if she didn't have anything on.
Probably.
He was pretty sure.
Maybe.
By the time they managed to catch their breath again, Lance was wiping tears from his face and Kosmo was making little distressed noises because the idiot humans were keeping him awake. "Sleep," Keith said softly, like he was reminding himself of the reason they were in the bed in the first place.
"Mmhmm," Lance nodded, resting one tear-damp hand along Keith's jaw and leaning in to kiss him. Keeping the kiss soft and tender, Lance curled into Keith's arms, tangling their legs together. His hand slid into Keith's hair and he took his time kissing him. There was no ramping up of intensity, no hungry little sounds or demanding touches. Just sweet, gentle, melting kisses- one blending into the next effortlessly. Keith's head swam. He felt almost drunk. When Lance finally lifted his head, pulling away, Keith blinked at him in a daze, a shivery sigh escaping him. "Love you," Lance whispered, nestling his head on Keith's shoulder, "sweet dreams, Cutie."
"Don't call me cutie," Keith replied automatically, feeling Lance smile at the response, "I hope you have good dreams, too."]
"You… uh… you weren't purring… before…" Lance said after several doboshes.
"Oh… yeah. That might take awhile to come back. After the fire… it's just hard to feel safe going to sleep right now. At least, safe enough for that to happen."
"Oh. Okay… that makes sense."
"Sorry, Lance. I know you like hearing it."
Lance lifted his head, "stop it. Don't apologize for having a completely understandable reaction to people trying to kill us. I was joking about the white noise machine thing. I like hearing you breathe, hearing your heartbeat, too. The purr… it's special… and I get that. I know how hard it is to feel safe out here. Especially right now."
The way Lance cuddled up to him to sleep suddenly made sense to Keith, and the reason was so sweet he couldn't help but smile, even though it didn't really fit the conversation. It just… it made him happy to think that Lance wanted to hear his heartbeat while they slept. He trailed his knuckles along Lance's jaw, "I love you."
Lance faltered, whatever he was about to say dying on his lips. He leaned into the soft touch, his smile changing, "I love you, too, Keith. It doesn't feel like we've only been together for… God… what? A week and a half? Two weeks? It is so hard to track time in space… I… I've loved you for so long."
"You were the one that said this was the middle of our love story," he reminded him. "So, it's not the beginning… it's not going to feel like the beginning. We've already got so much history. We've loved each other for… who knows how long… we just show it differently now, I guess."
"Yeah," he nodded, letting his head return to Keith's chest, "we just show it differently. I like that."
"Ready to try this sleep thing again?"
"Yeah… good night, Cutie."
"Night… and don't call me cutie."
Contrary to Lance's theory, interviews were not growing on Keith. They were not fun. He was not getting more confident. The only thing he liked about them was the way they showcased Lance's stage presence and charm.
That was it.
This time, they were being interviewed for some kind of Unilu media thing aimed at adolescents and young adults- which Lance was thrilled about for some reason that he couldn't grasp. After a few fairly standard questions, Yimia, the host of… whatever this was… gleefully clapped two of her four hands and cried, "and now it is time for games!"
Lance turned to him with the kind of manic grin Keith had long ago learned didn't bode well for him. "Games, babe! This is going to be so fun!"
No. No, it really wasn't.
They were still on board their ship, but Pidge had rigged up holoscanners, so it looked like they were mere feet away from Yimia and her excited gesticulations. The Houston had been flown to the planet Yimia broadcast on and there were Blades that were going through the motions of providing protection to Keith and Lance, despite the fact that they were safely ensconced on this ship, who knew how far away. The idea was to draw out anyone who might pose a threat, while not 'parading around the universe with targets on their backs' (Shiro's words).
Seated on their stools, they were each handed a data pad and a divider was pushed between them. Lights flashed and there was loud music and for a tick, Keith felt like they were back on Garfle, Warfle, Snick… which didn't do a thing to soothe his nerves.
"We'll start with myyyyyyy favorite, because this is my show and that's what I want to do," Yimia giggled, "Rohsen BEEEEEE! Okay, here's how Rohsen Bee works- I'm going to ask a question and you each write your answer on the data pads- No PEEKING!- and then you reveal your answers!"
"My sister Rachel did this at her wedding," Lance laughed, "this is a blast! I can't wait!"
"So… all I have to do is write my answer on the pad?" Keith confirmed. That didn't sound so bad. "Sounds simple enough."
Yimia scrolled through what Keith assumed was a list of questions, giggling and winking at the cameras the whole time, "don't worry you guys! I've got some gooood ones here! PAZZLE! First question! Whooooo…. fell first?"
"Ooof- you really hit the ground running, don't you, Yimia?" chuckled Lance. Keith could see the look on his face in his mind as clear as a bell- he knew that flirty tone, knew the smile and sparkling eyes that went with it. "No peeking, Keith!"
He took a deep breath, debating whether to be honest and reveal uncomfortably personal details or to lie and have to try to keep those false details straight in subsequent interviews. Sighing, he wrote out his answer.
"Done!" Announced Lance.
"Yeah, me too," he replied, trying to keep his voice upbeat. The divider dropped and Lance tried to lean over to see his answer. He pulled the data pad away, "hey! You were the one who was all 'no peeking!', Lance!"
"You're right. You're right. My bad," Lance shifted in his seat, adopting a serious expression.
"On 'Bee' turn your pads around," Yimia instructed excitedly, "Roh! Sen! BEE!"
Keith flipped the pad, his hastily scrawled 'me' standing out in bright orange. Lance leaned forward and laughed, so he did the same, twisting to read Lance's answer. "What?" he shook his head, "you are wrong, McClain… it was definitely me."
"Awwww," cooed Yimia, "how swirleen! They both said 'me'!" She made an indulgent face, clasping a pair of hands over her heart. "That means a follow-up question! Divider up! PAZZLE! Looking back, when did you fall?" She made a little squealing noise and turned away from them, facing the camera, "this should settle the question nicely."
So, help me, Mullet," teased Lance, "if you say the fictional bonding moment…"
"It wasn't the bonding moment," he laughed, "which actually happened! And I know you remember it!"
"What? Pssshhh.. I have no idea what you are talking about… I think I'd remember that…"
"Done," he said, suddenly feeling like a bundle of nerves and second guessing his answer. He'd fought and denied his feelings for Lance for so long, it was kind of tricky to pinpoint exactly when he'd fallen for him… but he went with the first time he remembered that he'd looked at Lance and felt that lurch in his gut and that lump in his throat… and it was significantly earlier than he'd thought up until right this moment.
"Yeah, me too." Lance sounded… off. The upbeat flirtiness was gone. He sounded almost- "I'm really nervous all of a sudden!"
The divider dropped and Keith smiled at him, "I've never really nailed this down before."
"Yeah, me either! Oh well, this might get embarrassing! Let's go!"
"Ready? Roh! Sen! BEE!" They both flipped their pads.
"What?! Wait! Really? Keith!" Lance gaped at him, "oh my God!"
"Let's see what we've got! Keith your answer… is… Pazzle, this is going to need some explanation- I hope you are prepared to tell us the story behind 'Fighting Over Shiro' because it sounds spicy!"
"It's not spicy," laughed Lance, nearly falling off his seat, "it's not spicy, at all."
"I'll explain," he said, "but his answer first."
"I fell first," Lance said, holding up his pad.
"The rivalry was a crush," read Yimia, "that's going to need an explanation, too. Pazzle! I love a good story!"
"The rivalry was a crush?" Keith gaped at Lance, who blushed and shrugged. "That's your answer? Seriously?"
"Heyo- Mr. Fighting Over Shiro! You didn't even know my name then!"
He shrugged, "cute, brave guy rushing in to save my brother trumped the name thing."
"Cu- what!?" Spluttering, Lance shook his head and blushed scarlet, "hang on a tick, Yimia!" He hopped off his stool and caught Keith's face between his hands, kissing him quickly, "I love you, Mullet."
Yimia laughed, "looks like this is a revelation for you, huh?"
"Uhh…" Keith cleared his throat as Lance returned to his seat. Somehow their hands had gotten tangled up together in the time between the kiss and the sitting, but Keith made no move to change that. "We've known each other so long… we never really… got too much into the details…"
"So… Why were you two fighting over Shiro The Hero? Pazzle," she fanned herself with her data pad, "that's an image!"
"He's my brother," yelped Keith, which made Lance laugh so hard he went silent, just shaking in his seat and occasionally dragging loud breaths in. "Umm… we both saw him returning to Earth, and went to investigate." This was tricky… why hadn't he just said 'the night we found the Blue Lion'? "There was… some debate over who was going to be the one to help Shiro out of there."
"Who won?" she asked, looking far too invested, all four of her hands propping up her chin, "the debate. Who helped Shiro out?"
"Uh, we both did. We each took an arm- there was a bit of a time crunch."
"Awwww, swirleen! Okay!" She turned her attention to Lance, who had pretty much stopped laughing and was wiping his eyes, "what did your answer mean? What's a crush?"
Lance let out a sigh, shaking his long limbs gently, "we were in flight classes together- learning to pilot. I declared him my rival. It was… a poorly disguised infatuation. A crush is Earth slang for infatuation."
"A crush," she tipped her head back and forth moving her mouth like she was tasting the word. Nodding, she declared, "I like it! You heard it hear first friends- crush! Now! Are you ready for the next question?"
"I guess so," Keith said, clearing his data pad and adjusting his seat. His fingers felt cold without Lance's entwined with them. The divider returned and he heard Lance moving around on the other side of it.
"Something a little less… intense this time," Yimia laughed, "who eats more sweets and junk food?"
That one, they agreed on- Keith. Living on the farm with his family, Lance ate mostly home cooked meals. The next series of questions went pretty much the same way. They'd know each other so well for so long that most of the trivia questions were pretty straightforward.
Who had the worse temper? Keith.
Who was more talkative? Lance.
Who was the bigger flirt? Lance.
Who was better with money? Lance.
Who was the early riser? Keith.
Who was tidier? Keith.
There was some discussion over who was the better pilot and who was more stubborn, and they eventually declared ties on both of those questions.
"What word would you use to describe your first kiss?" Yimia asked, eyes dancing.
Keith heard Lance clear his throat as he stared at the data pad, trying to decide what to answer.
"You better say something good," Lance grumbled, making Keith smile. At least he knew Lance's answer was going to be flattering. Taking a breath, he wrote out his answer.
"Done," they said at the same time and the divider dropped.
Yimia squealed and jumped in place, "I cannot wait for this one! Roh! Sen! Bee!" She leaned forward as they flipped their answers over. "Awwww… swirleen! 'Finally' and 'life-changing'!"
"That's two words, Lance!"
"Nuh-uh! There's a hyphen! One word!"
He scribbled out his answer, "hyphen shmyphen… if we're going with two words… I'm changing mine!"
"But I like your answer!" Lance insisted through giggles.
He wrote out the new answer and flipped the data pad around, triumphant.
"True-Love," she read and sighed, miming a swoon.
"That's not fair," protested Lance, "you deliberately tried to top my answer!"
"Did I?" he asked, "or did I just use the same number of words? What would you have said if it was one word, Sharpshooter? No hyphen!"
Lance sighed, and took a dobosh to think before a sexy little smirk grew out of his smile. "Divine. That's my single word answer. Divine."
After that, the rest of the interview was pretty much a blur for Keith. It was like his mental recording had stuck on that one word. Divine. He was fairly confident that he'd interacted appropriately, if only because if he hadn't Lance would have said something, or done something… but he wasn't really forming new memories. Divine.
Divine.
Had Lance just been trying to outdo him? Had he decided that Keith's second answer wasn't sincere and felt like he needed to play the same game? Had he known that Keith was sincere and panic- dialing things back by ramping them up to comical levels? Was Keith more invested in this than Lance was?
Why was his brain doing this to him now? He hadn't had these doubts before the interview. He'd been completely secure in how things were between them from the moment they'd gotten together. What happened? Why was he so shaken now?
Acxa had shown up to drag Lance off… somewhere, Kosmo trailing behind them, and, left to his own devices, Keith had ended up in one of the many training rooms on the big ship. Lost in his thoughts, he'd stretched and warmed up and run through a couple of simple forms of the Galran hand to hand that Krolia had taught him on the Space Whale. He found he didn't spar as often as he used to, and he hardly ever ran droid-based combat sims anymore. He'd begun to prefer the almost meditative work-out of practicing the precise movements and patterns of strikes of Olen'Ga'Tyr.
He knew why- he had less anger to channel nowadays. He'd worked through a lot of his issues from when he was younger. It had been hard- painful sometimes- but he wasn't that angry, isolated, orphaned kid anymore. He had a Mom, and they had a good relationship. He had Shiro. Romelle and Acxa. Even Curtis and Kolivan. A brother, two sisters… brother-in-law… whatever Kolivan was… and Kosmo. A family. Beyond them, there were the others- Hunk, Pidge and Coran. A few select Blades that he'd fought beside enough to consider brothers-in-arms. Beyond even that, there was Matt, Ezor and Zethrid, the MFE Pilots. Friends that were practically family. So many people that cared about him, that he cared about.
And then there was Lance.
He'd meant it. His answer. It had been honest. Lance was his true love. He'd known that for… a very long time. He'd known it as he watched Allura and Lance fall into each other's gravity, drawn closer and closer by the day. He'd known it when he'd sent Lance off to their first date with words of support and encouragement and then spent vargas sobbing into Kosmo's fur. He'd known it when he held Allura in his arms for the last time and said goodbye to her instead of the millions of words that had jammed up in his head like a blood clot- how much she'd come to mean to him, arguments against her sacrifice, anger at how much he knew that was going to hurt people he loved, the man he was in love with. He'd known it as Lance settled into life with his family to start the long slow process of mourning and healing. He'd known it at every reunion dinner, every vid call, every visit, every day.
He hadn't let it keep him from trying to move on. He'd gone on dates, even had a few boyfriends over the years, but no one had ever been able to dislodge Lance from his long-standing residence in Keith's heart. No one ever would.
And now they were together. Lance loved him. Lance was in love with him. Hell, he was doing interviews where he talked about it in detail. Keith knew he wasn't lying about being in love with him. He knew Lance meant what he said. He just…
Growling in frustration, he shook out his limbs and restarted that last form, focusing on his breathing. Divine. Divine. Divine. The word just kept bouncing around in his head. It didn't feel like it fit. It felt false and wrong and discordant.
"You're dropping your elbow. It's throwing off your balance."
"Veronica?" He turned to face her, surprised that she'd interrupted him, "you know Olen'Ga'Tyr?"
"From an observer's point of view only, I promise," she laughed, "Acxa does it every morning. Sometimes I keep her company."
"Did you… want to work out?" He wasn't sure why she was here.
"No," she shook her head, the wavy hair bouncing from the movement. "You really shouldn't be alone- and you sent Kosmo with-"
"I didn't send-"
"Yes. You did," she adjusted her glasses, "you sent Kosmo with Lance and your sister. So, Lance sent his sister. See how that works?"
"You're my bodyguard?" He shifted his weight, not sure he liked those implications.
"I'm your back-up." Her left hand wrapped around her right forearm and there was a soft hum. Panels opened and shifted, a hard light blaster forming around her wrist and hand. "You're a close up fighter, I'm ranged."
"I remember," he replied, a smile tugging at his lips. She'd saved his life with her sniper skills, once. Second best marksman in the McClain family. "Has something happened?"
Another headshake as she dismissed the weapon, "nothing new. So- why are you so rattled?"
"Who says I'm rattled?"
"Well, my eyes and brain, to start," she said evenly, "but also my brother. He thinks it is a delayed reaction to the nightmare last night."
"What? No… it isn't that. It's… I don't know…"
"Ah… I think I know that expression. It's really weird how much you and Acxa look alike, you know…"
"So I have been told." He smiled, it was common for people to think that he and Acxa were full blooded siblings that simply favored different bloodlines.
"Mmmm… help me out here- that looks like relationship panic. So, are you freaking out that things are getting too serious too fast, that you are in over your head, or that he's about to come to his senses and beat feet?"
"What?"
"It's been a couple of weeks… just enough time for the whole 'too good to be true' terror to sink its claws in and those are the most common ways that shows up. So, is it one of those? Or a new one I didn't think of?"
"I can't believe you honestly think I'm going to answer that. Have you met me? I'm not big on sharing…"
"Really? You tell half the known universe that your first kiss with my brother is best described as 'true-love'; you're cool with me seeing your package, but not telling what you are freaking out about? That's too personal? Alright," she rolled her eyes at him, "I can work with that."
He groaned, she had to mention the night before, didn't she? "Half the known universe?"
"Oh yeah- easy! Yimia has massive reach. It was a real coup to score that interview."
"No wonder he was so excited." Keith pushed a hand through his hair. He really hated all this scrutiny.
"Right- So! One by one. Here we go!" Veronica left the doorway, crossing the large room as she spoke. "First of all, the whole 'too fast' thing. You guys have spent years getting to this point, there is nothing 'fast' about your relationship. You've already done all the groundwork, taken all the babysteps… this is just… your pace. Got it?"
"Got it." He couldn't help but smile. Sometimes, Lance and Veronica were so much alike it was eerie. Other times… she had a presence that he didn't. Something… regal… about her. Commanding.
"Next up: are you starting to think you aren't quite as into my brother as you thought you were?"
"Of course not!" he actually flinched from the thought.
"Then you aren't in over your head," she flashed him a trademark McClain grin, coming to stand beside him, "and, as for the last thing. Lance isn't going anywhere. He worked his ass off to get to a place where he could be serious with someone again. Be serious with you. You…" Trailing off, she shrugged, "he is where he has wanted to be for a long time."
He made a little grunt of agreement, not really sure what to say to that.
"I'm serious!" She laughed, "fine, don't believe me. I was kind of hoping for an ally against the whole 'Acxa and Lance BFFs' thing, but whatever."
"What?! The what now?"
"Lance and Acxa," she repeated, "did you… not… know? Oh God! Keith, they are ridiculous! I can hardly ever get time off work when Acxa visits so she hangs out with him, and they've become like besties. It's infuriating! They have inside jokes and his Galran is so much better than mine so they yammer on about the most inane stuff and it's full of inside jokes I don't know and I am so lost! Drives me nuts! Oh! And they can do that thing- you know the thing that Lance and Hunk do? Where they have an entire conversation in, like, eyebrow movements and shrugs? Lance and Acxa do pretty much the same thing. So. Annoying."
"How did I not know this!?" He was flabbergasted, he'd had no idea that they were so close! Although, Lance had mentioned Acxa as an explanation for knowing things that surprised Keith… and Acxa had made that 'mutually assured destruction' comment, so… "Crap! How long has this been going on?"
"Years," she groaned, "once upon a time, I was really thrilled about them being friends. Not so much anymore."
"I didn't think they had that much in common…"
"I think they mostly bitch about us," she said ruefully. "I'm mainly basing that on the way they shut up and stare at me when I walk in on them talking like I just interrupted plans for a surprise party or something, but… yeah. That's my theory."
"But why would they be bitching about me? What did I do?" He was starting to worry now. Had he been pissing them both off and not known it?
"Other than being oblivious to his flirting for years? Maybe bitching is the wrong word… conspiring, maybe? I know Lance has been learning a ton about Galra history and culture, and how the Blades work. So, like, not really you personally, more like your world... Like the parts of your life he didn't get to see."
"That doesn't sound too bad," he mused, relaxing a little, "and I wasn't oblivious I just didn't think he was serious!"
"Mmhmm, sure… and yeah, it sounds fine until you get into an argument with one of them and the other glares daggers at you until it's all patched up," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest, "then it sucks."
"Ohhhh… yeah, I bet," cringing, he glanced over at her, "so… you mentioned something about an ally?"
Her face lit up, the expression so much like Lance that he couldn't help but grin, "yes! So, here's what I was thinking…"
If he'd thought that age and time away would improve Lance's tolerance for meetings, he'd been wrong. His focus was better, but Keith knew him well enough to spot the impatient fidgeting of him tapping out patterns on his thighs with his thumbs, and the blink-and-you-miss-it flashes of irritation. It didn't help that what should be a simple intel breakdown had become a rather complicated discussion on how to navigate social customs of an allied planet that meant a level of security that was… just unacceptable given the resources that the group making threats might have access to.
"Can I just point out, again that Keith and I are not government representatives, political leaders, lobbyists, royalty, or anything else that would give us any actual clout? I mean sure, sure, people have decided that this whole thing is symbolic, but we're not Princes or Popes! Why does this have to be so complicated? If Jazolwa feels snubbed because we don't stop there when they refuse our security protocols, then they feel snubbed. We are private citizens and this is a press tour- that's it. How is it turning into this… mess!?"
"You sound like me," Keith chuckled, "usually you are the one going on about the power of symbols for increased goodwill and not being cowed by 'one little splinter cell of bigots'." The security protocols that were in contention being the remote interviews and having Kolivan and Coran going to the surface as representatives for Keith and Lance. The Jazol government would accept nothing less than the 'Intendeds' physical presence on their soil, assuring them that their own Planetary Defense Personnel could handle all possible threats.
"Yeah, that was a lot easier to say before somebody ended up in surgery for seven hours because they were pretending to protect me on Xaxanunilu! Which reminds me- do we have an update on poor Yorak?" Pidge snickered and Lance glared, surging to his feet.
"I know! I know! Honest to God I'm worried about him too- but I cannot hear that without thinking of Shakespeare and it's awful…. And I swear, if they hadn't already assured us that he would pull through I wouldn't even thi- You know what? Let's just stick with 'I'm sorry, won't happen again'," she shrank back in her seat as Lance's glare intensified to the point where it looked like he might spontaneously develop the ability to shoot lasers from his eyes.
Kolivan cleared his throat, "Yorak is out of surgery and recovering. Everything went well, and once they restored the blood lost from the injury, his vitals improved greatly."
"Oh, good," Lance relaxed a little, "I'd never have forgiven myself if…"
"Hey," Keith soothed, "stop it. They aren't pretending to protect us, they are protecting us. That shot was meant for one of us- just because we weren't there doesn't change that. It just confirms that this misdirection is warranted."
"You're right," he sighed, pushing a hand through his brown hair, "but that also means that it isn't worth the risk to us or the Blades that would be accompanying us to stop at Jazolwa. There's no way that they really understand the tactics and training that they'd be dealing with… and the global security net on that planet is so… outdated..."
"Ordinarily, I would agree, my boy," Coran interjected, his voice booming over the other conversations at the table. "But in this specific case, the appearance of lax security could work to our favor. We've identified the compromised line of information. If we send the wrong intel through that channel, we might be able to dig out our mole."
That had become their secondary goal. The primary one was still to get them safely to Daibazaal so that they could complete the Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai and show that they weren't cowed by threats, of course. But it had become clear that the splinter cell had someone inside the ranks of the Blade of Marmora and that was a serious risk to far more people than just him and Lance.
"A sting? You're talking about a sting," Lance paused, Keith could see his brain turning the idea over in the way his eyes focused. "How many people had access to the information about our interview with Yimia?"
Krolia checked her notes, "fifteen people had clearance to see that information."
"There were no indications of any virtual tampering with the data lines, security codes, or information storage," Pidge added.
"Yeah, and I checked the hardware on every one of those ships myself, bud. There was no tampering, no taps, no nuthin. Not when they left my sight- and anyone who had access to the ship had clearance for the information about the protocols in place on Xaxanunilu, so would have known you weren't physically there."
"Compartmentalizing done right," nodded Coran.
"What do you think, Keith?" Lance dropped back into his seat, catching both Keith's hands in his own, "you've got a lot more experience with all of this stuff than I do… and the others are not in the crosshairs like you and I. You've barely weighed in, like, at all."
"I think a sting might be the best way to go," he answered after a moment, "people will die sooner or later if we can't figure out who the sympathizer is. I don't like the idea of you being in danger- this isn't what you signed on for when you left the far-"
"Stop it!" Lance cut him off, "I might not have then but I absolutely have since so get over all that crap right now. I don't like the idea of you being in danger, either- but we don't really get a vote on that part. You want to do the sting?"
Keith nodded, "yeah. Let's catch this asshole."
"You heard my man," Lance crowed, turning back to the table, "and when we catch him- Keith and I want to be the ones to tell Yorak. So… Coran- you wouldn't have said anything if you didn't have a plan in mind."
"Well, yes, you are correct about that, my boy," Coran nodded, tugging on his lapels. "Several alternatives, in fact. To start- how widespread is the knowledge that there are Alteans on board?"
"Ooooh!" Romelle clapped her hands together excitedly, "I get to take part in the plan?"
"Uhhh… Romy, you know that probably means an adventure, right?" Hunk hiss-whispered, leaning toward her.
She sagged slightly, but rallied, "I want to help. Even if it means an adventure." She smiled at Keith and Lance, "for my family."
Lance blew her a kiss, and she rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "I promise, Romelle, no yalmors this time! Uhhh… Coran? There won't be any yalmors, right?"
"I hadn't considered the possibility of utilizing faunatonium," Coran murmured, twirling his moustache, "there could be tactical benefit to recreating the shrinking effects of-"
"Very few people outside of this ship are aware of the presence of Alteans," Kolivan interjected, cutting Coran off before the tangent went any further. "It's not classified information, but the majority of the attention was placed on securing the ships and protecting Keith and Lance.
"True- but if anyone was going to notice Alteans, it would be the sympathizer," pointed out Shiro, "that's generally how bigots work."
"Right. Right. That still leaves a good… six plans completely viable! More if we obtain faunatonium…"
"I don't think tracking down faunatonium is needed," Krolia said gently, "six is plenty of options."
"I don't think we all need to be present to go over the merits of six different plans," pointed out Veronica, "that runs the risk of information overload for those of us who aren't used to this much tactical preparation… and we've already been in here for hours."
Kolivan checked the time on his data pad, "yes, you're right. Krolia, Shiro, Veronica, Coran, and I will evaluate the options and get back to you with an actual plan. We'll reconvene in the morning- barring any urgent developments. Dismissed."
"I'd like to stay," Acxa said, surprising Keith, "I spent a significant amount of time strategizing with a seditious intent. I think I might have a unique perspective."
Veronica smiled and caught her hand in easy affection and out of the corner of his eye, Keith spotted Lance giving Acxa a subtle thumbs up. In the few days since his conversation with Veronica, he'd noticed more and more signs of the friendship between Lance and Acxa. It was a little strange to think about, but overall, he was glad. Lance was a great friend to have, and Acxa deserved more friends.
"I think that is an excellent idea," Coran boomed, and some tension left Acxa's shoulders.
"C'mon, Cutie," Lance purred at him, tugging him out of his seat, "we missed lunch and if we are in the mess hall at the same time as Hunk, he'll feed us!"
"Don't call me cutie," he muttered, letting Lance drag him out of the room.
The night before they were scheduled to disembark on Jazolwa, it was Keith who couldn't sleep. Coran's plan was convoluted to the nth degree and while he had faith in the Altean, there were a lot of factors at play, and Keith couldn't seem to stop running through his part of the scheme.
Unable to toss and turn without disturbing Lance, he was stuck with staring blankly at the ceiling as his mind churned. When he finally wrenched his thoughts away from the plan, they landed firmly on the man in his arms. Less than a phoeb ago, they'd been hanging out of the McClain family farm, just old friends. Now…
He still had moments of panic, where his concern that he might be more invested in this relationship than Lance was swamped him and threatened to pull him back through years of work and growth to the mindset of that bitter, angry kid who'd learned far too well that people leave no matter how much you loved them. Occasionally, something would happen that would remind him of the close calls- a mention of Yorak's name, a repeat of the threatening message showing up in the morning newsfeed, or even just the memory of trying to convince Lance to sleep in the waterbed alone that night. If Lance had done what he'd asked… the thought left him cold and shaking. That was just far too close for comfort.
"You're thinkin'too loud," yawned Lance, lifting his head to blink at Keith in the low light, "an'squishing me a lil'bit."
"Oh… sorry," he smiled sheepishly at his boyfriend, loosening his hold.
"Have you always been like this the night before a mission?" Lance asked, stretching. The move shifted him higher in the bed and he buried his face in the curve of Keith's neck, teasing the sensitive skin with nuzzles and nibbling little kisses.
Keith shivered and sighed, "not always. This one is just…"
"I know, right? Never play chess with Coran or Acxa!"
"Mom and Shiro were really impressed- Kolivan, too." He smiled, remembering the matter of fact compliment on the insights that Acxa brought to the table from stoic Kolivan.
"People forget that she was an actual General. It's gonna go fine. It's a solid plan." Lance brushed Keith's hair out of his face softly, "we're surrounded by amazing people."
"Yeah… it just feels like the stakes are so high…"
Lance laughed, "we saved all realities! Twice! This is nothing compared to that. Stakes? What stakes?"
"You," he whispered, "losing you. That's high stakes."
"Knock it off- I'm supposed to be the romantic one, remember? You've gotta stop saying so much romantic stuff- it's undermining my reputation. This is almost as bad as the true-love-with-a-hyphen thing."
"Sorry… I'm not trying to be romantic…"
"Yeah, I know- that's part of the issue, Cutie!" Seeming to give up on sleep for the time being, Lance sat up, "you just… tell the truth, and because it is the truth, and not some line, it makes it even more romantic. You are, right? Just telling the truth?"
"Yes? Is that bad? Does it bother you?"
"Does it bother me that I have an honest, romantic boyfriend? No. Definitely not. It doesn't bother me, Keith." He smiled softly, reaching out to stroke Keith's cheek, "sometimes… this doesn't seem real."
"Yeah I have a hard time believing that we are dealing with an actual terrorist threat, too."
"God, you are stupidly humble sometimes, babe," he leaned down to kiss Keith's forehead, "I was talking about being with you. About you being my honest, romantic boyfriend."
"I'm not doing anything romantic, though. I'm just not lying." Seriously, even now, there were times when Lance made absolutely zero sense to him.
"Like when you described our first kiss as 'true love'..." Keith couldn't tell if that was a question or an example.
"Mmhmm…"
"Is that what this is? True love?" Lance bit his lip, studying Keith's face. He looked… almost scared.
Which made complete sense.. Once Keith pulled his head out of his ass and remembered her. Allura.
"Doesn't have to be the truth for you," he whispered, not quite able to keep the sadness out of his voice. "I know things are different… I mean, you and I have very different dating histories."
"I don't care about your dating history, Keith. I've only ever wanted you to be happy- even if that wasn't with me…"
His heart lurched in his chest- why did Lance think he was talking about himself? "No. That's not… I'm not… I… I just meant… I know you were in love with Allura- I don't expect you to love me more than you loved her. Please don't think I want you to… like… pretend she wasn't important… or… you know… whatever…"
Lance sighed and it sounded so sad, "Keith… I don't compare you to Allura. It's… not like that… it's like… What's your favorite fruit?"
"What?! What does that have to do with anything?"
"Humor me."
"Uhhh… kiwis, I guess."
"Kiwis? Seriously?"
"What's wrong with kiwis?" Sometimes, talking to Lance was so very strange.
"Nothing… I just… I don't think I've ever heard someone say that was their favorite fruit… Whatever- okay… what's your favorite baked good?"
"Red velvet donuts- you know that…"
"Does loving red velvet donuts have anything to do with loving kiwis? Are you not allowed to love kiwis when you have a red velvet donut? Does loving kiwis mean you can't love red velvet donuts?"
"I'm red velvet donuts in this analogy, right?" Keith asked- Lance's questions were making a bit more sense now. "And Allura's kiwis?"
"Or vice versa, if you'd prefer," Lance answered. "I have a big heart. I can love you, even though I loved her… and will always love her in a way. It doesn't cancel each other out. Falling in love with her didn't change that I'd already fallen for you."
"That you'd already fallen…" He let out a breath, some kind of weight lifting from him, "the rivalry stuff… that's from before we met Allura…" Oh, God, Lance's answer on that stupid game. Keith hadn't really thought about what it meant outside of the context of the question.
"Mmhmm," Lance smiled softly, "I fell for you, then I met her and fell for her and I loved her- I did. I was sooo into her… but you… you're you... and you're like… a magnet for my heart. There's always been this… pull. I just had to let myself follow it for that stupid teenage crush to… turn into this. I love you. Big, deep, real deal, in love with you."
"I know that," he whispered, "I do. Most of the time I don't even think to question it… but… I just don't want you to think that I have some kind of… issue... with Allura… I guess. Like, I know I don't really measure up to what you had with her, and that's okay…"
"Hey, hey!" Lance tipped his face up so Keith could see his eyes- brows furrowed in obvious worry and something like angry flashing in the rich blue. "Don't you dare… don't you dare say stuff like that! There is no 'measuring up'! That's not a thing that happens with us. Got it? That's not how love works, Keith. I was in love with her. I'm in love with you. She was water, you're oxygen. Different, but both things I need. Where is all this coming from, Keith?"
He sighed, Lance should know better than to expect him to be able to put something that nebulous into words. Unable to answer, he just shrugged, eyes darting away from Lance's gaze.
"Oh, Mullet… sometimes I forget I'm not the only one with baggage," Lance kissed him gently, "your answer… the true love thing… were you just trying to win the game and top my answer?"
"I wouldn't lie to win a game, Lance," he grumbled, "that's cheating."
"But now… what? You're thinking that can't be true because I loved Allura? That… what? You're the next best thing, since I can't be with her?" At Keith's small nod, Lance made a soft little noise and straddled him, settling into Keith's lap easily. "Not how it works, babe. You need to talk to Shiro more- or your Mom. Losing her changed me. That kind of loss, it's.. Transformative- there's a nice, big, therapist word for you. So, I'm not exactly who I was back then… and who I am now is hopelessly in love with you. I know we haven't been together long, but I am absolutely certain of that. True love… that's not one-sided, or unbalanced, Keith. This love story of ours? It isn't one-sided, or unbalanced. If you meant it when you said that, then it's the truth, because I mean it when I say this: you, Keith Kogane, are my true love."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, doofus," Lance kissed the tip of his nose.
"What about your answer?" he asked, surprising himself, "the one word one… were you just trying to beat me?"
"Divine?" Lance smiled, playing with Keith's hair as his expression went soft and dreamy. "Sure, I wanted to win… but… that doesn't make it less true. I love our first kiss. I love how it happened. I love that we both knew exactly what it meant- what we were saying with it. It felt… perfect… but that seemed so cheesy, and the word is like… overused, you know? So then I thought 'fairytale' but I figured you'd claim that was two words, too. So… 'divine'. It fit. I meant it. I mean, true love's kiss, right? That's definitely something that warrants being called divine. So. Yeah. Divine."
The words washed over Keith like a balm, and then they were kissing and Lance was laughing into it and Keith felt like he was holding joy itself in his arms. They tumbled back into the sheets in a tangle of limbs that made Kosmo flash away. By the time sleep finally claimed him, those little seeds of panic and doubt had been thoroughly smothered.