A/N: 3+ weeks and 25k+ words later we arrive at the final chapter! I hope you have enjoyed reading this, because I sure liked writing it.

hope you guys like this last one, too.

Lance is pacing. He had thought out a whole plan of how things would go; Keith would come back, he would find him, and they would talk. Lance would hint at their past, subtly indicate he realised he has feelings for him, then they would go from there. Instead, there has been no sign of Keith at all, even though Lance knows he got back in late this morning. Lance understands that Keith is technically working, which means he might not have the chance to see him, but it would've just made everything so much easier. Lance lies back on the edge of his bed, feet dangling down the side, considers his options, and groans. He's going to have take the initiative, isn't he?

Finding Keith isn't all that hard. By now, he's familiar with a lot of the Blades, and isn't shy about approaching them anymore. He manages to run into someone when turning into the main hallway, and asks where Keith is.

"Ah, you're in luck!" they reply. "We just finished a meeting, he should still be in the conference room."

"Alright, thanks!" Lance nods in appreciation, and heads over to where the room is.

Lance has never actually been to the room before, but it's pretty hard to miss. It's in the middle of the hallway, and has larger doors than any other beside it. The inside is pretty typical, it reminds Lance of the meeting room on the Atlas. Only, all the screens are purple, instead of orange.

When Lance enters, Keith is standing at the end of the table with his back to the door, looking at the projection in front of him. Beside him, is Kosmo. The space wolf notices him first, and before Lance knows it, he's been knocked onto the ground and the side of his face is suddenly very, very wet. He stands up and wipes off the slobber, then wraps his arms around the animal's neck, burying his face in its fur.

"Hi, buddy! God, you're so big! I remember when you were still a wee little, or, well, medium-sized pup!" Kosmo nudges Lance and growls a bit, to which Lance chuckles, holds his hands up in surrender, and says "okay, no more comparisons shall be made. I know how annoying it can be." Kosmo lifts his head up, satisfied, then teleports back to Keith's side.

"Hey, Lance," Keith greets, petting Kosmo on the head. His voice is incredibly warm, sweet like honey, and Lance feels like he's getting drunk off it. He shakes his head clear of these thoughts when he catches himself, because what? It's not like in the span of a day Keith has suddenly changed. Just because Lance has realised he has feelings now, doesn't mean he has to see Keith differently. But, he guesses belatedly, it does. For so long this part of him was buried, and now that it's been uncovered, everything Lance avoided thinking about before surfaces.

"How were your missions?" Lance asks, in attempt to get rid of unwelcome thoughts.

"Good," Keith replies frankly, in a manner that may even be considered curtly, but Lance doesn't call him out on it. He goes back to reading whatever he was reading before, while Lance bounces on the balls of his feet. He feels like the atmosphere has gotten awkward; Keith seems like he isn't up for conversation, but the question has been nagging at Lance's mind since yesterday, and he's impatient. He decides to jump the gun.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, of course." Keith doesn't take eyes off the screen, and Lance is thankful. He's suddenly very shy, and the pounding of his heart is getting heavier, and his mouth is dry. He swallows, breathes in deeply, calms his nerves, and takes the leap. Whatever happens next will determine everything.

"Did you…" the words that are meant to follow get caught in Lance's throat, and he has to try again. "Did you used to like me?"

Pause. Everything is suspended. Lance breathes heavily, despite the lack of activity, and his breaths sound so incredibly loud in the now silent room. Keith's hand, raised with the index finger pointing to the spot Keith was focused on, wavers. The only big movement is Kosmo. His gaze shifts between the two of them, and then he whines. As if understanding the situation, he teleports away, his bright, blue glow making everything brighter for a second. When it fades, everything stays still for a moment, before Keith turns around, painstakingly slowly, with an expression that resembles resignation written on his face.

"Yeah."

And that single word, the monosyllable, knocks all the air out of Lance. Except, it doesn't feel like he's suffocating. It's like when he dives into the water which he so dearly loves, and has to hold his breath before rising to the surface. It's the initial shock following a topple from his surfboard, and is plunged into the cool ocean. It's a stepping stone, if you will, leading to the most beautiful moments after. Because once his head breaks the water, once he takes in that first breath, it's everything. It's the way his lungs feel full, relishing the sweet, sweet oxygen. It's the feeling of water sliding over him as smooth as silk, with a few droplets clinging onto him like a second skin. It's the view he gets after, of beautiful blue, of everything glistening like diamonds. It's something he wishes he could relive, over, and over again.

Lance is at a loss for words, because he's still replaying the moment, and because he didn't plan this far. Luckily for him, Keith takes over the talking for a bit. He sits down on one of the chairs, and gestures for Lance to take the one beside him. It's little things like this, ones that may not be conscious decisions, that stand out to Lance now. It's the fact that Keith sits next to him, instead of at the head of the table, that speaks volumes on what they are.

"I used to not be able to stand you. You would always be taking jabs at me, and it pissed me off. I hated the Garrison in general. There were just… so many rules, and things to follow, and it just wasn't me. I felt like they were holding me back, so I would always try to sneak in a bit of rebellion here and there. It was true that the only reason I was there was because of Shiro. I wouldn't have gotten in otherwise, and if he wasn't keeping me in line, I would've been expelled ages ago. So when he was gone, I gave up, and I flunked out. In the desert, I put my all into researching that energy, and I honestly forgot about everything else. I forgot about you.

"When we met again, and you jogged my memory, none of my previous resentment really came back. A lot of that was confined to the Garrison, and since we were out of there, it didn't matter. But… I was still annoyed. It was supposed to be a simple task, but then you showed up, with two other people, and then I had to get us all out of there. The first time I got an inkling that you were something special was when we found the blue lion. There was no denying the fact that you were the reason those carvings lit up, and the forcefield retracted. And then, you flew, and I took everything back. Man, have you come far since those days.

"But anyways, after that, I didn't really know what to feel about you. Or any of the others, to be frank. I was so used to be alone, and I had been for so long, that suddenly being thrown into a position where I was surrounded by people and had to get along with everyone was disorienting. I never hated you, or anything, though. I simply retaliated the way I did to all your quips because it's just the kind of person I am. And I let myself be roped into the competitions because I thrive off them. However, it's not like I did them for nothing. They were enjoyable to me. You were someone who I felt like was on my level, someone who I could compete against without either one of us being at a disadvantage.

"I think I started to like you that time you held my hand. As someone who was, for lack of a better word, touch-starved, it was kind of a lot. I didn't like, fall, right away or anything though. But that was the start of it. And following that, we worked seamlessly together whenever we were a unit. It was the first time I started to think that maybe it was better to do things with others. I began to fall a bit deeper as each day went on, though it was subtle, so I didn't really notice it. And when I did realise, it was too late.

"Believe it or not, I'm a pretty emotional person. As in, I base a lot of my decisions on them. Which is why I was so afraid when I liked you. I couldn't have someone else dictate what I should do, it's dangerous. Obviously, as we later found out, it also goes the other way. Without you helping me when I was with Black, who knows what would've happened to the team. But anyways, I was also initially frustrated with the fact it was you, of all people. Because it seemed like you despised me, and we were always butting heads. You were so dramatic and over the top, and you were always flirting up basically anyone we came across. That in particular caused me a lot of grief.

"But then, I came to realise exactly why it could only be you. Because no matter how you acted on the outside, below that was a caring boy, with a heart of gold. Someone who had their own insecurities, but was there for others, and stayed strong on the surface for them. You tried your hardest at everything, even if the results weren't optimal, and you were always trying to better yourself, to become the best version of you possible. And you pushed me to go further too. Our competitions kept me on my toes, and your remarks made me want to prove you wrong. Regardless of how we sometimes behaved though, I knew I could rely on you. You always, always have my back. When I was essentially forced to lead the team, it was terrifying. It was a position I never wanted, because it only solidified the fact Shiro was gone. And when Black responded to me, after all of you, who wanted it so badly, were rejected, it made me feel so guilty. I didn't want it. I couldn't do it.

"You, Lance, are the one who didn't give up on me. You accepted the situation, you accepted me, and you helped me. You kept me in check, and you never got upset with me, even when I led us all into very dangerous scenarios. Throughout our whole Voltron experience, and possibly even my whole life, those were the best times for me. I don't know how to describe it, but with you there by my side, supporting me, I felt like nothing could go wrong. I was so grounded, and I felt so whole, and stable, and I have never felt that before. It made me wonder what it would be like if…

"At the start, I thought maybe I had a chance. But then I saw the way you acted around Allura, and everything that alluded to how you felt about her, and I just knew. I never had a shot. The strange thing is, I was alright with it almost immediately. I think there was a brief period where I moped about it, and cursed the universe, because after everything, after everyone in my life that's left, didn't I deserve to have someone that would stay? But I've essentially always been alone, I've never really known what it's like to be with another, so I figured it wouldn't be as bad as initially thought. I know I'm not really… dateable. I'm not exactly the friendliest person around either, not like you. I don't know that it would've been fair for you, if we were ever together, with the person I was then.

"So after that, I accepted the way things would be, and decided to just be able to be there for you, whenever you needed. It was the least I could do after everything you did for me. You made me a better person, Lance, and I could never thank you enough for that."

Just like the night of Adam and Shiro's wedding, Lance is at an absolute loss for words. Halfway through Keith's speech, Lance couldn't resist not looking at him any longer. He turned his head to watch him speak, but Keith's gaze never wavered from his hands, where they were clasped together. They were still gloved, as always, since it's a part of Marmora uniform, but Lance idly wondered whether Keith would be wearing gloves even if they weren't. He would smile occasionally, as he spoke; small, easy grins that softened all of his features, and warmed Lance from his very core. Even the way Keith spoke about his unrequited feelings, or the way he felt he wasn't worthy… If you couldn't understand what he was saying, you'd never guess the context from his tone. Lance knows he can't change the past, but he wishes something could've been different, so Keith's words could match how he talks.

And for that reason, once Lance looks back down at his own hands resting against the table, he says "I'm sorry". Because Keith was right with his thinking before. So many people had suffered because of the war, and Lance believes that they all deserved some sort of happiness after all of that. They deserved to have what they wanted. And a lot of people got it, but not Keith.

"Nah, don't be. It's something I accepted ages ago." Except you shouldn't have had to, Lance thinks.

Lance has received the answer to one of his questions, but it leads to another. He wrings his hands, debating whether he should actually ask it, and knows that he does. He's the one who has to lead this now, if he wants to reach the conclusion he desires.

"And now?" Lance faces Keith again.

Keith finally looks at him, and steadily replies with "I'm not sure I know what you mean," except Lance knows Keith does. He always knows what Lance aims to convey with his words. Maybe he's trying to give Lance an out though, asking him if it's something he really wants. It is.

"Do you still…" Lance gestures vaguely, because even though he says he's going to chase after it, it doesn't mean he isn't going to be all confident when doing so. Keith is someone he's subconsciously liked since he was a teenager, years and years ago. He doesn't want to mess anything up by saying the wrong thing.

"Some." The reply is almost instantaneous. Keith stares into Lance's eyes, and there's no hesitance at all. When Lance takes in his next breath, it's shaky.

"I—Me too." Lance realises he hasn't actually given Keith any indication that the feelings are, finally, mutual. Keith reels back slightly, eyes widening in shock, before he recovers and raises an eyebrow instead. Lance supposes it's his turn to monologue now.

"These past few days have been crazy. I had no clue what to expect when I came back out here. I was kind of scared, to be honest. We hadn't been around each other in ages, and I didn't know if we'd get along like before. I didn't really know what sort of person you were now. And wow, do I know now.

"Being back here, and going on all those missions with you, brought back a bunch of old feelings. Ones I had never been able to place, but were extremely familiar. Except, there were new ones too. Seeing you the way you are now, with all the confidence, and watching you lead and help others… It made me fall for you. I didn't really notice it though, it turns out I'm kind of dense, but it's also because it's different. The way I feel for you is different to how it was with others.

"And when I looked back on the past, and how I felt about you back then, and how you made me feel, everything came together. I realised I didn't notice it because there was nothing to notice. It wasn't anything new. Sure, some of the experiences were, and there were different things, other details that have only surfaced because of where we are now, but ultimately the reason behind it has been there for a very long time.

"I liked you too. I have since I became the Red Paladin. The intensity of it came and went, but it was always there, no matter what. And you've always been there for me, when no one else was. It only took me, like what, forever, to figure out, but I'm here now. I don't know how much 'some' is, but Keith, I think I might be in love with you."

The expression on Keith's face is one Lance can't decipher. He isn't really moving, either, just sort of staring, and Lance starts to panic a bit. He doesn't know what he should do. He's afraid he's already done too much, and then Keith starts to cry. He makes no attempt to wipe his tears away, or to slow them down or stop them. Instead, he just lets them run down his cheeks. He closes his eyes, and allows them to fall. His mouth quivers a bit, before he sucks in his lips to still them. Lance reaches out to comfort him, then hesitates. He still doesn't know what this means. And then, ever so slowly, so slow that Lance realises what's about to happen and stops breathing, Keith gets close and leans forwards, so that their foreheads touch.

Lance lets his eyes fall closed too, because it's like everything they've done in the past has led to this. This is the final Bonding Moment. When he opens his eyes again, he finds that Keith's eyes are still closed, and he's stopped crying, although his breathing is still uneven, and he holds a hand to his heart.

"I think I might be in love with you too," Keith whispers, and it comes out along with his breath, blending seamlessly, and so quietly, that Lance would've missed it, if it were anyone else but Keith. The confession brings tears to Lance's eyes too, but he wills himself not to cry. He places a hand on the back of Keith's head, pulling him in closer, pressing their foreheads together.

"I'm so sorry it took me this long to figure out."

Keith shakes his head, and Lance's moves with it. He opens his eyes, which are glistening, and smiles widely, teeth and all.

"No," he replies, "don't be. It's—this is more than I ever imagined."

Lance moves, then; pulls back so he is face to face with Keith. He's sure Keith's smile is reflected on his own face. There's an overwhelming amount of emotion and happiness, there's no way he would be able to contain it. He brings his hands up to cup Keith's cheeks. It makes him pout, slightly, and Lance's heart jumps.

"Can I… May I kiss you?"

In lieu of an actual response, Keith leans forwards and presses his lips against Lance's. It's… everything. It's all the things Lance mentioned before, when Keith confirmed the fact he used to like him. This is something that will join the list. Because when they finally pull apart, Keith's face is slightly flushed, there's an unfamiliar redness to his cheeks. His eyes seem brighter, and a smile plays on his lips. Except, it's also different to the other things. There's no intermediate with this. Kissing Keith is something of its own altogether. It's the way Keith's chapped lips feel against his own smooth ones; it's the way their mouths fit together, soft and malleable. It's the little noise Keith makes in the back of his throat, when Lance ventures a bit further. It's the fact it leaves Keith's lips somewhat puffy after, enticing Lance to go back for more. And so he does.

Lance doesn't want to say he's proud of making out in what's probably the most important room of Blade of Marmora headquarters, but the way it leaves Keith after does have him feeling a little smug. His hair is all tousled now, sticking out in places where Lance's hands have been. He also seems to be a bit shy, all of a sudden. He turned away afterwards, ducking his head. Unfortunately for Lance, the moment Keith span back around in his chair, was the moment he started smirking. He receives a punch in the shoulder for it.

"Watch it, you're getting cocky."

"Oh, don't be like that," he teases, as Keith stands up. "I'm just admiring my handiwork!"

Keith points a finger and glares at him, but says nothing. He pulls up another projection, but Lance thinks he sees a smirk on his lips too, reflected in the screen behind it. For some time, Lance just watches Keith work. He doesn't really know what he's doing, but it doesn't make him feel bored. He could probably watch him all day. Although, there are better things he can think of, so he gets up from his chair, as silently as he can manage, and steps behind Keith. He snakes his arms around his waist, and rests his chin against his shoulder. Keith doesn't show any surprise at all, and it makes everything feel so much more natural. As if this is nothing new. There might be a point to that, though. Lance doesn't feel nervous about anything, like this is all second nature to him. Keith doesn't stop what he's doing, but he does lean back against Lance a little, and his smirk is swapped out for a lazy smile. Lance closes his eyes, and simply rests for a bit. He does do some appreciating though, of the heat he feels coming off Keith's body, and of the way his muscles feel and move as he breathes.

This is nice, Lance thinks, until he realises there's an issue they haven't discussed yet. He straightens up, lets go of Keith, and goes to stand next to him, then forwards a little, so more of him is in his peripheral vision.

"We're really going to do this, right?"

"Yeah, of course." Keith then tilts his head in confusion, furrowing his brows, "unless you didn't want to?"

"What? No! I am very much aboard this ship, and I don't plan on getting off it, thank you very much. I just mean, well, long distance is very hard." Lance has done it before, and it's not an experience he'd readily welcome back.

"Trust me, I'm well aware." Lance blinks at this, trying to process the words. Is Keith implying what he thinks he's implying? And then, even though there's no warrant for it, he feels a pang of jealousy. Keith, of course, knows what he's thinking, because as soon as the thought crosses his mind, Keith is saying "no, Lance, I don't know that from the perspective of dating. For me, it's always just been you." This makes Lance blush like crazy. He's never going to get tired of feeling like this. "Anyways, I know it's difficult, but… I don't think we'll have to."

It's Lance's turn to be lost. He gives Keith a look, and waits for him to elaborate.

"I've basically been working non-stop, and my subordinates have been telling me to take a break, but there was never a good enough reason for me to do so. Now that the organisation has been mostly set up, I'm not really needed anymore, at least in comparison to the early days. And with all the technology we have now, if anything does happen, they can easily reach me."

"Are you saying you'd come back to Earth with me?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Lance nods, "okay. Don't."

"What?"

Lance mentally facepalms himself. This is why he has to think before speaking. "Sorry, words. I just mean you don't need to do that. I've been… home, for a really long time now. And that was good, it was what I needed, but some days I miss the adventure. I miss the exhilaration; I miss space. I love teaching and I love being close to my family, but this was, and is, a part of my life too. I'll join you, if you're okay with it. At least for now. We can alternate between the two places. Or, if you want, we can go travelling."

"I'm not okay with it," Keith shakes his head. "You shouldn't have to make a sacrifice like that."

"Like you should?" Lance throws his hands up. It's been all tender between them, he'd almost forgotten how stubborn Keith gets.

"It's different, I'm not vital here, you are there."

"I'm really not. I think my family is getting tired of me showing up all the time, and I could take a break from the Garrison. Don't fight me on this."

"I won't," Keith states firmly, "because there is nothing to fight about. We're going to Earth."

"God, you're insufferable!" Lance storms to the end of the room, trying to control his anger. This isn't how he thought things would go.

"Yep, that's me." And that's the final straw. Lance marches back to where Keith is, and presses a finger against the middle of his chestplate. He opens his mouth to yell, or something, and then an idea comes to mind.

"Race me," he says, all of the previous heat gone.

"What do you mean?" Keith speaks calmly too, now. It's crazy how their emotions mirror each other.

"Well, we can't decide what to do, right, and I challenged you yesterday. Let's use this to settle everything, once and for all."

"One final race?"

Lance nods, resolute. "The final race."

A smirk makes its way onto Keith's face. "You're on."

It ends up being a big event, which Lance could not have anticipated. Keith went to find someone to serve as a referee, and Lance thinks he's taking this way too seriously, but supposes it's appropriate. End things with a bang, right? They'll have to race in the surrounding area, because of the black holes, and it's going to be broadcasted at the observatory. They gather there to go over the rules, and Lance is surprised by the amount of people who have showed up, there are a large number of both Blades and non-members. Lance starts to feel nervous, and pulls at the fabric of his uniform, which he put on just for this.

"All right! Listen up," the Blade speaking reminds Lance of Coran. "You'll be using standard ships, which are being prepared and topped full of fuel right now. They've all been modified, but you're not allowed to use any of the modifications. We're doing this the classic way. I'll be out there too, and if I see any funny business, I'm disqualifying you immediately. It's going to be a pretty simple course. The start is where I'm stationed, and you'll be doing five laps around the black holes. The path will be inputted onto your ships, so you won't stray from it, and so you follow the same one. That's about it. Any objections?" Lance and Keith both shake their heads. Their referee nods. "Shake on it, and then we'll head out."

Lance and Keith make it a big movement, swinging their forearms outwards before bringing them in and clasping them together. It makes a satisfying sound, and the people cheer. They stare into each other's eyes for a moment, before letting go. They exit the room, and make their way to the hangar. Once they board their ships, they follow the referee outside. It actually calms Lance down a bit, seeing all the stars. It reminds him of the days he spent in Blue and Red. He's got this, he tells himself. He then recalls there being a mention of cameras, so he looks around himself and waves, for those who are watching. His surroundings are silent, with the only thing he's hearing being his breathing. And then, the referee's voice comes in over intercom. Lance and Keith's outgoing communications are turned off, so they won't be able to distract each other.

"On your marks," Lance flexes his fingers, then wraps his them around the throttle, "get set," Lance takes in a deep breath, "go!"

Lance pushes the controls, and he goes surging forwards. It's not quiet anymore; he hears the blast of the engine, as well as the steady hum of the ship as it moves. He has no issues flying now, he's neck and neck with Keith. That one time wasn't an accurate representation of his present-day abilities, he just hadn't been able to get back in the groove then. Plus, Keith was there, doing that. Thinking of it makes Lance lose focus for a moment, and Keith pulls ahead. Lance grunts, shakes his head clear, and pursues him.

It ends up being a pretty close race. Keith leads for the first two laps, Lance manages to overtake him for the next two, and by the start of the last lap they're more or less the same again. Somewhere in the back of Lance's mind, around halfway into lap three, he realises this is no longer really about what they're going to do next. He doesn't entirely care about that anymore. This race has ignited the competitive spirit inside him, and he just wants to beat Keith. It's not as if he was keeping score, but Lance believes that if they totalled the number of competitions they've each won, Keith would come out on top, by a bit. Lance thinks that has all been thrown out the window though. The cumulation of all their previous contests have led to this one, which is going to determine it all. Yes, Lance talks back to the voice in his head, I am very mature.

They're three-quarters of the way through now, and Keith has started to put some distance between them. Lance grits his teeth. He knows piloting is what Keith's best at, but he's good at it too. He puts all his remaining efforts into speeding his ship up, leans forwards in his seat for effect, and sees himself catching up. Then, just as they reach the end, something odd happens. Keith is suddenly gone from Lance's field of vision, and he crosses the finish line with no one beside him. He panics, thinking something must've happened to Keith, but when he turns his ship around, he sees him pass the endpoint with a speed nowhere near as fast as he was going before. His ship is entirely intact, and Lance doubts there was a malfunction anywhere else, otherwise the referee would've stopped the race.

And just as it's announced "Lance wins!", he realises exactly what happened. Keith let him win. There's no way with the distance they had left, and with the speeds they were going at, that Lance would win. The only way he would've was if Keith paused for even a second. This makes Lance furious. What in the world would make him do something like this? It wasn't mentioned in the rules or anything either, so Lance can't dispute this. Somehow, this is even worse than if Keith would've won.

Keith gets back to the hangar before Lance does, and when Lance gets out of his ship, he charges towards Keith. Unfortunately, their ships are stored opposite to each other, so Lance has quite a distance to walk, but he doesn't care. He's unable to process anything right now, aside from the fact his win wasn't his. Keith watches him approach, and when he's within earshot, he starts to congratulate him. He doesn't get to finish though, because Lance shoves his shoulder, hard, and he goes stumbling back.

"Good job, Lance, I really—"

"What the fuck was that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Cut the bullshit, you know exactly what you did. Why'd you pull up short at the end? You let me win."

Keith sighs. "Is that really such a bad thing?"

"Yes!" Lance exclaims. He doesn't understand why Keith doesn't get it. He,of all people, should get it. In his peripheral vision, he sees the referee hurry out of area. "What kind of race is it if you're not putting in all your effort? What kind of win is it, if it's not one that comes from yourself?"

"Maybe I didn't want to do it anymore!" Keith shouts back. "Maybe I decided that it didn't matter where I was, because I'm happy wherever you are! I'll do whatever you want to do!" Keith sounds exasperated by the end, and Lance realises he had everything so unbelievably wrong.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he can't believe he messed up on the first day, "I'm so sorry, is there—"

"It's fine, Lance," and when he opens his mouth again, Keith cuts him off before he can get another word out, "seriously. This is still new, no matter how old it feels. There's going to be some stuff we need to figure out. And we will do all of that, in due time. For now, we should probably head in."

"Okay," Lance drops it, because he knows Keith won't budge, but he's already thinking up other ways to apologise in his mind. "I can't believe we keep yelling at each other. It hasn't even been that long yet."

"I know right? But it's okay, I think. It's very us." And then Keith takes Lance's hand, and squeezes.

"Yeah," Lance beams at him, "you have a point." They walk, hand in hand, towards the door, and just before they pass through it, Lance says "also, could you maybe chill with those declarations? You're going to make me lose it some day."

Keith chuckles, and replies with ease, "I'm already lost on you though."

Lance tips his head back and huffs. "This is exactly what I mean!"

It only makes Keith laugh harder, and suddenly Lance thinks he might be okay with it, if it means Keith will do this. The sound of his laughter is melodic, it's music to Lance's ears.

Lance is back on Earth now, in his room at the Galaxy Garrison, packing his things. Keith only intended to drop him off and wait on the ship, however Lance managed to convince him to come say hi to a few people. He tried to argue against it, but begrudgingly trudged alongside Lance after a few kisses, unwillingly leaving Kosmo behind. Or rather, being jealous of the fact Kosmo could stay on the ship, and not him. He looked quite grumpy, and when Lance pointed this out, he only pouted harder. It was all very cute. Lance told Keith this as well, and Keith tried to get out of Lance's grasp because of it, but, of course, failed.

As Lance folds his clothes and places them in his suitcase, he thinks back to the past couple of days. It's been a wild ride, to say the least, but he wouldn't have ever expected anything less. He recalls his hesitancy on the first night, and wishes he knew then what he knows now. He packs a few miscellaneous items for decorative purposes, and some others for entertainment, then looks outside his window, up at the sky. He probably isn't going to see Earth for a while after today, and he's okay with it. After all, he has a large number of places to explore with his boyfriend. And speak of the devil…

"Hey," Lance turns to find Keith leaning against the door frame. He looks very good, and Lance just has to appreciate the view for a moment. "You good to go?"

"Yeah," Lance smiles, pulling out the handle of his suitcase, "always."

They walk side by side as they leave, neither one a step ahead, nor a step behind. Because they're truly equals. They're partners. And they will always be, until the end of time.

A/N: ahhhhhhhhhhh what do you guys think? is it okay? tbh I feel like my words could never do them justice and truly express the love I feel for them but :( what can I do

k/l will always have such a special place in my heart, they're the pair that really got me writing, and I'm going to miss them so, so much

this definitely won't be the last klance piece from me though! I can't say when the next one will be, but if you're ever curious feel free to send an ask to my tumblr (riskeith), or something

thank you guys so much for reading, I hope it was able to serve as some kind of solace. feel free to review (I adore every last one and they really keep me going), but other than that, that's all for now!

:)