Hcs: Galra!Keith, Clingy!Keith

Summary: When you're used to having no one, it's a little hard to let go when you finally have someone.

.o.O.o.

Lance silently gazed at the billions of stars surrounding him, each gleaming in a different way than the others. They slowly, ever so slowly, floated in and out of view as the castle flew past them. The only light in the room was coming from the shine of the stars, faintly illuminating the round couches, the pristine walls, the clean floors, and the two people resting on the couch at the room's center.

Lance was laying on his side with his head propped up on the arm of the couch, one arm partially hanging off of the couch and the other resting in the dip of his waist. His legs were intertwined with Keith's, the teen lying in front of him on his side as well with his head on Lance's outstretched arm. They were spooning, Lance acting as the big spoon and Keith as the little spoon.

Keith was watching the stars as well, tilting his head to look at the occasional meteor or an exceptionally bright star. His ears twitch slightly every few seconds, picking up sounds that Lance's human ears could not detect. His tail had slowly wrapped around Lance's leg, protecting itself from being crushed accidentally.

They didn't really do this often, laying awake and watching the stars while they should have been sleeping. Usually they would sleep in their own rooms, or occasionally together if one of them had a nightmare. But tonight was different. Neither of them were tired, and being out in the open felt better than being holed up in a bedroom.

Lance could have listened to his music and drawn until he felt tired enough to sleep, but he was there for Keith. It didn't happen often, but sometimes he just needed to cuddle. To be near Lance. Because for most of his life he had been alone, and he finally had a family to call his own in space. Most of the time the fun they had during the day was enough, but sometimes he needed to have one on one intimacy on a platonic level.

And night was the best time for that; no one was awake, and everything was slow and quite. The lights were dimmed and turned off in some places, leaving only the starlight to light their way. It was calm, relaxing, and soft.

They never talked either. There wasn't much to say. They just laid on the couch, keeping each other warm and gazing up at the stars. The silence was heavy, but comforting, like a weighted blanket.

Neither of them knew how long they laid there, but neither cared. Time didn't seem like a constant when they were surrounded by open space like this. It felt like they were floating in a single moment, free to stay for however long they wanted.

Eventually, Keith's tail unraveled, and he flipped over to face Lance. He looked tired and ready to sleep, but didn't close his eyes. He stared up at the stars, searching for something in them he couldn't quite find. Lance smiled softly at him and kissed his forehead. Speaking the first words of the night, he gave Keith three words of advice.

"Count the stars."