Note: Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry to any and everyone who was checking for this to be updated. I thought that I had submitted this chapter already! I was trying to finish the rest of the story and went to see if I should split it into two chapters and found that A): I had written a lot more than I had originally thought for these last chapters, and B): that I hadn't submitted this. I finished the rest I just need to edit it so the final chapter(s) should be uploaded later this evening.
Lance-
Keith had been gone a long time. I was beginning to worry.
Maybe I should have told him.
I chickened out at the last moment when I grabbed his arm, though.
Hopefully, he would just make it out alive and I wouldn't have to worry about a thing. I could just tell him after the mission.
Red grumbled darkly. Small drones had latched onto the outside and were slowing Red down. "Alright, alright," I said standing and leaving the interior of Red to knock off the drones, "I hear you. I'm coming to help."
I obliterated the drones one by one while holding onto Red and trying to avoid the debris of the broken ships Red was destroying.
Suddenly, I heard a loud crash from inside of the Galra ship.
Keith-
My mind was a fuzzy haze of mist. I didn't know where I was or where I needed to be or how I got to this… wherever.
I felt dazed and empty.
Suddenly, there was… warmth by my side. Surrounding me.
I clung to it. I clung to the warmth like it was the only thing keeping me alive as I froze.
"Keith?"
I heard my name, but I couldn't open my eyes.
I felt lost in the moment; lost in an eternity of warmth.
"Keith!?"
The voice was more frantic, but I still couldn't open my eyes. I was caught in the warmth's soft caress.
Gentle fingers brushed the loose hair out of my eyes. I felt them trace the side of my face.
I turned my head towards the warmth, ready to sleep. It was so comforting.
I felt my mind dull and my inner thoughts quiet.
There was no need to think.
My breath became heavy and labored.
"KEITH!"
…Despair? Panic? Is that what the voice had inside of it?
I wanted to open my eyes, to show that I was okay, but I felt so empty. So tired.
"KEITH! WAKE UP!"
Why? I saw no point in opening my eyes. I was weary and sleep would… sleep would be good.
It would… be… good…
"Keith…"
The voice sounded so defeated and broken, but there was nothing I could do.
"I am not, letting you die on me, Mullet."
I felt the cool overwhelming press of darkness start within me and spread around.
Then, I felt the touch of fire on my lips.
Calm and gentle, yet desperate and afraid.
The fire warmed me.
I inhaled, forcing air into my lungs.
The fire left my lips.
"Keith. Please. I need you."
With as much strength as was left in my body, I opened my eyes.
Above me, I saw Lance.
His blue armor shone brilliantly.
"Lance," I croaked out.
"Keith, Keith, buddy, I'm here. I'm here," Lance whispered, tears choking his voice.
"Lance," I repeated, trying to make sense of the situation. I was still so tired.
Lance hugged me, gripping my body tightly as a few tears began to escape the corners of his eyes. "I-I thought I had lost you…"
Slowly, gently, I raised my arms until my hands rested on Lance's back.
Lance had buried his face into my chest.
I could only vaguely remember… pain… an explosion… light… and then warmth.
"W-what happened?" I asked softly.
I looked around and noticed that there was no gravity.
"Th-there was an explosion," Lance told me as he raised his head to look at me. "You were hurt. I… I came to find you."
There was a pause of silence. I kept my arms around Lance and he kept his around me. Our bodies were pressed together.
"We have to save Pidge," I whispered quietly.
Lance's grip slackened ever so slightly, but mine held firm.
Lance looked quizzically at me. "Keith? I think the other paladins probably have her. We should get into the Red Lion."
"Lance?" I asked weakly as we started to glide towards the Red Lion with our jet packs.
"Yes?" He looked at me with extreme care in his eyes.
"Y-You saved me."
Lance blushed ever so slightly and looked away. "Well, there was no way I could leave you."
We stopped gliding through space even though we had almost reached Red. Lance paused before glancing at my eyes and adding, "I couldn't leave you because… because I really li-"
I knew what he was about to say, so in a spontaneous moment of impulsive action, I leaned my head up and kissed him, cutting off his confession.
Lance was stiff with shock. For a moment, I was convinced that I had just dreamed of him kissing me as I lay dying in his arms, but then I felt Lance slowly relaxing into the kiss.
We held each other, intertwined, lost in zero gravity. I loved the warmth that I felt from Lance's body and from my internal fire.
Lance ran a hand gently through my hair. I clung to him.
Eventually, we couldn't ignore the sound of the other paladins through the com. They were safe.
And Pidge was anxious to get back to the castle.
"Come on," I said, still not letting go of him.
Both of us reluctantly entered the Red Lion.
"LANCE? KEITH?" we heard Shiro shouting through the coms.
"Yeah," Lance answered. "We're here. Keith is okay. He might need a day in the healing pod but otherwise he will live."
"Good," Hunk said through the coms.
"YO!" Pidge shouted. "I'm ready to get back now! I'm glad that Flirty and his Mullet buddy had a good time together but let's go!"
I was fairly embarrassed by Pidge's teasing, yet accurate, description of Lance and I and what we were doing.
"Yeah, yeah," Lance said, "We're coming. Hold your horses."
Note: Thanks to everyone still reading this story! I know it's not the best but I'm almost done and, in my opinion, the ending is really cute and funny.
Reviews of any kind (preferably not rude/mean ones) are always welcome!
