Chapter Text
It’s been two years.
Two years since Ahtia and Rahvi and the blue flowers that turned them into brain-dead horny dumbasses and Lance is-...
Lance has never been more in love.
The easy tempo of Keith’s breathing keeps him nice and mellow, his head heavy on Lance’s chest as their much-needed nap time - tucked away from everyone else - rolls silently into hour three.
So much has happened since they lifted off from Ahtia. So many new faces. Countless battles and negotiations and end-of-the-universe situations and yet…
And yet they’re still up here.
Still fighting.
Still doing it together.
Lance’s gentle stroke over Keith’s knuckles slows as his thoughts turn mushy.
Because…
Sometimes it’s overwhelming. How stupidly fucking in love with Keith he is. How hungry for his attention he stays, even with how Keith’s gotten really generous with that shit now. It’s just how it is. How his heart works.
He’s head over heels. He’s overwhelmed in the best way. He’s-...
Lance fights off the wave of sleep trying to pull him under, his thumb tracing over his boyfriend’s ring finger on autopilot...
He’s gonna ask Keith to marry him.
_ _ _
Lance learns one thing and he learns it fast and it’s this:
Half-asleep daydreaming about proposing and actually proposing in real-life waking hours with real-life waking decisions are two insanely different motherfuckers.
But that’s not gonna stop him. No sir!
He’s gonna marry Keith’s stupid little ass and it’s gonna be great.
It’s just-...
How to do it…
“Any time now, Lance.”
The order in his ear-comm may belong to his beloved, but the impatience is born strictly from a plan lagging just a bit too long.
And alright, Lance will take that one.
“Almost got it,” he answers, re-focusing through his sniper rifle’s reticle like he was simply waiting for the perfect shot and not thinking up Keith-friendly proposal scenarios as said boyfriend waits ground-level for a clear path.
The latter can wait for now. Because the three mech guards have finally aligned down there - the tasty sweet spot - perfect for Lance’s shot that has his single bullet zipping and piercing through all three targets with pinpoint accuracy.
The mechs fall to the floor.
Triple headshot.
“Holy shit...”
Lance can feel his grin turn heated. “That turn you on, baby?”
“Guys.”
Oops. “Oh shit - sorry Shiro.” His bad. “Forgot you were on.”
“Mm.”
Shiro doesn’t sound convinced.
_ _ _
Alright.
Alright!
Serious possibilities only.
No more dicking around.
Lance is gonna propose and it’s gonna be big and bangin’ and extravagant and-
...wait a sec. He can’t do that.
Keith would not do well with something big and bangin’ and extravagant, would he.
Okay, no problem! Something small! Something chill. Something not overwhelming but still showing how absolutely whipped Lance’s heart is for him! That shouldn’t be too hard, right?
“...-celebration of the moon cycles tonight…”
Lance’s undirected pacing slows to a stop at the familiar voice routed in through the other room, not surprised by the even more familiar one answering.
“I thought you just did that.”
“It’s frequent, yes. But what’s the harm in honoring what’s close to us?”
“...guess that makes sense…”
The living room in their wing of the ship is dark when Lance peers into it, the ceiling lit blue by the face projected out from the communication device that's sitting on the table in front of Keith. Even through the projection, Lance recognizes that snow-white skin and kind, genuine smile.
“Do you celebrate moon cycles on your planet?”
“Uh…” Keith’s honest-to-god thinking about it. Is too focused to note Lance’s approach until he’s come up behind him, leaning over the back of the couch to give him a quick smooch on the cheek.
It’s casual. As casual as their frequent chats with Rahvi and his husband, who sits comfortably under Rahvi’s arm like usual as Lance returns their smiles - “What’s shakin’, your majesties.” - keeping his momentum to the bedroom with a little squeeze of Keith’s shoulder on the way.
He’s not gonna sit in on this one tonight. He’s got some very important shit to think about.
“Are you going to bed...?”
He just barely hears Keith, who’s looking cute as hell on the couch as he looks after him. “Yeah babe. Super cashed.”
Tryna figure out how to ask you to marry me, more like but haha, he can’t very well say that, can he?
“Pleasant dreams!”
Lance can’t help the little chuckle at Rahvi’s send off. “Yeah - you too, man.” (Even though it’s definitely daytime on Ahtia right now, but oh well.)
Keith’s still lookin’ all cute so he gives him one more grin - the sentimental idiot that he is - and then disappears into the bedroom.
Their voices flow in as a murmur as he collapses back onto their bed.
It’s time to do some Thinking™.
Time to be Big Brain Lance™.
Even before going into space, the ceiling has always been his best friend in situations that call for a little extra introspection. So there’s no way it’s gonna let him down now.
He’s just gotta focus.
Rahvi’s gentle laugh floats in from the other room - soft and friendly. And the sigh that falls from Lance’s lungs shouldn’t be so discouraged, but…
He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t lurking around in the back of his head. Poking at him. Trying to mess him up.
This isn’t gonna be Keith’s first proposal.
And Lance knows. He knows, okay? It’s not the same. The other one didn’t mean anything. Keith didn’t even know what kind of situation he was in when it happened blah blah blah, it’s just-...
...what if…
A swell of conversation from the living room.
Lance’s gaze falling from the ceiling.
That thought. Prodding at him in the back of his head.
Whatever he comes up with...however he proposes...is Keith gonna compare it to Rahvi...?
Lance sits up, annoyed at his own damn self because come on - fucking seriously? Keith wouldn’t do that. He didn’t wanna be engaged before. He was actively trying to get out of that shit, so why the hell would he compare him to Rahvi unless he’s already doing it - unless he’s been doing it since day one and Lance is falling short somewhere and-
The concentrated warmth just above Lance’s heart cuts his rambling thoughts off in an instant, the necklace that hangs there glowing in affirmation as strongly as ever.
Lance hasn’t taken it off once since Keith gave it to him two years ago. Call him sentimental. Call him corny. But it’s times like these where it comes through the most, Keith’s thoughts of him heating the crystal and soothing away the prodding in his brain. Because...
Keith loves him.
Keith loves him just as much as Lance loves Keith and-...
Lance holds onto the crystal as he swings his feet over the side of the bed.
He knows how he’s gonna propose.
_ _ _
So here’s the thing.
He already has the ring.
He’s had it for like half a year now and it’s-... He’s just been waiting for the right time. The right vibe. He’s been waiting for today.
It’s easy to convince Shiro to land on the planet that started it all once he (possibly very nervously) tells him he’s gonna ask Keith to marry him. He can’t tell Hunk. Hunk is the first person he wants to know but despite his best efforts, Hunk is not good with keeping fun secrets. He’s got too honest a face.
So just Shiro.
Just Mister Big-Time.
(And his mama, of course.)
Lance is convinced Keith is gonna call him out on this before they even touch down on the planet, but they’re already making their way through the coral-colored grass - they’re already stepping into that infamous cavern under the false mission of getting more crystals for the ship - and it looks like all Keith’s invested in is making sure Lance doesn’t touch “a single fucking thing” (his words).
It’s good!
It’s good.
He has no suspicions.
So why is Lance’s heart about to thump right through his fucking chest plate??
“How many are we getting this time…?” Keith’s almost bored - boots kicking the slick cavern floor as he looks around for the crystals that they definitely don’t need.
Lance keeps cool. Drops his hand from the pouch on his utility belt that’s just a little too boxy today. “Think Coran said five?”
Coran said nothing.
There’s no mission.
There’s just the two of them, back where it all started, Keith none the wiser as Lance makes sure his visor’s recorder is switched on before taking his helmet off and placing it strategically on a nearby rock.
Okay.
Deep breaths.
Deep breaths.
“Hey babe, remember these...?”
It pulls Keith’s attention like expected - his gesture at the glowing blue flowers hanging from the cavern’s walls getting Keith’s entire body to turn toward him on a dime.
“I swear to god, Lance-”
“What - nothing bad’s gonna happen.” His gloved hand drifts closer - teasing - playful as it strings Keith along like clockwork.
“If you touch that shit again I’m gonna lose my fucking mind-”
“It’s fine-”
“Lance-”
“It’s fine, babe. Watch, I can get even closer without it- oh fuck-”
He scrunches away - makes a big dramatic show out of it and the flower pollen doesn’t even disperse but Keith’s too busy going off to notice - “Lance!” - is falling for it just like Lance knew he would - “What the fuck did I just say!” - is just too swept up in the I-told-you-so’s to register the change in Lance’s posture - how he uses the leverage to turn to him, down on one knee and hand reaching into his utility pouch - “I swear to god, if I didn’t love you so much I’d-...”
…
It’s-...
It’s registering.
It’s landing, Lance’s smile gentle as he waits for him to process.
Because Keith’s glare is slowly melting into something stunned…
Something speechless...his eyes wide as they fix on the thin black band resting in the ring box Lance is holding open for him...
It’s-...it’s happening.
And suddenly, all the prepping - all the words Lance recited to himself over and over again to make sure he’d get it right - they all drift off into tiny shimmering particles until it’s just Keith. Just him. Just this moment.
And…
“I-...” Lance is in total awe of him. “I’m so fucking in love with you…”
Keith’s eyes flick up to his, big and glossy and filled to the brim with what his mouth can’t get out.
But that’s okay. Lance kind of envisioned this happening. So when Keith drops to his knees in front of him - face-to-face - he lets the ring box rest safely on the nearby rock, and then reaches out to slowly pull Keith’s helmet off for him.
It’s like something out of a romance novel, Keith’s bangs falling gracefully back over his forehead… His lips forming around a thought before it scatters away with the rest of the others… Those eyes… Those sweet fucking eyes.
Lance grins, setting Keith’s helmet down onto the ground next to them and then cradling his bare face with his hands.
“Keith…” God, he loves him. “Will you marry m-”
The lips that crash into his have his heart fucking soaring. Has his grin full and stupid. Has all the love and dopamine and good shit in the world wrapping around his brain while Keith wraps his arms around his chest and fuck!
Fuck!
They’re gonna get married!
They’re gonna be husbands!
Oh-...
Oh god... He feels like he’s gonna black out...
_ _ _
He does.
He does black out.
But just a little.
Just enough for Keith to give him one real good shake of concern before he comes back to.
When they step back onto the ship hand in hand, the ring slipped right where it belongs on Keith’s finger under his glove, the little grin of congratulation that Shiro flashes them has Lance about ready to spiral off into another black out of bliss.
But he keeps his cool. Calls his mama. Has the breath strangled out of his very lungs by Hunk’s full-body embrace.
And as Lance passes the door to the dark living room, he can’t help but smile all over again, the way Keith holds his ring up and Rahvi and his husband’s immediate cheering getting Keith the most adorable shade of red he’s ever seen in his entire life.
But he lets them have their moment.
Runs his fingers over the warm crystal hanging around his neck.
Is so happy he could fucking cry when Keith finally joins him in bed, his body-weight feeling like home on top of him as he plants a kiss to Lance’s lips and murmurs it sweetly.
“Love you…”
Because Lance is truly out-of-this-world happy.
Is truly out-of-this-world in love, his thumb tracing over the band on Keith’s ring finger as they settle in for the rest of their lives.
“Love you too, babe.”