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“What?”
Lance felt like the air had been knocked from his lungs, his pulse beating in his fingertips.
“You can’t tell me you didn’t know,” Pidge said. Her face dropped. “Oh… Lance…”
“No, don’t- why- why didn’t he say anything?”
Hunk and Pidge shared a look.
“You were so into Allura,” Hunk said, shrugging guiltily.
“But Keith…”
God, he sounded pathetic, didn’t he? Hunk’s words rung through his head on repeat.
Keith was totally in love with you.
“Was?”
Pidge’s eyes widened and she winced. “We shouldn’t have told you.”
“I deserve to know! I deserved to know that he…”
“That’s his decision to make. Lance, why are you so upset?”
Pidge knew already. Lance looked stricken, mouth open, no words coming out.
“Lance, maybe you should just… forget we told you this,” Hunk said hastily.
“I can’t forget this! Is- he really-? It wasn’t just some crush. He… was in love with me? Like… in love with me.”
Pidge grimaced. “Yeah. Big time.”
“It’s been… three months since I’ve seen him. Do you- when did he stop?”
“Maybe you should ask him,” she suggested quietly.
“How do I ask that? Hey, Keith, I heard you were in love with me for years! When did you stop? Why did you stop?”
“You mean… you wish he hadn’t?” Hunk treaded carefully.
Lance groaned sadly and put his face in his hands.
“I don’t know why. I just…”
“It’s okay if you like him,” Pidge said.
“It’s more than that. I… all this time, he loved me. How could he love me?”
Was he in pain the entire time Lance and Allura dated? Did it pierce his heart to see it? Like Lance’s own was being pierced now?
“Look, just talk to him about this, okay? I didn’t mean to let it slip out but maybe it’s for the best,” Hunk said.
“How did I not know? Did he tell you guys?”
“Not at first, even though we could all tell. We teased him about it for phoebs and then eventually he stopped denying it. Asked him one time if he loved you and he just said yeah,” Pidge explained.
“He loved me,” Lance said pathetically. “When… how long ago did he say that?”
“After the quantum abyss thing.”
“What?! But he was so mean to me!”
“I don’t know,” Hunk said gently.
“I have to see him. I have to. Where is he?”
“I don’t know, I think he’s off with the Blades at the moment- “
“Can you get ahold of him?”
Pidge sighed. “Yeah, probably. This really can’t wait?” She took one look at his pitiful face. “Okay, I’ll try to get a message out to him. What do you want me to say?”
“That I need him. I mean! I need to talk to him. Urgently. As soon as possible. It’s very important.”
“Lance, he’s going to think you’re in trouble or something.”
“Good! Maybe he’ll get here faster!”
“I’m not gonna stress him out like that,” Pidge muttered.
“Oh god. What am I going to say?”
“Lance, deep breathes,” Hunk said. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Don’t you need some time to sort out your feelings first?”
“Probably… but I have to see him,” Lance said, a shiver wracking his body. He couldn’t explain it, he just needed Keith. Needed to see him and hear him and touch him. The wait was no longer bearable.
Pidge sighed but began sending out a message on her device. “There. I said you needed to talk to him urgently but you aren’t in danger.”
“Okay,” Lance said, feeling the need to sit down. “I can’t. I can’t do this. He… he loved me. God and all I could do was talk about Allura.” He bit down on his lip in anxiousness.
“It’s okay,” Pidge said, attempting to soothe. “He said he just wanted you to be happy and if it was with Allura, he didn’t have a problem with it.”
Lance groaned and sunk to the floor, arms wrapping around his knees as he buried his head. “That’s worse. You get how that’s worse right? Did he… think I knew?”
Pidge and Hunk shared another look.
“Well… yeah,” Pidge said wearily. “We all did.”
Everyone was silent for a bit. Lance’s mind was racing at a million miles an hour.
“Am I too late?”
Pidge’s eyes snapped to his.
“I told you,” Hunk muttered.
“Seriously? You… you’re not just saying that because you feel bad or something?”
“If I’d known… I don’t think I would’ve been with Allura like that. He’s always been… I can’t talk about this,” he said, standing back up and pacing.
“Are you sure? Maybe it’ll help,” Hunk suggested.
“I… I can’t explain how he makes me feel. He’s always… made me feel things I didn’t understand,” he groaned and swept his hand through his hair. “If he had just said something…”
-----
Keith had always struggled holding his tongue. He didn’t see the point in filtering his feelings and thoughts. And then Lance had come along and he realized that some things are more important. Too important to risk ruining by speaking it aloud. He was used to keeping a tight lock on his feelings below fear and anger; the hard surface that covered everything else. That now also covered his love.
‘Lance needs to talk to you urgently. He’s not in danger. I’m sorry :/ Also we need to have a talk too.
-Pidge’
Leaving Earth for a second time had been the hardest decision he’d ever made. This time he was leaving behind everything, as opposed to having nothing to stay for. But the truth was that everyone had settled and no one had cared enough to ask him to stay. Just like when he’d left for the Blades. Keith knew they loved him. But he also knew love didn’t equate to wanting him around. And that was okay with him. He understood.
Pidge had kept in touch the most, tied with Allura. Not Shiro, as he’d expected, though he still did keep in touch. Hunk had contacted him a few times, along with Romelle and Matt. Lance hadn’t at all and he hadn’t been surprised. Only felt an empty disappointment. It all felt so forced. Like maybe they truly were only together out of convenience. Or maybe that was only him it applied to. Everyone else seemed to group together and they’d been right all that time ago when they’d called him the loner.
‘I’ll be there soon
-Keith’
He had no idea what her message meant. And he wasn’t eager to find out, but he was eager to have it over with. It was probably something bad. That seemed to be all he heard these days. Bad news. And afterwards, he would continue his work with the Blades. He didn’t have a home. He no longer even had a house. Not like the others who had families and each other. He had nothing and no one. Not even Shiro. Someone else was first now and he would have to learn to live with that. Some people are never meant to be anyone’s first choice for very long, he told himself. He just happened to be that person.
-----
Lance forced Pidge and Hunk to stay for emotional support. In reality, he didn’t want them in the room when Keith arrived but there was no way he was going in this alone. He’d not even spoken to Keith since he left. Was too scared to. And when Keith had never contacted him either… well.
“I can’t believe you made most of your family clear out for this,” Pidge snorted.
“Don’t laugh at me! I need some privacy and if everyone in my family is home, that’s not happening. I haven’t even talked to him since that night the lions left,” Lance stressed, glancing at the window frequently.
“You haven’t?”
Lance blinked at Hunk. “You have?”
“Yeah, dude. He never says anything first but he said he doesn’t want to bother us.”
“He told me the same thing,” she shrugged.
“I thought he just didn’t want to talk to me,” Lance said helplessly. He glanced at the window again, leg bouncing under the table.
Pidge snorted. “He doesn’t shut up about you. Every message I get has a mention of you in it. He always asks how you are but I figured he was just worried after… everything. I didn’t think you guys hadn’t spoken,” she frowned, adjusting her glasses.
“He must think I don’t even care,” Lance said. “Wait. He asks about me every message?”
Pidge froze, as if she’d revealed something she shouldn’t have. She shifted uncomfortably. “Um, yeah.”
“Maybe he still… do you think he does?” Lance’s brow furrowed and he could feel a headache forming.
“I think this is something you two should talk about,” she said firmly.
“You- Hey! That’s him!” A Galran cruiser set down gently outside on an empty field. Lance abruptly turned to Hunk.
“You were right. I should’ve waited. I can’t see him. Oh god. I’m about to see him.”
Hunk gripped Lance’s shoulders intensely. “You can do this. This is Keith. You know Keith.”
Lance relaxed minutely. “You’re right. This is Keith, the same Keith I spent years in space with. I got this. I totally got this,” he lied. “Okay, you guys shoo into another room. And no eavesdropping please!”
“Don’t invite us over and then ask impossible things,” she deadpanned.
“Ugh, whatever! Just go before he sees you,” Lance fretted. He walked to the door and waited for Keith to knock. He should wait, right? Or should he open it before Keith got to the door? He held his breath.
Knock.
Lance exhaled shakily and opened the door.
“Hey, Keith,” he said nervously. Keith’s brow was furrowed and he was in casual wear that- wow, that really complimented his body-
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, dude, I’m- “
Keith stepped closer to Lance and looked him up and down carefully. His hands reached up and held Lance’s face gently as he examined Lance.
“Hey, I’m okay, Keith. I just wanted to talk, that’s all.”
Tension seeped out of Keith’s body as he let his hand drop. “Right. Sorry.” Lance opened the door farther and let Keith step inside. “Um, Pidge and Hunk are here. They’re just in the other room. I wanted- “
Lance’s phone rang loudly and he grabbed it out of his pocket, silencing it.
“Um, sorry- “
“Are you sure you’re okay, Lance? You seem… stressed.”
“I just… I’ve been thinking a lot. And I guess first I should apologize for not contacting you before this. I mean, it was pretty dumb but I figured if you weren’t saying anything first, you just didn’t want to talk to me. But then! Pidge and Hunk told me you just don’t want to feel like a bother and yes, I have something specific I want to talk to you about but it’s also really nice to see you again and I don’t want you to think- “
Lance’s phone rang again. He silenced it angrily.
“I don’t want you to think that’s the only reason I wanted you here. Because I’ve missed you. A lot.”
Keith’s expression softened incredibly and Lance ignored the way his heart skipped a beat.
“I get it. I should’ve said something, you know? It’s my fault too. Phone goes both ways. But I… missed you too, Lance.”
Lance exhaled shakily and fought the urge to grab Keith’s hand.
“Will you stay for a bit? After we talk. I mean, you don’t have to, especially if it… upsets you or makes you uncomfortable or- “
“Yeah, I’ll stay,” he said softly, thumbs brushing against his jeans anxiously. “It’ll be nice to see everyone again. So…”
“Right! What I wanted to say, well, ask was- “
Lance’s phone rang.
“Fucking-!”
“Do you need to take that?”
“I’ll be quick, I’m so sorry,” Lance said, grumbling under his breath. The screen read Shiro. He took a deep breath to calm himself.
“Hey, Shiro. What’s up?”
Some emotion flashed across Keith’s face at that, but Lance couldn’t tell what it was.
“Oh. Now? Um… okay. Is it okay if I bring a guest? Okay. We’ll be there.”
Keith tilted his head. “We going somewhere?”
“Uh, yeah! Shiro says he has something he wants to tell everyone. You’ll come?”
Keith swallowed past the knot in his throat as he thought about how he’d never gotten any message from Shiro.
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to go? I mean, he doesn’t know it’s- I don’t want to intrude.”
Lance furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about? You’re not intruding. You’re family. To all of us.”
He averted his gaze and dragged a hand through his hair. “Yeah. I’ll go.”
Lance frowned. They would have to talk about that too. “We can talk after?”
“Yeah. That’s okay.”
-----
“Alright, you’re trapped in a car with us now! No short sentences! How is the Blades stuff going?”
Keith smiled, looking at Pidge in the rearview mirror. “It’s going really well; everyone is getting settled into the new ways and all that. Kolivan was actually relieved when I asked for time off,” he snorted.
“Why’s that?” Pidge glared at him menacingly.
“There’s not a lot to do in space. I spend most of my time on missions,” he said, shrugging. “I don’t exactly have friends up there.” He shrunk into his seat when no one laughed.
“Dude, what? You’ve been up there for months,” Hunk exclaimed.
“Well, the Blades are pretty stubborn. They’re not big on making friends. It’s hard enough getting them to go back when the others are in danger,” he said quietly, looking outside the window.
“What do you mean?” Lance glanced at Keith briefly.
“The mission over the individual. That’s been their motto for ten thousand years.”
“Right, Matt said something about that! He was really drunk and crying though,” Pidge said.
Keith tensed. “He didn’t say anything else, did he?” He still had nightmares about that. Not being able to save them in time, watching them die because he wasn’t fast enough… he shuddered. Lance frowned and placed his hand on Keith’s, offering comfort and asking a silent question.
“Nope! He had weird dreams though. Nightmares, really. You were in one of them,” she said.
“Oh, really?” His voice was impossibly strained and Lance slipped their hands together.
“Mhm. Seems like you were about to do something stupid; he was telling you not to do it. That wasn’t too long ago actually. He got all clammy when I asked about it,” she said casually.
“Must’ve freaked him out then.” Lance’s thumb brushed across his knuckles. Was Lance trying to kill him? No, he was being friendly. That’s his thing. Don’t read into it, he told himself.
There was silence for a moment. “If we weren’t driving right now, I would strangle you,” Pidge said calmly. “When were you going to tell us?”
“Please don’t yell,” Keith said awkwardly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Look, do we have to do this now?”
“Yes! I’ve been waiting for you to visit so we could talk about this. How could you think that was okay, Keith? Did their motto get into your head that easily? You have a family; you have people that care about you! How could you?!”
“Pidge, I…”
She burst into tears and Keith promptly panicked as Lance and Hunk started speaking loudly.
“What is going on?”
“What is she talking about, Keith?”
“Pidge, hey, it’s okay. I’m fine; I’m here now, aren’t I?”
“How could you do that to me?” Her face was buried in her hands as she sobbed. Keith reached toward the passenger seat and tugged on her arm.
“Come back here,” he urged softly.
“Okay, be careful! I’m driving,” Hunk said nervously.
Pidge wasted no time in unbuckling her seatbelt and crawling into the backseat in between Keith and Lance. She glared at him through the tears. “What?”
He pulled her into his chest and cradled her. “I’m so, so sorry. I’m sorry. I’m here now, nothing happened.”
“But it almost did! You almost killed yourself,” Pidge cried.
“What?!”
“Keith?!”
Keith ignored Lance and Hunk and held her tighter. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Pidge. I know better now, I promise, I’m so sorry.”
“Stop apologizing,” she wept.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, burying his head in her hair. “I just wanted to save you all. I thought it was the only way.”
“That’s never the only way, asshole,” she said, muffled. She gripped onto him tightly.
“Someone please explain what’s going on,” Lance exclaimed.
Pidge pulled back and wiped her face. “Keith… back at Naxzela when he was trying to take out the barrier, he- he was gonna…”
“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll tell them,” Keith said gently, letting Pidge fall back into his embrace. “To take out the barrier, I was going to ram my cruiser into it.” She hugged him tighter.
“Wait, wait. Like… while you were in it?”
“Hunk, I’m sure that’s not what he meant. Keith, tell him that’s not what you meant!”
Keith winced. “Yeah, while I was in it. I thought… it was the only way I could think to save everyone.”
“Did they get in your head that badly? Keith, your life is never worth less than the mission. Quiznack.”
Keith smiled a bit. “Don’t think you’re using that right.”
“This isn’t funny!”
He dropped the smile. “I’m sorry, Lance. Look, I understand better now, alright? You guys… have helped me understand that.”
“Shiro is gonna kill you when I tell him,” Pidge huffed.
“Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of this?”
“Keith, are you sure you’re okay now? That’s like… a big deal,” Hunk said, frowning.
Keith winced. After seeing their reaction, maybe honesty wasn’t a horrible idea. “Well, I… I hadn’t thought it was a big deal before now.”
“I don’t think you understand how badly I want to beat sense into you right now,” she said, pulling back.
“I’m with Pidge! Obviously, that’s a big deal,” Lance bit out. “We almost lost you, man. I can’t believe we didn’t even know.”
“It’s not your fault. I didn’t tell you, that’s on me.”
“Did we do something to make you feel like you couldn’t tell us? That we wouldn’t care if you…?”
“No, it wasn’t you. It was me. I’m… all of this is still foreign to me. I don’t know what it’s like to be part of a… family. I don’t know how to. And I don’t know how far your care extends.”
“There isn’t a limit, Keith,” Lance said firmly. “Family means there isn’t a limit. We will always care about you. And you can tell us anything.”
“Yeah, what he said,” Pidge agreed.
“He’s right. We’re here for you, no matter what. And we wouldn’t… be okay with losing you,” Hunk said uneasily.
“Okay,” Keith said cautiously. “I’m sorry if it takes a while to stick, I just… it’s weird. For me.”
“Isn’t Krolia teaching you this stuff, too?”
“I don’t think she knows that she needs to tell me. The Galra are different. They show their love, not say it… and she doesn’t know how to, I guess. I mean, how do you parent someone who doesn’t know what it’s like to have any? By the time we met, I was already an adult. What do you do with that?”
“Keith, that’s not… you’re not… something to deal with. You’re important to a lot of people. Including Krolia, Hunk, Pidge, Shiro, Adam, Coran, Allura, Matt, and me. We want to be here for you. And I know if you explain this to Krolia, she’ll try to understand that, too,” Lance said.
Keith flushed. “When did you get all… wise?”
“I’m not. I just know how to voice my care for people,” he said softly.
Keith flushed darker and Pidge smirked at him from her place beside him.
“So, did you guys get the chance to talk?”
“Pidge,” Lance hissed. “No, we didn’t. Shiro kept interrupting. Which was entirely rude, I had already ignored him twice.”
“A little salty, are we?”
“Yes,” Lance said, miffed.
“What do you think his big announcement is? Did he tell you already, Keith?”
Keith looked at her in confusion. “Why would he tell me?”
“Well, he thinks you’re in space and can’t come see us. I figured he told you already. That or he told you to get your ass down here,” Pidge said.
“Uh, neither. He hasn’t said anything in a couple weeks.”
“What? Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Keith said awkwardly. “I’m sure he’s busy, you know. I mean he just got Adam back, it makes sense that he doesn’t really have time to message me.”
“I think I get more concerned every time you open your mouth,” Lance commented.
“What? It’s true,” he said uncomfortably. “I mean, I’m not sure he’ll-…”
“Space is bad for you,” Pidge declared. “It’s filling your head with crazy talk. Okay, correction; being in space alone is bad for you. You like space. However, obviously all this time away from us is making you forget how much we care. You’re going to take a vacation and stay here with us for a few weeks. And then you’re going to visit every month.”
“That’s a lot of demands,” he said lightly. “I don’t think all of that is necessary. And the Blades need me.”
“They functioned without you for 10,000 years. They can do without you for a week every month.”
“You seriously want to see me that often?”
Pidge smacked his shoulder.
Lance huffed and said, “Dude. If it was up to us, we’d see you every day.”
“Yeah, I bet you would,” Pidge muttered. Lance elbowed her.
-----
The closer they got to Shiro’s place; the more anxious Keith got. He hadn’t gotten an invitation. Would Shiro be mad? No, he would never outwardly show that. He was too nice for that. It was too late to go back now.
“Alright, here we are!”
Keith looked at the house and realized he hadn’t seen it before now. Hunk rang the doorbell and he waited with bated breath. The door swung open and Shiro and Adam were there and suddenly Keith really wanted to leave. What had he been thinking?
“We brought someone,” Lance said eagerly, tugging Hunk out of the way to show off Keith.
He shrunk under Shiro and Adam’s gaze. “Keith? What are you doing here?” He looked anywhere but their faces. He was stupid for coming.
“I can go,” he said, turning around before they could agree, before his heart could ache anymore-
Someone pulled on his arm and he was tugged into an embrace that he immediately recognized as Adam. His hands rose slowly to reciprocate and Adam squeezed him tighter before letting go. “Glad you’re here, kid. You left so fast after everything went down,” he said softly.
Shiro huffed. “Stop hogging my little brother.” Keith was enveloped in a hug again and he hoped the glistening in his eyes wouldn’t be obvious. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” Keith whispered.
“This is great! I was going to call you but now you get to be here for the real thing,” Shiro said, beaming as he pulled back.
“You were?”
Shiro tilted his head. “Of course I was.” He was gazing at Keith then and he knew his brother was seeing right through him. “Talk later?”
“Mhm,” Keith said, nodding. There was no choice in the matter; that much he knew. He’d been receiving enough talks in the past few hours to last a lifetime. His mind drifted back to Lance.
“Alright, everyone inside! We’ve got dinner all ready,” Adam announced.
“Fancy,” Pidge said. “How long exactly do we have to wait for this announcement? I’m impatient and nosy.”
“Settle down, Pidge. As soon as everyone gets seated, we’ll tell you.”
They all crowded around the table, rushing into chairs. Keith ended up next to Lance and Keith couldn’t help but think it wasn’t a coincidence. He’s been oddly nervous and sweet with Keith this entire time. Not that he wasn’t sweet before, but it was… different. And the longer the talk waited, the worse he felt.
“So… as you all know, me and Adam have reconnected after a long time apart,” Shiro said, hand on Adam’s shoulder. “And we’ve decided… to get married. We’ve planned it this time. A date, time, and place.”
To no one’s surprise. Nonetheless, everyone cheered.
“Congrats,” Keith said happily.
“Actually, I wanted to ask you something too,” he said, pulling Keith aside.
“What’s going on? Everything okay?”
Shiro patted his shoulders. “Everything is okay. I was hoping… you would be my best man.”
Keith froze. “Me? Are you sure?”
“There’s no one I’d rather have beside me, Keith.”
His eyes were misty. “Okay. Okay, yeah. I’ll be your best man.”
Shiro pulled him into another hug. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He sniffled into Shiro’s shoulder and tried to keep the tremble in his hands calm.
“You know that, right? That I love you? I know we haven’t talked much since you left,” he started, pulling away, “but I didn’t want to bother you on your missions. I’m starting to think that was a mistake. You almost left earlier.”
“I thought… you didn’t want me here tonight.”
“Then I’ve failed as your older brother.”
“No, Shiro, it’s not you. It’s me- “
“I always want you around. You are never a burden. I love you.”
“Okay.” Keith nodded.
“I know it sounds hard to believe right now but I’ll keep proving it to you. You’re my brother. That means the world to me.”
“Yeah,” Keith said, wiping his eyes. “Okay. It means the world to me, too.”
“Now, let’s get back. They’re probably wondering where we went.”
They walked back and settled in at the table. Lance’s eyes shot to Keith immediately. His eyes were red.
“Keith, are you okay?” He grabbed Keith’s hand without thinking.
“I’m okay.” He smiled at Lance and squeezed his hand. The tension in Lance’s shoulders lessened and he smiled at Keith.
“You excited for the wedding?”
“Yeah, of course. I’ve been telling them to get married already since I was like 14,” he said letting out a snort.
Lance smiled wider. “You’re cute.”
“What?”
“What?”
“Did you just say-?”
“No,” Lance said, fast and high-pitched. Keith’s face was flushed and his hand, still intertwined with Lance’s, lay perfectly still. “Okay, I lied. I did say that. But it just slipped out!”
“You think I’m cute,” Keith said smugly.
“Noooo,” Lance cried.
“You can’t take it back, you admitted to it!” He smiled wide, unable to keep the lovesick look off his face. He wished it meant something different. But it didn’t.
“I didn’t admit to shit,” he denied.
“I know the truth. You can deny it all you want,” he whispered.
Lance gaped and scrambled for words. “I- you- nuh uh!” When did Keith become such a flirt? Wait. Flirt… was Keith flirting with him? Did Keith still…
“You okay? You spaced out for a second there,” he said worriedly.
“Yeah, sorry.” Lance said softly. “I’m really glad you’re here, Keith.”
“Oh,” Keith said, a blush rising to his face. “Thanks. I’m glad I’m here too. I missed you a lot. All of you.” His heart ached.
“I missed you most,” he said easily.
“Stop,” Keith muttered, ducking his head.
“I did,” he said quietly. “I just knew… I had to see you. I couldn’t stand it anymore.”
“I thought you wanted to talk to me about something.”
“I do. They’re not entirely unrelated.” Lance avoided eye contact, his hand sweating.
“You realize that’s just making me freak out more, yeah?”
“It’s… hopefully good.”
“Hopefully good?”
“It depends on how you feel about it. But I’m hoping… you feel happy about it. Or that you still… um…” Lance trailed off. “We’ll talk about it after this.”
“Okay,” Keith agreed, his thumb tracing shapes on the back of Lance’s hand. “Don’t stress, okay?”
-----
“Alright kids. Don’t have too much fun,” Keith shouted just before the door closed.
Lance snorted and Keith’s eyes snapped to him. He was so incredibly beautiful, Keith thought.
“No one to interrupt us now,” Lance said nervously.
“Do you want to go back to your house first?”
“No,” Lance blurted out. “My family will be back now and I think if I don’t get this out of my system, I’ll die.”
Keith’s eyes widened. “Okay. What… is it?”
“Hunk accidentally told me something. Okay, just rip off the Band-Aid. I mean, apparently you already think I know. And have for years. Haha! Ugh,” he groaned. “That must’ve been awful- “
“Lance,” he said softly. “It’s okay, just tell me.”
“I didn’t know that you loved me. Romantically. Until today.”
“Oh.” Keith froze. This was never a conversation he expected to have. He’d always thought his feelings were being ignored by Lance. And he didn’t blame him. Why was he bringing it up now? “Why does it matter?” He didn’t understand at all. This topic was… hard. Keith had never expected to fall in love with Lance but it had happened and it had hurt, as it did now.
Lance’s expression was pinched and desperate looking. “Because if I’d known…” He groaned again and covered his face. “It’s… this was a mistake. I’m too late.”
He took a step toward the car. Keith grabbed his arm, turning him back around, face full of alarm. “What do you mean you’re too late?”
“Keith… I was such an idiot for not seeing you back then. For not seeing how I felt, how I feel- “
He turned away from Keith again, sniffling.
“Lance, I never stopped loving you.”
“What?” He turned to face Keith. “Please, don’t mess with me right now.”
“I have been in love with you for years. Nothing is going to change that. You mean everything to me,” he whispered. “You’ve been there for me when I couldn’t turn to anyone else. You’re always pushing me to do better. You are so damn beautiful all the time. I love it when you talk.”
“Please kiss me.”
And he did. Their lips met under the moon, years of tension pouring out. As Lance’s hands swept through Keith’s hair, he could admit (only to himself) that he had never hated Keith’s mullet. In fact, he was pretty sure he loved it. Keith pulled away, hands resting on Lance’s hips.
“I’ve dreamt about that for so long,” Keith whispered.
“I’m so sorry. That you had to just watch me pick Allura. That you loved me so long and I couldn’t pull my head far enough out of my ass to see the perfect guy right in front of me.”
“Don’t blame yourself. I’m happy if you’re happy.” And he was. The yearning in his heart that had been in place for years cared only to see the focus of its affections happy.
Lance shook his head vehemently. “No. I wasn’t happy with Allura. I love her but not like that. My heart calls your name. Forever.”
“And my heart calls yours,” Keith said. “From the moment I met you. Even when we were rivals, you made me feel… different. I’ll love you as long as you’ll let me.”
“Never stop. Love me always. Stay with me. Wherever we go.”
“Then I will,” he vowed.