Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Keith isn’t above admitting that he can be hot headed. His temper got him into more than one physical altercation during his time in foster care and, he won’t deny it, even a few after he got out. The Shirogane’s were very patient with him thankfully.

But he’s grown out of it, he swears he has. So he’s not entirely sure exactly how he ends up where he his, staring at the door of the coffee shop that had just slammed shut in his face, an ache settling in his jaw, and Hunk shifting his weight next to him.

Hunk. Poor Hunk. This is only the third time they’ve hung out by themselves since they met and Keith feels every chance he had at making a good impression with Lance’s best friend slipping through his fingers like sand.

“Um,” he starts eloquently. “What just happened?”

“Before or after you called that guy an ‘incomprehensibly dimwitted pretentious moron?’”

Oh. “Morons always hate it when you call them morons.”

Hunk shrugs. “I’m not disagreeing with you. Still got you punched though.”

Keith puts a tentative hand to his jaw. Moron that guy might have been but weak he was not. “Fair enough… Um…” He isn’t sure how to ask, or even if he should, but it’s very important to him that this incident be quickly forgotten so he takes a breath and goes for it. “Please don’t tell Lance about this,” he can’t even be bothered by how sheepish he sounds.

“I mean sure but I won’t have to,” Hunk points to his own jaw. “He’s gonna find out anyway, Bro.”

Keith blanches. While he’s frozen, Hunk pulls out his phone and opens his front camera.

Keith takes it and inspects his face. The bruise hasn’t fully set in yet but it is there and there’s a promise that it will get worse by the end of the day.

“Shit,” he mutters. There’s no way Lance won’t find out, he’s probably already got a bruise forming on his own jaw already. His phone vibrates loudly and he sends a helpless look to Hunk.

“Good luck, Buddy.” Hunk takes his phone back and pats Keith on the shoulder.

Keith resists the urge to let the whine in the back of his throat escape and grabs his phone from his pocket.

From The Family Emergency: Keith

To The Family Emergency: Yes, Lance?

From The Family Emergency: Would you mind telling me why I have a bruise eclipsing the work of art that is my jawline

To The Family Emergency: ...I’m sure it’s not that big…

His phone buzzes as soon as he’s sent it and there’s a picture of Lance’s profile, bruise already blossoming across the majority of his jaw.

Ah. He must have been prepared for Keith to try to downplay it.

To The Family Emergency: Oh… You should see the other guy?

He tries for humor, hopes Lance isn’t actually mad.

From The Family Emergency: ...You didn’t get Hunk punched too, did you?

To The Family Emergency: Of course not!!

From The Family Emergency: And aside from this monstrosity on your face, you’re fine?

Oh.

Lance isn’t mad. Lance is worried.

Oh.

The warmth of that thought sweeps through him immediately and he can’t stop the small, fond smile that finds a home on his lips.

To The Family Emergency: I’m fine I promise. Guy’s left hook was weaker than yours.

Lance replies with the middle finger emoji and Keith laughs. Five minutes later he follows up with a heart emoji and Keith replies with ‘You too’ and then pockets his phone finally.

“He took that a lot better than I expected him to,” Keith remarks.

Hunk snorts. “Lance is pretty chill when he’s not actively trying to be a drama queen. You might want to come up with a better story than ‘got in an argument over classical literature’ though.”

Keith winces. “Oh man, he’ll never let me live it down.”

“I will back up whatever story you go with instead.”

“You’re a saint.”

“Yes.”

-----

Keith is talking to Shiro about potential bachelor party ideas when it happens.

Burn marks appear on his hands quickly followed by a shadow of a horrible looking rash and Keith and Shiro are left staring at them in wonder.

“What…?” Shiro trails off and Keith finishes for him.

“The fuck?” Keith grabs his phone. “Do you mind if I check on him?”

“Go ahead,” Shiro stands. “I’ll make coffee.”

The phone rings five times before it picks up and during that time Keith’s mild curiosity and concern almost evolve into full out worry.

“Hey, Keith, you’re on speaker phone,” Pidge’s voice greets him.

“Thanks, Pidge. Lance?”

“Yeah, Babe?”

Keith is grateful that his blush at the pet name can’t be seen over the phone. Lance probably knows it’s there anyway. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“I’m on that camping trip with Pidge and Hunk, remember? I told you about it last week.”

“I remember. I also have what looks like the plague on my hands.”

“Oh,” Lance laughs awkwardly. “About that.”

“Oh boy.”

“Hunk asked me to check on lunch so of course I did because I’m a helpful friend like that and-”

“And this genius doesn’t think to grab a pot holder and burns both of his hands on this pot that is literally sitting over a fire and is clearly very hot-”

“Pidge!” Keith can practically hear the offended pout over the phone.

“Lance, hold still!” Hunk’s voice interjects.

Lance makes a dejected noise and then continues with his tale. “So Hunk runs back to the tent to get the first aid kit and a bottle of water and while he’s gone Pidge has the bright idea to go find some aloe vera plant-”

“Does that even grow where you are?” Keith asks.

“I don’t fucking know! Anyway, you know how I have really sensitive skin, yeah?”

“Yeah that’s why you broke out every time they changed the dressing on your port right?”

Lance makes a sound and Keith assumes he’s nodding. “You really do pay attention!”

Keith rolls his eyes. Of course he does. “Aloe vera?”

“Right. So Pidge runs off and the little gremlin brings back poison ivy!”

“Why would you trust me to be able to identify plants!? This is the first time I’ve been in the wilderness in three years!”

“You are certifiably a genius!”

“Why did you use it!?” Keith doesn’t know if he should be frustrated or entertained. He’s definitely feeling both.

“I didn’t! Pidge did! They were like ‘Here, Lance. Let me be helpful and rub this poisonous plant all over your already injured hands since they hurt too badly to do it yourself!’ It was sabotage I swear!”

Keith pinches the bridge of his nose. “Are you serious right now?”

“Unfortunately yes.” Hunk jumps into the conversation. “I’m sorry, Keith, I don’t know why I thought I could leave them alone together unsupervised.”

“It’s okay, Hunk, it’s not your fault,” Keith sighs. “Just… try not to get yourself killed this weekend? All of you.”

Pidge and Hunk agree quickly even though they both know he’s talking more to Lance than either of them.

“Don’t worry, Pretty Boy, you’ll still have a boyfriend after this weekend.”

Keith sputters something unintelligible and stumbles his way through simultaneously denying Lance’s statement and wishing them all a fun weekend.

Shiro is standing in the doorway when he hangs up, smug smile plastered on his face and a teasing lilt to his voice. “Everything okay?”

“Shut up,” Keith grumbles. “Is the coffee ready?”

-----

“I think this’ll be really good for you, Keith.” Shiro’s holding two boxes stacked on top of each other while Keith gives his dorm a final glance-over to make sure he hasn’t missed anything.

Keith bends and picks up his own boxes, the last of his life at college packed neatly away. “I think so too.”

“So how excited is Lance?”

Keith doesn’t make eye contact. “I Haven’t... told him... yet…”

Shiro stops and turns around, incredulously looking up at him since they’re on the stairs to the main lobby now. “You haven’t told him yet!?”

“It hasn’t come up!”

“Keith this is a really big event in your life! This is the kind of thing you make a point of bringing up!”

“What if he thinks it’s weird!?”

“Keith he’s not gonna think it’s weird. He’s your soulmate; he’ll be ecstatic.”

“You don’t know that,” Keith grumbles.

Whatever Shiro opens his mouth to say never makes it out because Keith stumbles over a step, flails past him as gravity takes hold of him, and lands sprawled on the landing of the last turn in the staircase.

“Keith!”

“Fuck, that hurt.” He doesn’t even bother trying to move except to roll off of the box he’d crushed in his landing.

“Are you okay!?”

“‘M fine,” he coughs. “Just winded. Help me up?”

He holds one hand out and Shiro puts his boxes down off to the side and carefully helps Keith up.

“Ugh. I think I have a box shaped bruise on my ribcage now.”

“Good luck explaining that one to Lance.”

Keith groans. “I just can’t catch a break can I?”

Shiro pats his shoulder. “It’d be easier to explain if you’d told him you were doing this.”

“Oh don’t turn this into a learning moment,” Keith glares half-heartedly.

Shiro shrugs and, as if summoned at the mention of his name, Lance’s ringtone starts blasting from Keith’s pocket.

“I’ll take these to the car,” Shiro stacks Keith’s boxes on top of his own and then effortlessly lifts them. “You should tell him,” he says before descending the rest of the way down the staircase.

Keith follows Shiro out the door with his eyes and answers his phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey, babe. I was just calling to check on you because I just got like five different bruises at once? One of them has right angles. What did you do?”

Keith rolls his eyes and resists the urge to lift up his shirt and check. “Nothing bad, don’t worry. I was just moving some boxes and I tripped.”

“Oh okay,” Lance seems to accept the answer easily enough and Keith thinks he’s in the clear until- “Why were you moving boxes?”

Well now’s as good a time as any, Keith figures, so he decides to just go for it. “I was packing.”

Keith hadn’t noticed any specific background noise before but there’s a sudden lack of anything now and he imagines Lance has probably just abruptly stopped whatever he was doing. “Packing?”

“Mh-hm.”

“With boxes.”

“Mh-hm.”

“You’re moving. Dorm reassignment?”

“Not exactly.”

“Did they kick you out?”

“No! Your faith in me is astounding.”

“Did you drop?”

“No. I’m transferring.”

“Oh…” There’s a subtle note of something in Lance’s voice and Keith inwardly cringes. Maybe Shiro was right. “Where are you going?”

“Um… Altea Tech?” Keith really hopes Lance doesn’t comment on how much it sounds like a question.

“Keith.”

“What?”

“Keith.”

“What??”

“I’m serious!”

“So am I! Does it bother you that I’m gonna go to your school?”

“Keith!” Lance sounds like he might be crying but Keith has only seen Lance cry once before so he can’t be sure. “Please tell me you didn’t transfer just because that’s where I go.”

“And if I did?”

“Nooooo,” Lance drags the word out. “Keith you can’t just put your life on hold like that! I’m almost a year behind where I should be now! You shouldn’t have just uprooted yourself just because we finally found each other! You were the top of your class! You could’ve graduated early! The Garrison is such a good school!”

“So’s Altea Tech!” Keith interrupts. “Lance calm down a second. I’m not putting anything on hold. I’m transferring because the program I’m in is a lot better there and Coran has pulled a lot of strings for me with this internship but it’d make it a lot easier for everyone involved if I was actually one of his students. Plus it’s a lot closer to Allura and Shiro and the dorms there are a lot nicer. The teachers here are real jerks too. And… and yeah being closer to you was a really big part in my decision making process, I’m not gonna lie about that. I waited fifteen years for you, Lance, and now that I’ve found you the hour and a half drive to see you every weekend is simultaneously the best and worst kind of torture there is. I… I do have other reasons but… would it really be so bad if my only reason was just to be closer to you?”

There’s a shaky breath on the other end and Keith bites his lip, desperately hoping that he hasn’t just said something wrong or freaked Lance out.

“Keith, you can’t just say things like that,” Lance laughs. He definitely sounds teary but Keith can hear the smile that’s undoubtedly there. He counts it as a win.

“Would it?” He prompts, a smile of his own on his face.

Lance sighs. “No,” he concedes. “It would actually be very sweet and I’d probably melt and get a dopey smile on my face every time I thought about it.”

“You get a dopey smile on your face every time you think about me anyway,” Keith teases.

“I do not!”

“And what do you mean ‘I was top of my class?’ Are you implying that I can’t be top of my class there?”

“Keith, Buddy. Pidge goes here. And Hunk. Between the two of them you’re doomed.”

Keith thinks about that for a moment. “Shit, you’re right.”

“Of course I am. I live with them. Anyway call me when you get here. I’ll help you move in.”

Keith can tell he’s grinning, probably with some ridiculous eyebrow wiggling to go with it.

“Okay. I’ll see you later, Lance.”

“Yes you will,” Lance replies before hanging up.

Keith can’t help but smile.

He’ll see Lance later.

-----

Keith has been going to Altea Tech for three months and, after the two or three weeks it took him to adjust, he can confidently say that deciding to transfer was the best decision he’s ever made. His classes are easier to understand, his schedule is much less cramped, his teachers treat him like a human being, his dorm is a lot nicer and…

And he’s a hell of a lot closer to Lance. Which is nice.

Over the last few months they’ve grown a lot closer. There’s still stuff that they don’t talk about- Keith’s time in foster care, Lance’s stint in the hospital- but they’re closer now. They don’t feel as much like strangers as they did when they first met. Keith has never felt uncomfortable around Lance but, soulmate or not, there are some things you just don’t talk about with someone you’ve just met and he’s pretty sure Lance feels the same. They’ll get there.

Of course they’d been texting every day since they found each other, phone calls were also a regular occurrence, but it’s different now that they’re closer- now that Keith can think ‘huh, I miss Lance’ and can just drop by his apartment for a visit. Now he can meet up with Lance to study in the library and walk him to class and eat lunch with him and Keith loves it. Keith really loves it.

He’s reading a book for class when his phone lights up next to him, still on silent from classes earlier.

From The Family Emergency: Babe come over

To The Family Emergency: I really can’t I’ve got a lot of class reading to do.

From The Family Emergency: My roommates aren’t home

To The Family Emergency: ...Did… Did you just meme me?

From The Family Emergency: I’ll make you food

Keith laughs.

To The Family Emergency: Memes didn’t work so now you’re turning to bribery?

From The Family Emergency: Keeeiith! It’s Friday! You can read later! You can even bring your stuff and we can work on homework after dinner!

Keith sighs but he’s already getting up to find his shoes and a jacket.

From The Family Emergency: Please??? We haven’t had a date in like two weeks T^T

Keith chokes on air and almost stumbles down the last few steps out of his building.

Oh shit. This is a date.

He debates turning around and changing but he makes himself keep going, focuses on sending Lance a reply.

To The Family Emergency: Relax I’m on my way. Do you want me to pick anything up before I get there?

This is ridiculous. They’ve been dating for months- they’re soulmates! Of course they’re dating. There’s no reason to panic about actually putting the label on what they’ve already been doing, especially if Lance has already been calling them dates. Get it together Keith.

From The Family Emergency: Wohoo!! And you don’t need to bring anything except your pretty self ;]

Keith’s face is bright red and he knows it. There’s no denying it, he’s not delusional. He puts his phone in his pocket and picks up his pace a bit, a small smile pulling at his lips despite the cold that’s settled firmly in the air. He never thought he was easily flustered but Lance manages to throw him for a loop every time and he finds that he doesn’t mind it.

He’s almost to Lance’s building when he notices something on his hand while fidgeting with his clothes. Upon closer inspection he finds it’s a cut- not his of course- fairly long on the side of his hand.

Keith stops walking and pulls out his phone to dial Lance’s number. He scrutinizes the new mark while he waits for Lance to answer.

“Heeey Keith,” Lance’s voice is sheepish and suggests he knows exactly why Keith is calling.

“Please tell me we don’t have to cancel dinner so I can take you to the hospital.”

“Um… No?”

“Lance!”

“I don’t think so! It’s really not that bad, I promise. It’s not deep it’s just…”

“Just?”

“Well I don’t want to say ‘big’ cause then you’ll freak out more.”

“I’m not freaking out!” Keith doesn’t say that Lance is right.

“Riiight.” Lance drags out the word. He probably knows he’s right anyway. “Really though I’m okay. It’s almost stopped bleeding and I just need to get a bandaid on it.”

“You know I’m going to see it when I get there so there’s no point in trying to lie to me about it.”

“I’m not! I am being one hundred percent completely honest with you.”

“Okay. If I think you need medical attention though-”

“I don’t! Um… but…”

“But…?”

“Well dinner is kind of ruined now.”

“I’ll pick up a pizza.”

Lance sighs audibly. “Keith, you’re the best.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m serious! Best boyfriend ever! Number one soulmate. I’m getting you a mug.”

“Well there goes my plan for your Christmas present.”

Lance makes a strangled noise. “Keith, you can’t just turn things around on me like that!”

Keith laughs. It’s good to be the one causing the flustering. “Goodbye, Lance. I’ll see you in ten.”

Lance’s hand turns out to be perfectly fine, much to Keith’s relief, and they’re soon comfortably settled in on the couch with an old movie playing and the pizza box on the coffee table in front of them.

“So where are Hunk and Pidge?” he asks, idly picking toppings off of his pizza and eating them individually. He’s laying up against the armrest, legs curled up against the back of the couch on the cushion in between them, not even pretending to watch the movie.

This isn’t the first time Lance has seen him eat pizza but he’s still watching him like a hawk. “Pidge is on some sibling bonding trip with Matt, and Hunk and Shay are doing some couples’ get away thing. Who eats pizza like that!?”

“I do,” he says simply.

“It’s weird.”

“You like pineapple on your pizza.”

“Hawaiian pizza is a classic!”

“Sure.”

Lance huffs and Keith grins at him, finally eating his pizza like a normal person, sans toppings.

“You could just get plain cheese pizza.”

“But I like the toppings. Just not actually on the pizza. How else am I going to get really spicy peppers and copious amounts of meat?”

Lance’s grin turns feral and Keith puts his foot up on his chest to stop him in the middle of leaning forward. “Don’t.”

Lance rolls his eyes. “Okay okay.” The surrender is suspiciously fast and Keith warily watches his innocent expression for exactly two seconds before it suddenly shifts into the mischievous smirk he’s come to love and dread. Lance grabs his ankle, still on his chest, and pulls hard enough that Keith slides forward with a yelp, head falling onto the cushions as he’s dragged closer to Lance.

He finds himself with Lance between his legs, which is an experience and a half to be analyzed later when he’s not being mercilessly tickled by his boyfriend.

“Lance no no no no no!” he laughs. He drops his pizza on the floor in his shock which, thankfully, leaves his hands free to try to defend himself, but as quickly as the assault starts it stops.

Keith opens his eyes to see Lance hovering over him, fond smile perfectly at home on his face and Keith feels his breath catch on the warmth growing in his chest.

Lance leans forward slowly, giving Keith plenty of time to object- not that he would- and carefully, lightly, brushes their lips together.

It’s not the first time they’ve kissed but every time they do Keith is left reeling and worried that he’s going to screw up. The giddy feeling that bubbles up inside of him eclipses the worry every time though and the grin on Lance’s face seals the deal that puts ‘Kissing Lance’ very high up on Keith’s list of things he loves.

Keith looks up at him and smiles before his eyes dart down to Lance’s mouth, hoping his request is clear.

Lance gives a short, breathless laugh and complies. The contact is just as fleeting as before and Keith is about to be frustrated but then Lance barely pulls away before pressing their lips together more firmly. He takes a short breath and then does it again.

Keith hums happily and presses back, reaches up to pull Lance’s face into a better angle when Lance breaks off and sits up enough to look him dead in the eyes.

“Do not touch my face with your nasty pizza grease fingers, Keith.”

Keith snorts and then pointedly uses the sides of Lance’s shirt as a napkin. “Better?”

The offended noise Lance makes is lost in Keith cupping his face and bringing him into another kiss, warm and insistent. He threads his fingers through Lance’s hair, scraping his nails across his scalp and pulling lightly.

Lance hums in the back of his throat and cups Keith’s face in one hand, leaning on his other elbow for support. He’s close enough that Keith can feel his body heat, can feel his shirt brushing against his with every movement and the sensations are driving Keith insane.

In a moment of courage, Keith licks at the seam of Lance’s lips and then bites down lightly, catching the bottom one between his teeth. The noise Lance makes has Keith doing it again, a little harder this time and when Lance opens his mouth Keith eagerly slips his tongue in.

Lance trails his hand from Keith’s face down his neck over his erratic pulse, across his chest to settle on his hip. The feeling sends pleasant shivers down Keith’s spine and when Lance’s thumb traces idle circles in the hollow by his hip bone where his shirt has just barely ridden up Keith can’t stop the movement of his hips bucking up or the moan that escapes his throat.

Lance traces a larger circle into his skin and Keith bucks up again only to be met with Lance’s hips. They both choke on their breath for a moment and then Lance pins Keith’s hips back down on the couch with his own, grinding down tentatively.

The noise Keith makes is a little embarrassing but Lance makes one similar so he supposes he can live with it. And then Lance does it again and Keith’s hips snap up to meet him as best he can and-

Okay. They’ve never done this before. Kissing? Lots of times. A few suggestive movements and gestures? Occasional groping? Sure! But this? This has Keith’s head spinning and his breath coming in short and his brain fritzing between half-finished thoughts. It’s a lot. It’s a lot of good. But it’s threatening to overwhelm him.

Lance pulls away for air, rests his forehead on Keith’s shoulder, panting heavily. Keith lets his head fall to the side and closes his eyes, listening to the sound of their harsh breathing.

“I am one hundred percent not pressuring you,” Lance pants after a moment. “But Hunk and Pidge will murder me if I defile the couch so if this is gonna go anywhere we need to relocate to my room.”

Keith laughs and cards a hand through Lance’s hair. He bites his lip in thought for a moment, carefully picking the right words and putting them in order. “Not… not right now.” Yes. Very eloquent.

He doesn’t have any time to be nervous about whether he said the right thing or what Lance will say back though because Lance sits up just enough to flash an easy going smile at him. “Okay. Do you want me to move?”

The affection that swells in Keith’s chest is something he’s steadily getting used to and he brushes Lance’s hair back out of his face. “No, you’re okay.”

“You sure?”

Keith nods. “Mh-hm.”

Lance kisses his nose and then lays down and wiggles until he’s more comfortable, head over Keith’s heart and legs tangled together, one hand holding his and tracing over a patch of skin idly.

Keith notices that Lance is tracing over the almost cut on his hand and seeing the action makes him want to speak though he has no idea what to say. “This way I can use you like a blanket,” He remarks after a moment.

“I knew you were just using me for my body!” Lance fake gasps.

Keith rolls his eyes and flicks him in the ear with his free hand. “Shut up and watch the movie.”

They fall asleep before the final battle.

-----

Three weeks later everything is still going great.

Until it’s not.

Keith is talking to Hunk and Pidge when it happens. They’re all happily situated in the corner of a cafe talking about some new movie getting ready to come out when Hunk and Pidge both stop mid-laughter.

“What?” Keith is tempted to look behind him but he knows there’s a solid brick wall there so they have to be staring at him.

“Keith…” Hunk trails off.

“Don’t freak out,” Pidge starts. Which isn’t reassuring at all even before he takes into account the fact that Pidge looks about three seconds from freaking out themself. “But… you’ve got… something on your face.”

Keith wipes at his nose self consciously but stops when Hunk shakes his head.

“Not like that, Buddy. Like…” He gestures to his own face with a vague movement of his hand and looks very close to losing it too.

Keith feels his brow furrowing and grabs his phone to open the front camera. He feels his heart skip several beats and then pick up on overtime to make up for it.

He’s got scrapes all over his face, cuts in multiple places and bruising covering one whole side. The hand holding his phone, he just notices, is also hurt in several places and Keith looks up helplessly at Hunk and Pidge’s worried expressions. He barely registers the sound of his phone clattering to the tabletop as he quickly struggles out of his jacket. His arms are just as bad.

He feels sick- hot and cold dread spiking through him sharply and he’s vaguely aware that he’s started trembling. “W-where’s Lance?” It’s hard to choke the words out around the bile rising in his throat and he turns his panicked gaze on his friends.

“I-I don’t know.” Pidge looks like they’re about to cry.

“Has he texted you?” Hunk asks.

Keith snatches his phone from the table and feels his worry grow at the lack of new messages. “I’m gonna call him.” He stands up and all but runs out of the cafe, stopping just outside and dialing Lance’s number.

“Come on... Pick up pick up…” Keith ignores the stares he gets from people passing by. He can’t blame them; he looks pretty bad. He hasn’t looked this bad since…

“Hey, this is Lance. Leave a message and I’ll call you ba-”

“Ugh! Dammit Lance!” Keith growls, frustration and worry making him impatient.

He calls again.

No answer.

He’s in the middle of his third try calling when Hunk bursts out of the cafe, Pidge hot on his tail and holding Keith’s jacket.

“Keith!” Hunk holds up his phone. “Hospital!”

Keith’s phone almost slides out of his shaking hand but Hunk and Pidge are already moving and he keeps up with them on autopilot. “How do you know?”

“I’m Lance’s emergency contact. Did you drive?”

Keith shakes his head. “No I walked. You’re his emergency contact?”

“We’ll give you a ride.” Hunk slides into his car and barely waits for Keith and Pidge to pile in and close their doors before he’s throwing the car into drive and speeding out of the parking lot. “We both went out of state for college and the only way our parents were okay with it was if we swore to keep track of each other. We’re about five hours away from them so in an emergency calling them would do nothing. Ergo I’m his emergency contact and he’s mine.”

“Which hospital?” Pidge asks but Keith doesn’t care about that.

“What happened?”

Hunk side-eyes him briefly before answering. “It’s the same one he was in for his Leukemia.”

“Oh his nurses are going to love that.”

“What happened!?” Keith asks again.

“Different floor, Pidge. He’s… He was in a car wreck… He’s not awake right now… That’s all I know,” Hunk’s grip on the wheel is white-knuckled and it’s the last thing Keith is really able to focus on before he’s zoned out.

He’s nine years old again, sitting in a hospital room. Everything is too white, smells too much like cleaning supplies. Words float through the air around him, soft-spoken and not really sinking in.

‘Car wreck… Didn’t make it… Sorry…”

Didn’t make it.

Didn’t make it.

It’s all Keith can think of. He can hear the doctor’s voice telling him he’s alone so clearly it’s like he’s hearing it now and he can feel his world crashing down around him again. It’s a feeling he hadn’t prepared himself to ever feel again but not one he’s forgotten. He’s only a little surprised at how easy it is to reach into himself and find the panic, the pain, waiting there, ready to be called upon again.

“Keith!”

Keith jolts and Hunk is staring at him, worry plain on his face. “You gonna be okay?”

Keith blinks at him for a moment. Over Hunk’s shoulder he can see Pidge already out of the car waiting for them, shifting from foot to foot anxiously. He shakes his head and avoids answering. “Do we know what room he’s in?”

“He’s in surgery still,” Hunk shoots him a concerned look but Keith ignores it in favor of catching up with Pidge.

They get to the waiting room and Hunk hurries to the receptionist’s desk to ask about Lance, leaving Pidge and Keith hovering awkwardly by the door, both of them too tense to sit.

After a few moments Hunk comes back over and sighs heavily. “They’ve got all of the glass shards out but no news other than that.”

“Do they know exactly what happened?” Keith ventures.

“No. The receptionist doesn’t anyway.”

“He was wearing his seatbelt at least, right?” Pidge demands.

“He should have been. His mom would kill him if she found out-” Hunk freezes and Keith can see the weight of whatever revelation he’s just had settling on his shoulders. “Oh shit… I have to call his mom.”

Keith’s blood goes cold and he can’t stop the nervous noise of sympathy that escapes him. He wants to make himself offer to do it instead- feels like he should as Lance’s soulmate- but he can’t. He’s never spoken to Lance’s parents before. He doesn’t even know if Lance has told them about him.

“I’m gonna step out for a minute. Come get me if you hear anything new.”

“We will,” Pidge nods and then Hunk is gone.

They don’t hear anything new.

Hunk comes back fifteen minutes later looking more exhausted than he’s ever seen a college student be before and that’s saying something. He falls into a seat and Keith and Pidge eventually sit down on either side of him. “Well… His parents are on their way.” Keith feels a whole new kind of nerves trying to find room in his body amidst all the other nerves. “No telling how long it’ll take them.”

“Didn’t you say they were five hours away?”

Hunk gives him a look. “Have you met Lance’s mom?” He’s meant it as a joke, Keith can tell, but when Keith stiffly shakes his head his expression softens. “Oh… Well she’s really nice- both of his parents are. And they would do anything for their children. Including drive well above the speed limit. Lance’s sister was in a parachuting accident once- she’s fine don’t worry- and his mom turned a seven hour road trip into four.”

“Lance?”

The three of them look up to see a woman in scrubs holding a clipboard and waiting just outside the door to the OR. As one, they hurry over to her and Hunk eagerly stumbles over his words.

“Y-yes we’re Lance- here for Lance! We’re here for Lance.”

She gives them all a once-over, eyes lingering on Keith and his shadowed injuries, expression unreadable, and Keith feels his stomach drop.

Didn’t make it.

Didn’t make it.

“Well he’s very lucky,” she starts and Keith swears his legs are going to give out on him any second. “He’s got some broken ribs-”

“How many is ‘some?’” Pidge asks and Keith is grateful because he doesn’t think his voice would have worked if he’d tried to use it.

“Three. His right leg is broken in two places and his right collarbone is fractured. His left shoulder was dislocated, but we put it back and his left wrist is sprained. He’ll be in a wheelchair until his shoulder and arm heal enough for crutches. We’ll have to wait until he wakes up to see if he has a concussion, but aside from those things and some surface bruising and abrasions he just needs to get lots of rest and then he should be fine.”

“Can we see him?” Keith’s voice is raw with the weight of the emotions crashing over him.

The doctor looks at him for a moment and purses her lips in thought. “He’s still asleep in recovery right now; only family.”

Keith feels a cold sensation clawing it’s way up his throat, spreading outwards from a pit in his stomach. “But I’m- he’s my-”

“They’re soulmates,” Pidge supplies.

The doctor nods like her suspicions have been confirmed but she doesn’t budge. “I’m sorry. You’re not in his paperwork. When we move him to his own room you can visit him then, but only family is allowed in recovery; it gets too crowded otherwise. You’re welcome to wait for him outside the room we’re cleaning out for him. He’s got another thirty minutes or so of being monitored in recovery and then he’ll be in room seven-fifteen.”

“But Hunk is his emergency contact,” Pidge pipes up. “Can he go sit with him? One of us should stay down here.”

The doctor nods. “As his emergency contact you can visit him.” She turns and gestures to the door for Hunk to follow her.

Hunk sends Keith and Pidge a shaky but encouraging smile. “I’ll text you guys updates.” Then he turns and hurries after the doctor.

“You better,” Pidge calls before the door closes behind them.

They stand there for a moment, neither wanting to move. Keith doesn’t even care that he’s blatantly staring at the door keeping him from Lance, a mixture of disdain and worry on his face.

Pidge sighs and gently takes his wrist in hand. “Come on,” they start heading to the elevator. “Hunk will tell us if anything happens.”

Keith nods but doesn’t say anything. The elevator ride up to the seventh floor is quiet and Pidge doesn’t let go of his hand until they’re standing in front of the room Lance will be in. There are still people moving in and out, switching out bedding and cleaning off the counters.

Pidge sits in a chair across the hallway from the door and Keith paces in front of them.

“Keith, please sit down.,” Pidge sighs after a while. “You’re making me nervous.”

Keith opens his mouth to reply but then his phone buzzes along with Pidge’s.

Hunk has sent them a group text with a simple ‘We’re coming up.’

Keith freezes and Pidge surges up from their chair and starts pacing.

At the far end of the hall the elevator dings open to reveal three transport assistants, a gurney, and Hunk. Hunk Hurries over to them while they wheel Lance into the room, firmly planting himself between Lance and their line of sight.

Keith tries to see around his shoulder but Hunk moves to block him.

“Hunk!” He’s aware that his voice comes out almost as a growl but he can’t bring himself to care.

“I just need you promise not to freak out, okay? He’s pretty beat up.”

Keith frustratedly gestures to his face. “I know.”

Hunk shakes his head. “You know it’ll look worse on him. I don’t know if you’re prepared to see-”

“Hunk, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, I really do, but right now I just need to see Lance.”

Hunk hesitates, offers a distracted ‘thank you’ to the transport team as they leave and bites his lip in thought.

“Please,” Keith begs.

Hunk sighs. “Okay.”

Keith wastes no time in hurrying around Hunk and into Lance’s hospital room but when he sees Lance he feels himself freeze up. The world goes quiet, a cold feeling rushes over him, and he’s pretty sure he stops breathing for a bit.

Hunk was right, nothing could have prepared him for this. Sure he knew where the injuries were but actually seeing them and the toll they’ve taken on Lance is another thing entirely. He’s got an IV in his left elbow, bandages all over his face, his other arm is in an uncomfortable looking sling and his leg is in a cast that covers his knee. The doctor had told him all of this. If he’d checked his own body he’d probably have been able to figure most of the injuries out himself, but injuries are the only thing that translate over onto soulmates. He had no way to prepare himself for how pale Lance looks or how stark the dark circles under his eyes are. He had no warning of the oxygen tube in his nose or the fluids dripping into him via IV. There are cords snaking out of his hospital gown and Keith assumes they’re connected to a heart monitor

It’s the first time Keith has seen Lance looking this bad and he never wants to see it again.

He never wants to see Lance in a hospital again.

“Keith?” Hunk’s voice is quiet behind him and he turns around to look at him. “I’m gonna go call Lance’s parents and give them an update okay?”

Keith nods and Pidge steps up beside him, pats him on the back.

“He’s looked worse.”

“Pidge, that… that doesn’t help at all.”

“I didn’t think it would, but on the off chance that it did I figured it was worth a shot.”

Keith looks back down at Lance. He wants to hold his hand- touch him somehow- but it’s a struggle to find any patch of skin not covered in bandages, braces, or casts. The hospital gown is gapingly huge on him and Keith can see more bandages peeking over the collar where it’s slipped down his shoulder a bit.

Pidge drags one of the chairs by the wall over to the side of the bed. “Sit.”

Keith sits.

Pidge goes back and drags the other two chairs over and sits in the one next to Keith. “I know this is different for you with the whole soulmate thing but… We’re worried about him too. You just have to trust what the doctors say, Keith. He’ll be okay.”

Keith nods without taking his eyes off of Lance.

Hunk comes back in a few minutes later and sits in the remaining empty chair. “They’re about an hour ahead of where they should be.”

Pidge snorts. “We should probably go home and clean up a bit.”

Hunk nods but neither of them make to move.

The room is silent for a long time, punctuated occasionally with the sound of Lance’s blood pressure cuff inflating for a bit and then a whoosh of air as it deflates. A nurse comes in every half hour or so and records his vitals.

After a few hours Hunk finally stands up. “I really should make sure the apartment is clean. Are you coming, Pidge?”

Pidge sends Keith a questioning stare before answering.

“It’s okay, you can go. I’ll text you guys if anything happens.”

Pidge nods. “Okay. Lead the way, Hunk.”

And then Keith is alone.

He tries not to think about Lance’s condition, about car wrecks- about anything really- but his mind is stuck in that hospital room twelve years ago with those words ringing through the air and he can’t handle it. It’s too quiet in the room, the air is too heavy. There’s not enough to distract him.

After thirty more minutes it occurs to him that he should probably let Shiro or Allura know what’s going on. He steps out of the room, grateful for the general hospital noise that greets him, and dials Shiro’s number.

“Hello, Keith!” Allura answers brightly. “Long time no see.”

“Hi, Allura,” Keith winces and knows his voice doesn’t even approach the vicinity of ‘I feel fine.’ “Is Shiro around?”

“He’s trying on a few tuxes right now. What’s wrong? Can I help?” Allura’s voice is immediately comforting and concerned and Keith can’t help the rush of gratitude he feels for her willingness to worry about him.

“Lance was uh… H-he was in a car wreck and… and he’s not… He hasn’t woke up yet.”

“Oh Keith… Is he okay? Is there anything we can do? We can come visit if you want,” she’s so understanding, so quietly supportive and Keith gets a sense of deja vu from when Lance landed himself in the hospital last time, before they’d even met.

“No he’s fine. The doctors said he’s fine. He just needs to sleep and I know that can take a while but it’s been hours and… and I just thought I should let you guys know. Um… Can I talk to Shiro?”

“Of course.” There’s some muffled shuffling and then some quiet voices and then Shiro’s voice is coming loud and clear over the line.

“Keith, what’s wrong?”

“Lance is in the hospital.”

“What for? Is it…” Shiro trails off but Keith knows what he’s going to say.

“No, not that. He um…” he feels his throat starting to close up and he sinks into one of the chairs he and Pidge had occupied earlier. “He was in a car wreck.” The soft noise Shiro makes says more than enough to break the last of Keith’s resolve to not cry. “He’s fine. I mean obviously he’s not fine- he’s really not fine, Shiro- but the doctors said he’ll be okay and I believe them, I do, I just-” he sniffs loudly, obnoxiously. “I just- I keep… keep thinking about… my parents and-” he breaks of in a shaky breath, unable to continue.

“It’s okay, Keith,” Shiro soothes. “It’ll be okay. Just take some deep breaths with me, alright?”

Keith nods and does as Shiro instructs. After about a minute he feels much calmer. “Thanks, Shiro.”

“Any time. Now what can I do to help?”

Keith shakes his head. “That was enough. I just… I haven’t told… Lance or… anyone really about what happened and I… I needed to talk to someone who would get it, y’know?”

“Yeah I get it.”

“Right… I guess I’ll talk to you later. Have fun trying on tuxes.”

“Tell me if anything happens?”

“Yeah.”

“And Keith.”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure you take care of yourself. Go home, sleep, eat.”

“Bye, shiro.”

“You didn’t say-” Keith hangs up on him.

He slouches back in his chair with a heavy sigh and stares blankly at the lights for a while and when he gets uncomfortable he sits up and crosses his arms, tapping his fingers. When that too gets uncomfortable he stands up and paces for a bit but eventually he falls back into his chair, leaning forwards resting his elbows on his knees and bouncing his leg to dispel some of his agitated energy.

He doesn’t know how long he sits like that but eventually he notices voices approaching him from down the hall. He looks up to see a man and a woman heading straight for him and in the back of his mind, Keith dimly realizes who they must be but he can’t make his mind supply him with an actual solid thought about it.

The man checks something on his phone and then points to Lance’s door. He says something but Keith doesn’t really register what it was because he finds himself unexpectedly making eye contact with the woman.

She’s stopped in front of him and is staring at him like his face could answer every question she’s ever had. “Hello,” she says. Her voice is soft and she has a slight accent. “I’m Lance’s mother. Are you a friend?” she gestures to the door.

Keith gapes at her for a moment, trying to make his voice work, but he quickly stands up and offers his hand. “Y-” he clears his throat. “Yes. I’m Keith. It’s nice to meet-”

“Keith!” She’s still quiet but there’s an urgency about her now. “Oh Keith! Lance has told us so much about you,” there are tears in her eyes but she smiles at him and tenderly cups his face in her hands, tracing over the scrapes there.

Keith isn’t sure what to say but he soon finds himself wrapped tightly in a hug and suddenly he knows this is where Lance gets the physical affection thing from.

“I wish we could have met under better circumstance,” she says, “But it is still good to finally meet you.”

Keith feels tears welling in his eyes and he doesn’t hesitate to hug her back. “Me too. It’s nice to meet you too.”

They stay like that for a moment until finally Lance’s mother pulls away and holds him at arm's length, squeezing his shoulders reassuringly. “Mateo,” she turns to the man she’s with who had been watching the exchange from a few feet away. “This is Lance’s soulmate, Keith.”

The man steps forward, offering his hand to Keith. “I’m Lance’s father,” his voice is warm and he has the same accent as his wife. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Keith shakes his hand, tries not to be self-conscious over whether or not his grip is firm enough. “It’s nice to meet you too, Sir.”

“‘Sir’ he says,” the man smiles. “You can call me Mateo.”

Keith tries not to openly stare.

“And you may call me Estela,” Lance’s mom says. “After all you are family.”

Keith feels incredibly conflicted about how happy he feels despite the situation. For the first time all day he feels like crying for a good reason. And then Estela speaks again.

“And one day you may call me Mamá.”

Keith chokes on air, much to his embarrassment, and while he’s coughing and desperately searching his mind for something- anything- to say he hears Mateo talk over his gasping.

“Estela don’t tease the boy. You’ve only just met him and I’m sure he’s had a hard day.”

The mood tangibly shifts in the air and Keith is quick to regain control of his breathing.

“Will you join us, Keith?” Estela moves toward Lance’s door but looks at him patiently. He doesn’t know how but Keith knows she won’t judge him for whatever answer he gives. He could say ‘no’ and she wouldn’t think any less of him, he’s sure of it. He hesitates for the briefest of moments but eventually he nods and follows the two of them into the room.

Nothing has changed in the time Keith was gone. Lance is still unconscious on the bed, unmoving and hooked up to several different machines.

Lance’s parents are quick to sit in the chairs Pidge had moved over earlier and his mom gingerly holds his hand in her own while his dad carefully brushes some of his hair back off of his face. Keith watches them for a moment, debates leaving- this seems like such a private family moment- but then Estela turns to him with a tired smile and pats the empty chair next to hers.

He walks further into the room, his footsteps loud in the otherwise quiet hanging in the air, and sits next to her. The silence returns soon after and Estela pulls a book out of her bag and begins reading. Keith sits up a little straighter to see over her to find that Mateo is working on a crossword puzzle. They’re both so calm, so composed, sitting at Lance’s bedside with a practiced ease that slaps Keith in the face. Of course they’re calm; they’ve done this before.

Keith fidgets in his seat and slouches. He thinks about playing a game on his phone but he knows he wouldn’t be able to focus on it. He’s shifting into a more comfortable position when Mateo speaks.

“How long have you been here?” He’s looking at Keith, expression as innocently curious as his voice.

Keith looks away briefly before answering. “Since he was in surgery.”

“Have you eaten anything?”

Estela finally looks up at Keith too, a scandalised expression on her face. “Please tell me you’ve had something besides bad hospital coffee!”

“I… haven’t had the bad hospital coffee?”

“Keith!” she exclaims and Keith has to try to bite back a smile because she says it in the exact way that Lance does whenever he’s shocked or exasperated or generally feeling particularly dramatic.

He’s not very successful, he can tell. He can feel the smile tugging at his lips and his utter helplessness against it has laughter bubbling in his throat. Estela looks mildly confused and Mateo is watching him with a bemused smile on his face.

“I’m- I’m sorry,” he giggles. “It’s just- that’s exactly how Lance says it sometimes,” he laughs some more. It feels nice- being able to laugh. It feels nice being comfortable enough with Lance’s parents that he can laugh.

Estela’s confusion quickly falls into a fond smile and Mateo nods and goes back to his crossword.

When Keith’s giggles have died down Estela gently takes one of his hands in hers, squeezing it lightly. “Thank you,” she says sincerely.

Keith furrows his eyebrows at her. “For what?”

She shakes her head and Keith wants to ask again but then there’s a knock at the door. It opens before anyone can speak and Shiro steps into the room only to stop when he finds it occupied by someone other than Keith. They lock eyes for a moment and his confusion seems to simultaneously grow and settle at finding his brother in the company of two people he’s sure he’s never seen before.

“Um,” he starts awkwardly.

“Shiro,” Keith greets. “These are Lance’s parents.” He turns to Estela and Mateo. “This is my brother, Shiro.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Shiro nods at both of them politely.

Mateo returns the nod and Estela smiles warmly at him. “Lance has told us a little bit about you too,” she says.

“Good things,” Mateo adds at Shiro’s deer-in-the-headlights expression.

“That’s a relief,” Shiro smiles and Keith has to wonder-

If Shiro’s this nervous about meeting Lance’s parents, how did it go when he met Coran?

“Make sure you feed him when you take Keith home,” Estela says seriously.

“The poor boy hasn’t eaten anything today.” Mateo adds.

“Wha-” Keith turns to look at them and debates arguing that statement but Estela’s caring expression catches him off guard and he decides that arguing with his soulmate’s parents over what he’s eaten like a two-year-old is definitely not something a twenty-one-year-old should do. He looks back at Shiro. “Really?”

Shiro shrugs. “It’s late. You need to sleep and we both know you won’t do that here.”

Keith really does almost argue with that but Estela puts a hand on his shoulder.

“We will talk more tomorrow.” The statement is calm and reassuring and leaves no room for argument.

Keith bites his lip and nods. “It was nice meeting you both,” he says as he stands and crosses the room to Shiro.

“It was nice to meet you too.”

The walk back to Shiro’s car is quiet. Keith doesn’t say anything until they’ve been driving for a few minutes.

“How did you know which room? I didn’t even tell you which hospital.”

“I asked Hunk.”

“You talk to Hunk?”

“He’s Allura’s maid of honor’s boyfriend and the best friend of my little brother’s soulmate. It’d be weirder if I didn’t talk to him. Plus he’s a pretty cool guy.”

“That’s fair,” Keith concedes.

Shiro nods and a few minutes later he pulls the car into the cracked parking lot of a retro diner that’s open twenty-four/seven. There are numerous neon signs flashing ‘open’ in different patterns all over the front windows and Keith raises a skeptical eyebrow.

“What is it with you and Allura and greasy comfort food?”

Shiro shrugs with a casual smile and pulls his keys out of the ignition. “Hey if it works, it works. Why change the formula?”

“What formula?” Keith closes his door and they walk towards the diner.

“The formula for cheering up,” Shiro holds the door open for him and Keith walks through to be greeted by the smell of greasy food and baking pies. It’s oddly comforting.

“The second part of the formula involves ice cream and they have the best milkshakes here so it’s a double victory.”

“Right.”

The two soon find themselves sitting at a booth with cracking pleather seats next to the window facing the road, watching headlights speed past them as they wait for their food. Shiro idly stirs his straw around in his cream soda and stares out the window, patiently waiting for Keith to speak first, and Keith stabs his straw into his root beer repeatedly, trying to get his ice to the bottom. He knows it won’t work but it’s something to do. Eventually he sighs and slouches back in his seat.

“Lance looks a lot like his mom,” he says.

Shiro nods. “I could see that.”

Their waitress comes by and drops off their food. Keith’s burger is the size of his head and the pile of fries next to it is almost as big. Shiro’s plate looks much the same and he smiles politely at the woman in thanks as she sets down two frosted milkshake glasses.

“This is a lot of food,” Keith stares at his plate.

Shiro nods and eats a few french fries. “Yes it is.”

“This is so much food.”

“Yes it is.”

“...Is it good?”

Shiro nods and shoves a few more fries in his mouth. “Yes it is.”

Keith rolls his eyes. “Shiro.”

Shiro laughs. “I honestly think it’s the best diner around.”

Keith nods and, somehow, manages to take a bite out of his colossal burger. He hums thoughtfully; Shiro’s not wrong.

They eat in silence for a few minutes before Keith finally speaks again. “He acts kind of like her too.”

“Lance?”

Keith nods. “I was so nervous about meeting his parents in general and then under the circumstances… it was a lot more nerve wracking than I was prepared for but… They’re really nice and I can see where Lance gets a lot of his habits and mannerisms.” He stirs his half-melted milkshake around in his glass before continuing. “Even before meeting his parents I was sure that Lance grew up in a good family- a good environment, and now that I’ve met them it just confirms that.”

Shiro nods but Keith can practically see him holding back from asking ‘And?’

Keith sighs. “And I… didn’t. Not all the time anyway.”

“Keith...”

“Lance is in the hospital right now- he could have died today- and… and I’m just wondering… who do I take after? What kind of soulmate does that?”

Shiro doesn’t say anything to that so Keith continues.

“I know that four years in foster care isn’t a lot and there are lots of kids out there that had it worse than me and I really shouldn’t still get so hung up on it-”

“Keith no,” Shiro interrupts. “Four years is a long time, way longer than most people have had to spend in foster care. What you went through was not easy and it all happened in very early very developmental years. No one expects you to just pretend it never happened.”

“But I got out. I’m okay now. I shouldn’t let it get to me,” Keith argues.

“Is that what you’d tell Lance if he were upset over cancer things?”

“What?”

“Should Lance not let cancer things get to him? Should he just get over it?”

“Of course not! He has every right to be upset about that for as long as he needs.”

“Even though he’s in remission?” Shiro counters. “Even though there are people out there with incurable cancers and medication that’s a lot harder on them?”

Keith hesitates and looks out the window. “I… may see the point you’re making.”

“Good.” Shiro says with finality. “Now eat your food.”

Keith does as he’s told and they’re quiet again for a few more moments.

“And Keith?”

“Hm?” Keith looks up, in the middle of taking a drink of his milkshake.

“You’re allowed to feel more than one thing at once. You’re not a bad soulmate.”

Keith swallows quickly and sends a tentative smile to his brother. “Thanks, Shiro.”

“No problem.”

-----

The next day Keith goes to the hospital as soon as Shiro is satisfied with how much sleep he’s had and how much food he’s eaten. They part ways and Shiro leaves with a promise to come back to visit later that day with Allura, which Keith appreciates but it leaves him fighting down nerves without anything to distract him as he approaches room seven-fifteen alone.

The door is already partially open when he reaches it and he hesitates at the sound of voices.

“Sorry, Mamá-” Keith freezes, feels his breath catch in his throat and he barely registers the words that are spoken next.

“Don’t you ‘sorry Mamá’ me, young man! How many times will I get a phone call saying-”

“What your mother means, Lance, is that we were very worried about you and it would be nice to come visit sometime when you aren’t in a hospital bed.”

Keith’s text tone goes off loudly, shocking him out of his stupor so suddenly he jumps and the voices in the room fall silent. He takes a few deep breaths to compose himself and then lightly knocks on the door before pushing it open.

Estela and Mateo are there, both with reassuring smiles on their faces despite the fact that Estela looks like she’s been crying, and Keith tries to give them a proper greeting but all he can manage is a brief smile before his eyes inevitably shoot to Lance.

He looks simultaneously worse and better than he did last night; his skin is still pale and his injuries have had time to settle in and really make themselves at home on his body but he’s smiling and he’s awake- he’s alive- and Keith thinks he’s never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

“Hey,” Lance grins.

“Hey,” Keith breathes. His hands are shaking and he can feel the wobbly smile that’s growing on his face.

Lance reaches his good arm- his better arm- the one not in the sling- out towards him and wiggles his fingers. “Come here. I need to introduce you.”

“We’ve already met,” Keith says, but he doesn’t reject the idea and he wastes no time in going to Lance’s side. His heart swells as Lance struggles to lace their fingers together as best he can with the brace on his wrist and he lightly pulls him closer so his hip is bumping against the bed.

“I know but I want to do this properly.”

Keith huffs out a laugh and brushes his thumb over the back of Lance’s hand. He doesn’t even know if Lance can feel it through the brace but his smile is blinding and he turns around to find Lance’s parents looking at them with smiles equally as wide.

“Mom, Dad,” Lance says brightly, like he isn’t lying in a hospital bed and covered in bandages and braces. “This is my soulmate, Keith. Keith, these are my parents.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Keith smiles and he feels so happy- elated- that he can’t even think about the ridiculousness of the re-introduction.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Keith,” Mateo replies.

“Very nice,” Estela smiles.

“Great! Now come down here and let me kiss you,” Lance tugs on his arm and makes a feeble effort to sit up.

“Lance!” Keith sputters. He feels his face heat up instantly and shoots a glance at Estela and Mateo who are now laughing.

“It’s okay, they’ve seen worse.” Lance tugs on his arm again.

“Lance!” He says again, somehow sounding even more scandalized.

“You boys take your time. Your mother and I will go get something to eat.”

“We will bring something back for you too, Keith!” Estela says.

“I’ve eaten!” Keith insists, still flustered, but the door has already closed behind them. He sighs and turns back to Lance to find him staring up at him with a dopey smile on his face. Keith rolls his eyes and perches lightly on the side of Lance’s bed before leaning over and softly brushing their lips together. “Happy?”

Lance hums and pretends to think about it. “For now.”

Keith chuckles and then brushes Lance’s hair out of his face. “Your parents are nice,” He says after a while.

Lance hums again and turns his head into Keith’s touch. “They like you.”

“Do they?”

“Mh-hm.”

“That’s good. I was nervous about that actually.”

Lance pulls Keith’s hand out of his hair and laces their fingers together again. “I’m sorry you had to meet them without me.”

Keith shrugs. “Wasn’t your fault. How do you feel?”

“Honestly?”

Keith nods.

“Like I got hit by a car or two.”

Keith inhales deeply and tips his head back, staring at the ceiling for a minute. “Oh my gosh, Lance.”

“You said honestly!”

“I want a divorce.”

“Keith!” Lance exclaims, scandalized as ever. “What about the children?”

A chuckle escapes Keith, unbidden, and he looks back at Lance and resists the urge to flick him. “I’m serious! How bad is it? On a scale of one to ten.”

“That’s such a relative scale.”

“Lance.”

Lance gives an awkward one shouldered shrug. “I mean I’ve definitely felt worse but I don’t feel that great right now. It’s just a comfort thing mostly. As far as pain is concerned I’m pretty drugged up right now so it’s not that bad.”

Keith nods. “Do you get weird when you’re on pain killers?”

“Mostly at night. I have even less of a filter.”

Keith hums and lets a smirk spread over his lips. “Maybe I should stay the night tonight then.”

“My, Keith, how forward of you,” Lance grins.

“Shut up,” Keith laughs.

“Make me.”

Keith rolls his eyes. “You know you could just ask me if you want me to kiss you again. You don’t have to make it a challenge. I’d probably do it anyway.”

“Kiss me?”
Keith pretends to think about it for a moment. “Nah, I’m good,” he teases.

“Keeeiiiith,” Lance whines. “You can’t be mean to me while I’m in the hosp-” he’s cut off by Keith gently cupping his face with one hand and kissing him.

He lingers for a moment, taking in the warmth of Lance’s lips, the heat of his face that he can feel even through all the bandages, appreciating the simple fact that Lance is blessedly and undeniably alive. He pulls back just enough to be able to look him in the eye and bites his lip against a smile when their noses bump together.

“I missed you,” he breathes and he hopes Lance gets it- that he’s saying so much more than that right now.

I was worried about you.

I was scared.

I’m glad you’re alive.

I love you.

Lance smiles at him softly and rubs their noses together in what has to be the cheesiest display of affection Keith has ever been a part of.

“I missed you too,” he says, and Keith knows that he gets it.

He opens his mouth to speak again, because now that he knows Lance knows it feels like it’ll be easier to say, and he doesn’t want to leave all of his implied emotions unsaid- doesn’t want to risk not getting the chance to explicitly tell Lance all of these things that he knows would mean the world to him to hear out loud- and then the door is thrown open.

Keith lurches upright, putting as much distance between himself and Lance as possible, and almost falls off of the bed. He feels his already flaming face go even more red at the sound of laughter from the doorway and once he’s regained his balance he stumbles to his feet and turns to see Hunk and Pidge.

Hunk looks somewhat apologetic and Pidge is cackling madly.

“That’s what you get for trying to get nasty in a hospital room!” They crow.

“I wasn’t-!” Keith starts at the same time that Lance sputters out “We weren’t-!” They make brief eye contact and Keith feels slightly better that Lance is just as red as he is.

“Don’t tease them, Pidge,” Hunk chides but even he is struggling to hold back a grin.

Pidge snorts and then unceremoniously crosses the room to flop into one of the chairs by Lance’s bed. “What would you have done if a nurse had walked in?”

“Nurses knock!” Lance cries.

“And we weren’t doing anything!” Keith defends.

“Okay,” Pidge grins. “You weren’t doing anything. But you definitely looked guilty enough to have been doing something and that’s almost worse.”

Keith bristles at that and flounders for something to say when Hunk speaks up.

“Okay but the nurses love Lance and are super chill so really it wouldn’t have been that bad. The more important question is what would you have done if Lance’s parents walked in?”

Keith blanches.

“I’m telling you they’ve seen worse,” Lance says. “It’s no big deal.”

“What’s no big deal?” Estela walks in with a large paper bag and Mateo follows after her carrying two drink trays.

Keith buries his face in his hands. “Just kill me now,” he says, muffled and unmistakably miserable sounding.

“Lance, what did you do to the boy?” Mateo asks.

“More like what did the boy do to Lance?” Pidge snorts under their breath.

“Pidge!” Keith hisses.

“We were just teasing him,” Hunk covers easily. Keith sends him a grateful look and Hunk nods in return.

Estela gives a short ‘hm’ and hands Keith a breakfast sandwich from the bagel place down the street. “I don’t have anything on Pidge but I have albums full of embarrassing pictures of Lance and hunk as children if you ever need help getting them back,” she winks playfully.

“Mamá!” Lance protests.

“Hush,” she says. “Are you hungry now or would you like to wait before eating?”

Lance is quiet for a moment and Keith almost misses the subtle way he looks from one incapacitated arm to the other and seems to shift uncomfortably as much as he can in his injured state. “I’ll wait. I’m not that hungry right now.”

Estela nods and turns to pass out sandwiches to Hunk and Pidge and help Mateo hand out drinks- how they knew to get an additional two meals is beyond Keith- and while the others are all preoccupied he reclaims his spot sitting on the edge of the bed.

“You sure?” he asks. “I could help you, you know.”

Lance raises an eyebrow at him and Keith can’t decide if it’s genuinely playful or not. “Are you offering to feed me?”

“I mean…” Keith shrugs. “Yeah?” He debates saying ‘In sickness and health, right?’ but quickly backtracks because woah there, buddy. Slow down.

Lance purses his lips for a moment and Keith can tell he’s chewing on the inside of his lower lip. Eventually he gives an almost imperceptible sigh and nods. “Okay. Thanks, Keith.”

“No problem,” Keith smiles and reaches for the sandwich Estela had sat aside on the table for Lance. “So um… Do I rip it into chunks or just hold it up to your mouth or…?” In the back of his mind Keith thinks he maybe should have thought this through better.

Lance laughs quietly. “Tearing it into pieces is fine. I don’t trust you not to shove the whole thing down my throat.”

Keith wants to argue but he actually agrees; he wouldn’t put it past himself to somehow mess up while trying to feed Lance. He tears off a piece from the corner and holds it to Lance’s lips. “Careful. It’s kind of hot.”

“You’re not gonna blow on it for me?”

Keith levels a flat look at him. “I will suffocate you with this sandwich.”

Lance laughs. “Fair enough.”

Keith alternates between feeding Lance and eating his own sandwich and they listen to Pidge and Hunk update Lance’s parents on their lives and how their classes have been going.

An hour or two after everyone is done eating, a doctor comes in to check on Lance so Keith, Pidge, and Hunk leave the room so they can talk without an audience.

“For real though how did meeting Lance’s parents go?” Hunk asks as they’re standing in the hallway trying not to look like they’re awkwardly hovering.

Keith is pretty sure they’re unsuccessful. He shrugs. “It actually wasn’t that bad. They’re really nice.”

“I told you they would be.”

“We get it, Hunk. You’re always right and no one should ever question you.” Pidge’s voice is flat but they’re smiling.

“As long as you’re aware of that,” Hunk nods.

Pidge sighs and shakes their head fondly.

“You look a lot better than you did last night,” Shiro’s voice breaks into their conversation and they all turn to see Shiro and Allura approaching them.

“Hey guys,” Hunk greets.

“Long time, no see,” Pidge smiles.

“I had to look better today or you wouldn’t have let me out of my dorm.” Keith forgoes returning the greeting in favor of giving his brother a flat stare. “Hey, Allura,” he says.

“Hello, Keith. Hunk. Pidge,” she nods at them. “Is Lance awake yet? I brought him a present.” She holds up a blue gift bag with white tissue paper sticking out of the top in neat ruffles.

“He’s awake but the doctor’s in there talking to him right now,” Keith answers.

“What’d you get him?” Hunk asks excitedly.

Allura gives the bag to Hunk who immediately peeks inside. “Just some skincare products. There’s a facemask in there I think he’ll really like but Keith was no help in picking so he might already have it.”

“You didn’t ask me,” Keith says confused.

“If I had would you have known?”

Keith hesitates for a moment before sighing. “Fair point,” he concedes.

“He doesn’t have any of this actually. He’ll be thrilled!”

“Why do you know Lance’s skin care regimen?” Shiro asks.

“It takes up about eighty percent of the bathroom,” Pidge explains. “Also we have spa nights once a month.”

“How did I not know this?” Keith says.

Pidge looks at him in disbelief. “How has he not done a spa night with you?” they sound incredulous.

“Sounds like someone needs to have a talk. You’re missing out, Keith.” Hunk is so genuine when he says it that Keith can’t help but believe him.

The doctor comes out of the room a few minutes later and they all shuffle in. Lance immediately perks up when he sees his new visitors.

“I didn’t know you guys were coming!” Lance grins at them. He turns to his parents. “This is Keith’s brother, Shiro, and his soulmate Alura.”

Mateo and Shiro shake hands properly, and Estela clasps both of Allura’s hands in her own. “Goodness look at you! These brothers got lucky to have such beautiful soulmates, didn’t they?” She turns and offers a wink in Keith and Shiro’s direction and Keith feels his face heat up. Upon further inspection he sees that both Allura and Lance are blushing as well.

Lance opens his mouth to say something but Shiro beats him to it. “We sure did.” His smile is so sincere and Keith can’t help but feel a little outdone.

Estela laughs and squeezes Allura’s hands briefly before letting go. “He knows exactly what to say, doesn’t he?”

Allura laughs softly and smiles. “I’m sure I’m the lucky one.”

“You can all be lucky,” Pidge says from their spot perched on the windowsill.

“Personally I think I’m the luckiest,” Hunk says.

The room is quiet for the briefest of moments before everyone agrees.

“Shay is literally perfect and I can’t think of anyone else I would rather you have as a soulmate,” Lance says.

“Aw thanks, Lance.”

“Anytime, buddy.”

Allura takes that moment to give Lance his gift and she helps him go through all of the items in the bag since he’s only got one semi-functional arm at the moment. “I know you can’t use any of this right now but-”

“Are you kidding? These are great! I’m gonna save them until I’m back to normal and then have the ultimate self-care day! I still have a bath bomb that Shay gave me from last time I was in the hospital too! Oh man!” Lance is practically glowing and Keith knows he’s not the only one in the room relieved to see him like this. “Thank you so much, Allura!”

She smiles warmly at him and they spend the next several minutes going over ingredients and directions and what each product is supposed to do.

“I’m using this one on you, Keith!” Lance waves a bottle at him.

Keith laughs. “I hear I’ve been missing out on that kind of thing.”

“Yeah! How come you don’t do spa nights with Keith?” Pidge asks.

“Well for one thing I honestly don’t know if it’s something he’d enjoy.” Lance looks at him for a moment, expression curious and Keith realizes that he’s looking for an answer.

“I’ll try it,” he shrugs. “I honestly don’t know either.”

“Great,” Lance smiles at him then goes back to looking over his gifts with Allura.

Eventually it gets late and Shiro and Allura have to leave but they promise to come back to visit the next day. Lance’s parents leave to get dinner and while they’re gone Hunk and Pidge finally bite the bullet and ask what Keith has been afraid to know the answer to.

“So…,” Pidge starts a little unsure. “What exactly happened?”

Lance raises an eyebrow at them like he’s amused at their hesitance. “With the car wreck?”

“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to,” Hunks says. “We won’t push.”

“Nah, it’s cool. Not really a lot to tell-”

“Were you wearing your seatbelt?” Pidge asks seriously.

Lance takes a deep breath and the look on his face tells them that the answer is not going to be a simple ‘yes.’

“Lance!” Keith prompts.

“No, but I can explain!” He has to yell to be heard over their varied noises of outrage and disappointment. “I can explain!”

“Your mom is going to have your head!” Hunk sounds terrified and Keith wonders what Estela is like when she’s mad.

“I wasn’t even moving!” Lance says. “I was parked! I was getting out of my car and this guy came around the corner too fast and just crashed into me!” He sees Keith’s horrified expression and amends his statement. “My car! He crashed into my car! But I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt so I kind of… just…um... went flying. I won’t go into all the details but basically that’s what happened.”

“Lance,” Keith breathes, unsure what to say.

“Why are you alive!?” Pidge yells.

“Love you too, Pidge,” Lance says.

“No, I’m serious! What even?”

“Pidge, if I had a dollar for every time I survived something that could have- should have- killed me, I’d maybe be rich enough to afford paying for a fourth of one of the medical bills for one of those things because the health care system sucks but the point is that’s still a lot of dollars.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Hunk sighs.

“That’s not even the worst part!” Lance says.

“What’s the worst part?”

“They have me hooked up on tele,” Lance glowers.

“What’s tele?” Keith asks at the same time that Hunk says “That’s rough buddy.”

“This is not the time to quote Avatar the Last Airbender.”

“It’s always time to quote Avatar the Last Airbender,” Pidge says.

“What’s tele?” Keith asks again.

“It’s a heart monitor,” Lance pulls down the neck of his gown to reveal a few stickers with wires attached to them. “The adhesive is murder on my skin.”

“Everything is murder on your skin,” Pidge says.

“These are worse murder.”

“Do you know when you can take them off?” Keith pokes at one of the stickers lightly. It’s pretty thick so the adhesive has to be really strong.

Lance intercepts Keith’s hand in his own before he can poke another sticker. “The doctor said probably tomorrow as long as nothing weird happens tonight. I’ll probably be out by the end of the week actually. I’m pretty psyched.”

“I’m sure you are,” Hunk laughs.

Pidge stretches out all of their limbs before standing. “Glad you’re okay Lance but I’ve got a date with a conspiracy theory movie marathon in the living room since you won’t be there to complain about it.”

“Oh! Take Keith with you,” Lance says. “You can bond.”

Keith looks between Lance and Pidge. “But I was gonna stay with you tonight.”

Lance squeezes Keith’s hand lightly. “And I appreciate that thought but you need to sleep just as much as I do.”

“I can sleep here.”

“But you won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I kind of know that.”

“No you don’t!”

“Call it a very strong hunch then!”

Keith opens his mouth and then bites his lip, sending a look at Hunk and Pidge who immediately and very obviously leave the room so they can argue in private.

“Oh geeze, Pidge would you look at the time?”

“Bye, Lance!”

“Sweet dreams. See you tomorrow!”

Keith sighs and looks at Lance. “I don’t want to leave you in this hospital room alone,” he says after a moment of heavy silence.

“You’re sweet but I’ve been alone in the hospital before. And my parents will be back soon anyway.”

“But they’re staying at your apartment aren’t they?”

“Only one of them. They take turns.”

Keith looks out the window and purses his lips.

The silence stretches on for a bit before Lance sighs. “Okay I’m gonna level with you,” he says and Keith looks back at Lance only to find that he’s avoiding eye contact. “This is the first time I’ve been in the hospital like this since… since I got out.”

Keith nods and waits for Lance to continue.

“And I don’t know how I’ll handle it tonight. I didn’t wake up until this morning, right before you got here actually, so the whole ‘night’ thing is…” He swallows thickly and Keith can see his reluctance to continue speaking in every tense line of his face. “I’m not sure what will happen but I don’t want to freak you out if I lose it.”

“Lance, nothing you could do would ever freak me out.” Keith gently turns Lance’s face towards him, trying to convey his sincerity with his eyes but Lance only looks at him for a second before letting his own eyes flit about.

“And that really means a lot to me but… I’m just… not ready for that yet.”

Keith feels his heart clench and he wants to argue. Now that he knows the reason why, he wants to stay even more- to be there for him- to prove that, no matter what, he’s here for Lance and always will be. But this is the first time Lance has even hinted at opening up about what’s going on in his head about his time in the hospital and Keith can tell that it took a lot of courage for him to say even that much. Proving his own point is important but right now it’s more important to prove that he can respect Lance’s boundaries.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Okay,” he says.

Lance looks at him with a tentatively curious expression and Keith elaborates.

“I’ll hang out with Pidge tonight.” He leans down and kisses Lance softly and then pulls back. “I-” He hesitates.

I love you.

The words are right there sitting in the back of his throat, taking up space in his airway and pulling heavily at his heart, but he’s never said them before and he doesn’t want to say them now- not when Lance is in the hospital and they’ve just had what is, now that he thinks about it, probably their first real sort of fight.

“I’ll turn the volume on my phone up. Call me or- or text me if you need anything. Even if it’s just a distraction.”

Lance nods and pulls Keith down for another kiss. “Thank you.”

Keith nods and kisses him again before standing up. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Keith walks out into the hallway to find Hunk and Pidge sitting perfectly still in the chairs outside the door. They’re both smiling way too pleasantly at him to be innocent.

“You guys were trying to listen in through the door, weren’t you?” It doesn’t sound like a question.

“It was Pidge’s idea.”

“You traitor.”

“If it makes you feel any better we really didn’t hear anything and we gave up after about thirty seconds.”

“We would have given up sooner if we actually had heard something anyway. We’re not heathens. We know when to give people privacy. I just wanted to see if we could hear you.”

“So what’s the plan?”

Keith sighs. “You guys have room for one more at movie night?”

“Sweet. We’re starting with documentaries about Owlman because he’s extremely underrated,” Pidge says, already heading for the elevators.

“Owlman?” Keith asks.

“Exactly.”

They end up watching documentaries about conspiracy theories and cryptids until two o’clock in the morning, only stopping to take a break to talk with Lance’s mom when she gets back from the hospital.

She goes to sleep in Lance’s room and Keith is left on the couch for the night. As far as couches go it’s fairly comfortable and Keith has definitely slept on worse things but all he can think about is the fact that last time he slept on this couch Lance had been with him and he ends up staring at the ceiling long after he was supposed to go to sleep.

-----

Lance is released from the hospital two days later, very tired with a wheelchair and weekly doctor’s appointments scheduled for the next two months but ecstatic to be out.

“Guys can we get ice cream?” he asks when Hunk wheels him out into the parking garage.

“It’s snowing,” Keith says.

“So ice cream and hot chocolate?”

“Your parents are at the apartment right now cooking for you to celebrate your survival of yet another brush with death. Do you really want to ruin it with ice cream?” Hunk says casually while he and Keith start lifting him into the car.

Keith feels Lance’s fingers try to hold on to the back of his shirt tightly but he’s still wearing a brace and he doesn’t quite manage it. “Can we pick up ice cream on the way home then? We can eat it after dinner.”

Pidge folds up the wheelchair and puts it in the trunk. “I like that idea.”

Hunk pretends to give an exasperated sigh but ends up ruining it with a smile. “Fine. I’m picking the flavor though. You’ll pick something that has more stuff in it than ice cream.”

“Excuse you, Sir, caramel fudge brownie pecan swirl is a delight.”

“I got diabetes just listening to you say that name,” Keith winces.

“You eat pizza weird, your opinion is invalid.”

“You like pineapple on pizza!”

“Hawaiian pizza is the bomb and anyone who disagrees is walking home,” Hunk says from the driver’s seat.

Pidge slides into the passenger’s seat and turns to look at Keith. “Give it up Keith, you’re outnumbered.”

“I cannot believe I have befriended a bunch of heathens,” he grumbles.

“We’re roommates. Did you really think we could survive if we didn’t all have the same opinion on this?”

Their trip to the grocery store is quick. Pidge loses rock paper scissors and ends up being the one designated to run in and grab the ice cream and they leave grumbling curses and profanity under their breath. They return a few minutes later with a mug of steaming coffee which they do not offer to share and three cartons of ice cream (one of which is caramel fudge brownie pecan swirl) and Lance thanks them profusely.

They make it to Lance’s apartment and are overwhelmed with the pleasant smell of homemade soup and fresh bread.

Estela stops cooking long enough to help get Lance situated on the couch and adamantly turn down all of their offers to help with whatever she needs. “We’re almost done. You just find a movie or something to watch.” She drops a kiss on Lance’s forehead and then glides back into the kitchen easily.

They end up deciding on a sci-fi movie and everyone piles onto the furniture to eat. Mateo and Estela sit together on the loveseat and Pidge curls up on the armchair. Hunk Sits on one end of the couch with Lances legs in his lap and Keith sits on the floor on the other end despite Lance’s multiple offers to put his leg up on the coffee table so Keith could sit on the couch.

“Seriously, Lance, I’m fine. If I were desperate to sit on a chair I could move Pidge or drag the one from your room in here.”

“I’d like to see you try to move me,” Pidge snorts.

Keith raises an eyebrow at them but the argument ends after that.

Keith doesn’t know when Lance finishes eating but he flinches when he feels something touching his hair. After a moment, though, he realizes it’s Lance idly running his fingers through the ends of his hair and he relaxes, leaning back into the touch ever so slightly.

Lance is asleep by the end of the movie and everyone quietly shuffles to clean up around him without making noise. When all the dishes are done and a few extra blankets are spread out over Lance’s sleeping form, Keith says goodnight to everyone and goes back to his dorm to get the first proper sleep he’s had in a week.

Lance’s parents go back home a few days after that but not before extracting several promises to call if they need anything or even if they just want to talk and the following weeks are punctuated by Keith, Hunk, and Pidge taking turns driving Lance to his doctor’s appointments and pushing his wheelchair to and from classes.

Lance seems to be relatively okay- his mood lifted considerably after he got the brace off of his left arm and the cast on his leg was cut down to below his knee. He’s still in his wheelchair but he’s remarkably patient when people forget that he needs help with things (really there should be more elevators and automatic doors around campus). He still spews bad jokes and entertaining dramatics whenever the occasion calls for it, but every now and then he’ll make a remark lamenting his current situation.

‘Man I can’t wait to get out of this chair.’

‘This is horrible! I can’t style my hair by myself!’

‘I never really noticed how tall the counters in my apartment are until now.’

Keith is pushing Lance’s wheelchair down the hall for his last class of the day when he says one such statement.

“You know, there are some things about independence that you just don’t think to appreciate until you can’t do them anymore.”

“Like what?” Keith asks.

“Peeing by yourself.”

Keith stops and has to make an effort not to laugh. “Oh my gosh, Lance.”

“It’s true! Do you appreciate being able to go by yourself?”

Keith shakes his head and starts pushing again. “I mean probably not as much as I should, apparently.”

“Well let me tell you, Babe, you should take a second to appreciate it.” Lance sounds perfectly matter-of-fact as he says it but there’s something about him that has Keith hesitating- something not quite wrong exactly but definitely off.

The hallways are basically empty now and Keith makes a split second decision.

“You have class with Coran now right?”

“Mh-hm.”

“Do you have any idea what you’ll be doing?”

“We’ve got a test on Monday so probably self-study. Why?”

“He likes you right? You’re like his favorite student.”

“I like to think so,” Lance says with mock confidence.

Keith rolls his eyes. “You are.”

“Where are you going with this, Keith?”

“You can afford to skip a day, yeah?”

Lance turns around to shoot him a skeptical eyebrow. “I suppose,” he says, a small grin starting to tug at his lips. “What did you have in mind?”

Keith smirks and pulls a sharp one-eighty before shooting off down the hallway, back the way they came and propelling Lance in front of him. Lance squawks and holds onto the armrest of his chair with his free hand for dear life.

“Keith!” he yells but it’s drowned out by Keith laughing and then calling out to the person at the end of the hall by the door.

“Hold the door please!”

The person raises a bemused eyebrow and complies.

“Thanks!” Keith calls as they shoot past them and onto the sidewalk. They take a quick turn and Keith hops up onto the back of the wheelchair and lets them coast for a while.

“Where are we going?” Lance asks and Keith is pleased to hear the laughter bubbling out with the question.

“On an adventure!” They start losing momentum and Keith uses one foot to push off the ground until they pick up speed again.

“You are a ridiculous human being!” Neither of them pretend to ignore how unmistakably fond he sounds.

“I’m about to get more ridiculous!”

“Impossible!”

“See that hill?”

Lance turns to look at him wide-eyed with a disbelieving grin on his face that borders on worried. “Keith, no.”

“Keith, yes.” He jumps down and starts running, preparing to launch them over the crest of the hill.

“This is not how wheelchairs are supposed to be used, Keith!” Lance cries. “What are you doing!?”

“Shut up and trust me!”

“Keith!”

And then they’re soaring down the hill. Keith throws his head back and closes his eyes, reveling in the wind flying past him and the adrenaline shooting through him. He lets out an excited yell at the rush and when he hears Lance do the same he opens his eyes to find him spreading his arm out wide with his own head tilted back slightly and he can imagine the bright grin that’s on his face.

The hill evens out and leads directly into a park so keith lets them continue coasting. There’s virtually nobody out right now given that it’s before the end of a typical workday and the air is still fairly brisk despite the fact that spring is only a few days away so Keith picks a path at random and speeds down it.

He pushes them to the top of another hill and suddenly finds himself cursing and trying desperately to stop because the path they’re on apparently leads directly to a dock looking over a large pond.

“What kind of nineties rom-com bullshit-” is all Lance gets out before they’re hurling towards a very unpleasant swim.

“Shit shit shit shit-!” Keith mutters.

“Hit the breaks!”

“I’m trying!” He retorts. They’re halfway down the dock by the time Keith manages to set the break on the wheels of one side and the chair turns sharply and comes skidding to a halt.

Keith does not.

He gets a clear look at Lance’s flabbergasted face before he goes splashing into the pond. The water is cold and as soon as he surfaces he shoots a stream of it out of his mouth. “Gross,” he winces.

“Holy shit are you okay!?” Lance sounds genuinely concerned which is strange given the fact that he’s also laughing wildly.

“Shut up,” Keith grumbles, but he’s laughing now too as he paddles back toward the dock. It takes a bit more effort than he’d like to admit to pull himself out of the water and onto the dock but after a few tries he manages. He lays there for a moment, laughing breathlessly along with Lance.

“I’ve never actually wondered why we were soulmates before,” Lance grins. “But if I had been, that would have been the answer.”

Keith nods. “That would make sense.”

“For real are you okay?” Lance is still smiling but he’s got his laughter mostly under control now.

“I’m fine,” Keith stands up and goes to lift the breaks on Lance’s wheelchair. “Just really cold.”

“Let’s go home then,” Lance says simply.

Keith ignores the butterflies he gets at how easily Lance says it- like they live together and go home to each other every night. “Right.”

It wasn’t his intention but he isn’t surprised when twenty minutes later he finds himself huddled under a mound of blankets next to Lance on his sofa wearing a borrowed pair of sweatpants and a sweater that are both a little too long on him and holding a steaming mug of hot chocolate.

They’re watching one of Pidge’s documentaries about Bigfoot in comfortable silence when Lance speaks without looking up at Keith.

“Thank you,” he says. “For today. It was really fun.”

Keith doesn’t say anything for a while and Lance eventually relaxes back into his side and goes back to watching the movie. He turns his head and presses a kiss to Lance’s temple. “No problem. Any time.”

Chapter Text

Two weeks later Lance trades in his wheelchair for a pair of crutches and he takes his newly acquired and limited independence and runs with it- metaphorically- probably faster than he should. He still needs help carrying his books from class to class and he can’t drive himself to his doctor’s appointments yet but he goes everywhere he possibly can by himself sometimes for no reason other than a simple ‘I can.’

Three weeks later he gives up his crutches in return for a leg brace that has more straps than Keith imagines most kinds of lingerie have. He does not voice this thought out loud. The idea of even saying the word lingerie around Lance promises enough embarrassment and teasing to last a year.

He technically doesn’t need anyone to walk him to class anymore but Keith keeps doing it anyway. Lance reaches over one day and grabs his hand loosely. It’s definitely not the first time they’ve held hands in public but when Keith sends him a questioning glance the soft look on Lance’s face tells him that he knows he’s not walking with him because he’s injured anymore. He pulls Lance half a step closer to him and squeezes his hand.

Keith is zoning out in class later, staring aimlessly out the window when his phone screen lights up next to him. He checks his notifications to find that Allura has started a group chat with him and Shiro, and a quick glance up at his professor, who is waxing poetic about sharks, tells him he’s clear to check the message.

Allura: Hey Keith! We sent you a care package a few days ago and the tracking number says it should be getting there today just so you know

Keith: Thanks. You could have just brought it with you next time you came to visit though, it would’ve been cheaper than mailing it

Allura: Nonsense! The point of care packages is to get them in the mail. Otherwise it’s just a regular present.

Keith: You didn’t have to get me anything though

Allura: Oh trust me. Some of it is stuff you will definitely need

Keith: ...Do I want to know?

Allura: You might want to open it when you’re alone ;)

Keith feels his eyes widen and his face heat up. He glances around nervous and embarrassed, hoping nobody is paying attention to him.

Keith: Allura what the fuck. What did you send me.

Allura: I don’t want to ruin the surprise!

Keith: Shiro I know you’re seeing these! What did she send me??

Shiro: I’m actually at work right now

Keith: You’re still checking your phone! What did you send???

Shiro: Aren’t you in class right now?

Keith: Shiro!

Shiro: You shouldn’t text in class Keith.

Allura: He’s right you should pay more attention to your professors

Keith: You’re both horrible and I can’t tell which one of you is the bad influence

Allura: Oh it’s definitely a team effort

Shiro: We’re a mutually bad influential relationship

Keith sends them a middle finger emoji.

Shiro: Love you too

Allura: Let us know when you open it!

Keith sighs and slouches back in his seat. He’s got three more classes to get through before he can go home and he knows he’s going to spend all of them curious about what horrors await him when he gets back to his dorm.

If Lance notices him being distracted he doesn’t say anything and Keith can’t decide if he’s pulling off an air of normalcy or if Lance is, for once, not pressing him to share whatever’s on his mind.

“I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow so I gotta skip out on studying with you after class, okay?”

“You don’t usually have doctor’s appointments on Wednesdays. Why tomorrow?”

Lance shrugs. “That was the only time they could get me in this week.”

Keith thinks that’s maybe a little odd but he doesn’t comment on it.

When he finally gets back to his dorm building there’s a package waiting for him. He eyes it warily as he carries it in and dumps it on his coffee table and then he stares at it for a while, debating on whether or not he really wants to open it.

Eventually the curiosity burning in him gets overwhelming and he grabs a knife and slits the tape open. He hesitates for a moment and then remembers he’s supposed to tell Shiro and Allura when he gets the box. He tosses the knife on the table and perches on the arm of the couch next to his table, phone in hand.

Keith: Got the stuff

Allura: I must confess, that isn’t the reaction I was expecting you to have

Shiro: I’m surprised too

Keith: I haven’t opened it yet

Shiro: Oh.

Keith: How the hell am I supposed to react????

Allura: You’ll find out when you open it!!! Hurry up the suspense is killing me!!!!

Keith: I dunno. I got a lot of homework I should be doing. I could also study. I should get that done first.

Allura: Keith!!!!!!!

Shiro: Of all the times to be a good student you pick now?

Keith: Excuse you I am always a good student

Shiro: Then take a break and open the box.

Keith sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

Keith: Is what’s in this box going to make me want to disown you?

Shiro: I… hope not…?

Keith: Oh my gosh.

Keith sets his phone down on the cushion next to him and pulls the box closer to dig through it.

It looks relatively normal at first glance. There are several pairs of fuzzy socks, some of which are clearly meant for Lance, and Keith is immediately confused and more suspicious. He takes the socks out and finds a couple packages of cookies and some juice boxes- also fairly normal things to find in a care package- and he sets those aside to find a layer of ramen noodle packages. He’s officially starting to wonder if maybe Shiro and Allura are just messing with him- if there’s absolutely nothing weird in the box at all- but as he moves the noodles aside his jaw drops and he stares in horror at the bottom of the box.

Keith: YOU SENT ME CONDOMS????

Allura: That’s more along the lines of what I was expecting.

Keith: AND SEX BOOKS???????

Shiro: We just want you to be prepared. And safe

Keith: WHAT THE FUCK

Keith: ‘THE ORAL SEX POSITION GUIDE’??????

Keith: ‘SEX MADE EASY’??

Keith: ‘JUST FOR BOYS’????????

Keith: WE’RE TWENTY-FUCKING-ONE! THAT IS A PUBERTY BOOK

Shiro: This is so much better than I was expecting

Allura: Wait until he finds the other thing

Keith: WHAT THE FUCK

Allura: There it is

Keith: IS THIS LUBE

Shiro: Lube is very important. Lube is your friend.

Keith: THERE’S 3 BOTTLES

Allura: One of them’s plain and the other two are different flavors

Keith: WHAT THE FUCK

Keith: I’M NEVER TALKING TO EITHER OF YOU EVER AGAIN

Shiro: Keith nooooo

Allura: Shiro maybe this was a mistake. Maybe we shouldn’t have sent them

Allura: We definitely should have waited until we were there to see the look on his face

Keith: FIND A NEW BEST MAN FOR YOUR WEDDING

Keith throws his phone down on the couch and fists a hand in his bangs, keeping them out of his face. He knows he’s blushing like mad but he can’t do anything except stare wide-eyed at the box sitting on his coffee table. His heart is racing and his legs are shaking with the nerves of pent-up energy. He needs to do something to burn off all of the extra heat his face is putting off.

He stands up and takes a few steps towards the door before stopping and turning around to sit on the couch again. He takes a deep breath and then starts putting everything else that was in the box away in it’s proper place. He’s splitting the socks up into a pile for Lance and a pile for himself when it occurs to him that there’s really not a point in it since Lance will probably end up stealing all of them whenever he gets cold anyway.

Of course thinking of Lance in his dorm immediately draws his attention back to the remaining items in the box on his coffee table and he’s sure that if anyone were around they’d call him ridiculous for glaring at an inanimate object.

A door slams loudly somewhere down the hall, snapping him out of his muddled thoughts and he sighs agitated before quickly grabbing the box and shoving it under his bed, mumbling about how stupid the whole thing is as he does.

The next day he does a pretty good job of pretending nothing happened- out of sight, out of mind. If Shiro and Allura hadn’t texted him when he woke up asking if he was still upset he would have forgotten about it for most of the day probably.

Aside from that, everything goes smoothly and Keith finds himself sitting in his last class of the day pleasantly surprised at how fast it’s gone by. Usually he’d be excited because he gets to see Lance at their weekly study session in the library but that won’t happen today so he’s not sure how he’s going to spend the rest of his afternoon.

“And to sum up the introduction to the new unit I’ve got a clip I want you guys to watch,” The professor says. She turns on the projector and walks back to her office to get her laptop.

The screen brings up the homepage for the college website and Keith glances over it while she types something in the address bar. “You guys don’t have to take notes on this since it’s just a heads up for what we’ll be going over but if I hear any of you trying to act surprised later I’m going to have your heads.”

Keith barely hears her. His eyes have caught on a link to an article on the side, usually saved for relevant and current events around campus.

‘Campus Security to Crack Down on Traffic Violations After Student is Involved in Near Fatal Accident.’

Keith stares.

The picture attached to the article link could be any blue car, mangled and on it’s side, but it’s not.

Keith knows that car. Keith has been in the passenger seat of that car, windows down, and music loud. Keith has laughed in that car, eaten burgers in that car, spilled milkshakes in that car. Keith has made out with the owner of that car in the back seat.

Keith stares and stares until the room feels too small. The air feels too heavy, too hot. His heartbeat in his ears is too loud. He blinks and it feels like his eyes stay shut for hours and when he opens them again he wonders if maybe they did because people are filing out of the room but he doesn’t remember seeing or hearing any of the video they just watched.

He stands up and grabs his backpack and trudges back to his dorm dazed. He drops his bag by the door and then flops into the chair at his desk. He doesn’t know how long he sits there, or how long he goes between breaths but eventually he heaves a shaky sigh, opens his laptop and brings up the college’s website.

He consciously takes several deep, deliberate breaths and stares at the link.

There’s no way the article isn’t about Lance. From the timing and the title, to the fact that it’s literally his car in the picture, everything points to this being an article about the day his soulmate almost died and Keith feels every nerve in his body shake with anxiety.

He knows he probably shouldn’t, but he wants to read the article- wants to find out from an unbiased source how bad it really was. He’s not stupid, he knows Lance spared him a lot of the details and played it down, and he appreciates that. But he’s tired of not knowing what really happened. He’s tired of having no idea what Lance is going through- has been through.

He knows Lance had Leukemia and survived it. He knows Lance was in a car accident and survived it.

He doesn’t know the extent of the effect those two things have had on Lance. He doesn’t know how Lance handles it. He doesn’t know how to help Lance if he can’t handle it.

So he takes a deep breath and clicks on the Link. The page opens and a video at the top of the screen starts playing automatically.

‘Altea Tech, a prestigious school known for the success stories of it’s students, almost became known for the tragedy of a life lost too soon a few short weeks ago,’ the woman on screen begins.

Keith grimaces. “Like the last few weeks haven’t been some of the longest of my life,” he mutters.

‘The school is famous for it’s excellent curriculum, beautiful campus, and safe and pleasant environment, but a lapse in security was recently discovered after one of it’s students was hit by a car behind one of the art buildings on campus. The following footage may be upsetting to some.’

The screen cuts to some security footage taken from a street camera and Keith feels a sick sensation settling in his stomach as he recognizes Lance’s car parked on the side of the road.

‘The student was getting out of his car when another vehicle, going well over the speed limit, came around the corner and crashed into him.’

On screen Keith watches Lance, unsuspecting Lance, open his door and step one foot out of his car, and he’s torn between shouting a worthless warning, staring in horror, and closing his eyes. Before he can make a decision a truck tears around the corner and crashes into Lance’s car, which in turn crashes into Lance. Bile rises up in his throat and he physically flinches and turns away before he can see Lance thrown across the road like a rag doll.

‘The driver of the truck and the student are okay now, though both suffered many physical injuries, and much of the damage could have been avoided. Sources say that most people don’t adhere to the speed limit signs in that area of campus and many get by without a ticket or even being stopped. The scarcity of security presence in the area combined with the inadequate number of traffic cameras creates a sense of security for people who bend the rules and as a result it was an alarming five minutes before anyone found the accident and called for help.’

Keith shoots his eyes back to the screen at that and he stares in horror at the person on the ground, at Lance on the ground, unmoving and unnoticed as the time stamp in the corner is fast forwarded. Finally someone runs onto the screen and crouches next to Lance, and Keith has never felt the urge to track someone down and send them flowers more in his entire life.

‘Thank God for you, whoever you are,’ Keith thinks. The person holds Lance’s hand and smoothes his hair back and Keith can’t tell if either of them are talking, can’t even tell if Lance is awake, but watching someone else be there for Lance at such an intense moment, a moment that he had no idea was happening, is painful. He’s on the verge of crying by the time the paramedics show up on screen and then wheel Lance away in an ambulance.

‘Again, the two people injured in the accident are on their ways to swift and full recoveries but the Dean of the school and the head of security will both be going over the surveillance in the area to see what can be done to avoid further incidents like this and prevent something worse from happening.”

The video ends after that and Keith takes a minute to breathe before he skims through the article underneath. It doesn’t say anything that the video didn’t, there’s no mention of anyone’s name, nothing about what happened to the guy in the truck, just reassurances that the school will make sure nothing like this happens again and Keith can’t help but feel a little bitter.

Of course they wait until something horrible happens to do something about it.

Of course they wait until someone almost dies.

The thought pours over him like a microburst, leaving him cold and sweaty. This isn’t the first time Lance has almost died and he shudders.

The idea that Lance could have died before they even met terrifies him and he can admit to himself, though, only himself, that he’s woken up from a few nightmares where he suffers through life never knowing who his soulmate was, only that they were there and then they weren’t.

But the idea that Lance could have left him a few weeks ago, after so little time together, in such a horrifyingly familiar way, eats at him- keeps him awake some nights. He’s had more than enough nightmares about crunching metal and squealing tires on pavement for one lifetime and the stakes in those dreams are impossibly higher now than they used to be.

He slouches back in his seat and stares at the wall. He feels tired, emotionally drained, and he knows if he doesn’t get up and move he’ll fall asleep. Given the state of his emotions right now, that’s not something he’s keen on so he gets up, turns off his laptop and heads for the shower.

He takes a minute under the flow of the water to look over the scars on his body- the one’s that aren’t his. The needle pricks in his elbows, so faint he can barely see them, the scars on his chest, still pale pink and purple in places, the small black spots on the back of his hips, they’re all proof that Lance is alive. The newer scars too are a sort of comfort. Sure, he’d prefer they weren’t necessary, but they prove that Lance is alive and well and remarkably resilient all things considered.

Keith takes a deep breath and deeper comfort in that fact.

Lance is alive. They’re both alive and healthy. They’re also both a bit of a mess but they’ll get through that eventually.

By the time Keith steps out of the shower he feels much better- calmer and more collected. He puts on his pajamas, the fact that it’s only three o’clock be damned, and rubs his towel over his hair until it stops dripping before he checks his phone.

From The Family Emergency: Is the door to your dorm unlocked?

To The Family Emergency: Yes but now I’m tempted to go lock it.

The reply he gets is instant.

From The Family Emergency: Pls don’t

To The Family Emergency: Why?

From The Family Emergency: You’ll see.

Keith tosses his phone on his bed and debates changing out of his pajamas and into actual clothes since it’s apparent that Lance has something planned, but he decides that if his soulmate wants to be mysterious and spontaneous then he can deal with the consequences and risks that go along with that- moth eaten t-shirts and all.

He pulls his homework out of his backpack and makes camp on his couch while he waits for Lance and he’s well and truly wrapped up in an essay on his opinion of Shakespearean parodies within ten minutes- latest emotional turmoil tossed behind a curtain in the back of his mind.

He’s pursing his lips in thought, torn over how pretentious he’s willing to sound for a grade, when he hears Lance whistling at the end of his hallway. He knows it’s Lance because nobody else on his floor is musically or energetically inclined, especially not this late in the semester, and, really, who else could it be? So Keith sticks his pencil in his notebook, flips the cover closed and slides over to the door in his socks intending to greet Lance pleasantly and ask about his doctor’s appointment like a good boyfriend.

Instead he ends up gaping at the door as it flies open enthusiastically and Lance waltzes in, transitions from whistling to humming and then quickly to singing. He doesn’t seem phased that Keith is staring; he just smoothly sweeps him into his arms and leads him around in some clumsy form of a dance.

“-Ain’t nothin’ gonna break-a my stride- nobody’s gonna slow me down! Oh no- I’ve got to keep on movin!’” He belts and Keith is trying to catch up to the movement and the words and the concern for his still injured boyfriend but Lance is having none of his stumbling protests. “Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride! I'm running and I won't touch ground! Oh no, I got to keep on movin!'”

“What are-”

“You’re on the road and now you pray it lasts. The road behind was rocky! But now you’re feeling cocky!”

“Lance!” Keith laughs, finally deciding that it’s about the only thing he can say without taking concentration away from keeping his feet from tangling together.

Finally Lance stops moving and takes a step back, grinning brightly. “Keith.”

The door slowly swings shut behind them and Keith leans back a few inches until his back meets the wall. “What put you in such a good mood? Did your appointment-” and then it dawns on him. Keith stops and looks down at Lance’s feet, at his leg, and finds nothing but pants and two pairs of tennis shoes, the toes of which are flexing up and down and Keith files the fact that Lance is honest to goodness wiggling his toes at him away for later examination, and instead focuses on the fact that he’s not wearing a boot anymore.

“Did they give you a smaller brace?” Keith looks back up tentatively.

Lance grins wider and shakes his head. “Nope. All clear. No more boots or braces or casts; I’m done.”

Keith stares. “You’re serious?”

“Yep.”

Keith surges up from the wall and pulls Lance’s face down a few inches into a firm kiss. His footing isn’t right- he only realizes this when his back reconnects with the wall with a harsh thump and Lance stumbles a step and a half forward- but he doesn’t care. He slides his hands back into Lance’s hair and presses closer, harder.

Lance puts his hands to Keith’s hips and holds him in place, kisses back just as enthusiastically.

“Finally,” he breathes, and Lance laughs but Keith can’t tell if Lance really knows what he means.

Finally you’re okay.

Finally we can start getting past this.

Finally.

“So I was thinking,” Lance starts but Keith interrupts him with more kisses. Lance indulges him for a moment before trying to speak again. “We could go to that Thai place that we’ve been wanting to try.”

“Later,” Keith kisses him again and boldly hooks one of his legs up around Lance’s hip.

Lance takes a visible mental stumble at that and Keith takes the opportunity of his silence to reconnect their mouths.

“But- I thought we could celebrate.”

He doesn’t sound upset, just really confused- bewildered?- so Keith feels confident enough to roll his hips up deliberately. “That’s the plan.”

Lance’s face goes red, embarrassment and realization blending together in an almost comically shocked expression and Keith is tempted to laugh. Instead he raises an eyebrow innocently. It’s a question not a challenge.

Lance blinks and clears his throat, regains his composure. He leaves one hand where it’s at, thumb idly stroking over Keith’s hip comfortingly above his shirt, and slides the other one up to thread through his hair. “Are you sure?”

Keith nods confidently. “I am. Unless you don’t want to. In which case the Thai place sounds nice.”

Lance laughs and kisses him quickly. “I want to. I just don’t want to rush you. Last time you weren’t ready and that’s okay. It’s still okay if you’re not ready.”

Keith shakes his head. “I’m ready, Lance. I-” he stops and bites his lip, unsure of how to say what he wants to- unsure of if he should say it. “I was so- so scared. I’ve been so scared the last few weeks. Sitting in that cafe with Hunk and Pidge when all of a sudden all of these bruises showed up was,” he inhales shakily. “It was terrifying. I didn’t know what happened, Lance, I thought- I thought…,” he trails off because crying is the last thing he wants to do right now. “I don’t ever want to feel that way again. I don’t ever want to lose you. I found an article about the accident on the school website today and it just dredged everything back up, I guess, and then seeing you okay- finally okay just...”

“You saw that?” Lance interrupts.

“The article? You already knew about it?”

“Of course I know about it. I didn’t tell you about it cause I was worried it’d stress you out.” Lance moves his hand from Keith’s hair to his face, holding eye contact. “I don’t want you to say ‘yes’ to sex because you’re strung out, Keith. I don’t want it to be a decision that you make in the moment and then regret later.”

Keith bristles at that and pointedly drops his own hands from Lance’s hair down to his shoulders. “I don’t want you because I feel this way, Lance! I feel this way because I want you! And when I say that I don’t even just mean sex- I mean everything! I want your horrid taste in pizza and your cavity inducing ice cream preferences and your lame jokes. I want all of it- everything you can give me. I want you and me as far down the road as you’re willing to go and I want to be there for you when you want to stop. I want-” He breaks off and takes a shaky breath to fight back the tears that are in his eyes. “God, Lance, I want you to be happy. I just want to see you happy.”

He starts sliding his leg down from Lances hip because he’d honestly forgotten it was there but now that he’s remembered it he feels incredibly awkward. He knows Lance probably won’t judge him for his outburst but he’ll definitely judge himself and he’d like to make it out of this unplanned heart to heart with minimal embarrassment.

And then suddenly Lance’s hand is on his thigh moving it back in place while his other arm scoops under his other leg and sweeps it out from under him. Keith flails and locks his legs around Lance for balance and before he even starts to fall Lance is moving forward, pressing against him and pinning him to the wall, kissing him soundly all in one dizzyingly disorienting moment.

“Me too,” Lance says when he pulls away. “I want to see you happy.”

“Your leg-” Keith blushes and changes the subject. Did it sound that embarrassing when he said it?

“It’s fine.” He adjusts his grip on the bottoms of Keith’s thighs and hoists him up a bit so he’s looking up at him. “I want you too, Keith- everything you have. If you really want to have sex right now then I’m ready.”

Keith pauses and looks down at Lance, at the blatantly clear emotion in his eyes, and he’s helpless against the smile that pulls at his lips. “I really want to have sex right now,” he laughs breathlessly.

Lance grins and kisses him. “Okay.” He ducks his head and buries his face in Keith’s neck, trails kisses across his skin and rocks his hips forward into Keith’s and it’s- right. It’s grounding and energizing and it leaves Keith feeling emotionally light.

He tilts his head back and runs his fingers through Lance’s hair and does his best to reciprocate without throwing him off balance. “Hey can we-” he cuts himself off with a sigh.

“Hm?” Lance kisses him briefly and then pulls back to give Keith his full attention.

“Can we move to the bed? Healed or not, you’ve still spent the last month and a half without using your leg and I don’t want to strain you… or get dropped.”

Lance pouts but slowly releases Keith’s legs and holds him steady by his waist as gets his feet beneath him again. “I wouldn’t drop you.”

Keith smiles and laces his fingers together with Lance’s. “You wouldn’t mean to drop me.” He leads him over to the bed and lets Lance sit down first before straddling his lap. “We can fuck up against a wall after you’ve done leg day with Hunk a couple times.”

“Can we do it before that if you’re the one doing the fucking?”

Keith blanches and resists the urge to bury his face in Lance’s shoulder to hide. “You can’t just say things like that!”

“How is what I said any different than what you said?” Lance’s grin is the definition of cheeky. “Also that’s not a ‘no.’”

Keith grumbles and pulls his shirt over his head, more out of the need for something to do than a desire to take it off. “Fine. I will fuck you against a wall.”

“Yay!” he says childishly. He lets his gaze rake over Keith’s exposed torso and Keith tries not to fidget too much.

Lance’s eyes get caught on something and he looks down to see what he’s staring at. He feels his stomach flip when he realizes he’s staring at the scars on his chest- the ones that belong to Lance. He sort of feels self conscious but quickly tells himself that that’s stupid- it’s not like Lance didn’t know they were there.

Lance slowly brings his fingers to the scars and lightly traces over them. Keith jolts, feels even more stupid for that because he had literally watched Lance’s hand move the whole way, and feels his pulse flutter at the feather-light touch.

“They’re flat,” Lance says. He sounds surprised and finally looks back to Keith’s face for the first time since seeing the scars.

Keith reaches forward, touches Lance’s chest where he knows the scars are under his shirt, and then trails his hand down to his hem and tugs lightly.

Lance bites his lip and reaches behind him to pull his shirt over his head. “This got heavy real fast, huh?”

Keith doesn’t say anything. He lifts his hand to touch the scars but hesitates and looks to Lance for permission. There’s a weight in the air, not quite reverence, but close, and Lance nods.

The scars are rough. Keith couldn’t tell just by looking but now he can feel every bump and divot and Lance’s surprise at the lack of texture on Keith’s own scars makes sense. He leans down and presses a kiss to the largest scar before he can second guess himself, and Lance shivers. Taking the reaction as a good sign, he lightly scrapes his teeth over the skin around it. He can hear Lance’s breath catch and he smiles.

“Sensitive?”

Lance lets out a shaky laugh. “That whole area was covered up for ten months, of course it’s going to be a little sensitive.”

“Still?”

“How many people do you think I let touch that part of-Keith!” Lance squeaks when Keith bites over the scar.

Keith rests his head on Lance’s shoulder and laughs. “A ‘little’ sensitive?”

Lance sputters something unintelligible and Keith sits up and finds him very wide-eyed and very red-faced. “Holy shit,” he breathes before a triumphant grin takes over his face. “You liked that.”

“N-no! I-”

“Lance, I am literally sitting on your dick right now. You can’t lie to me about this,” Keith wiggles his hips to make his point and Lance lets out a strangled noise.

“Keith!”

Keith grins and does it again only for Lance to grip his hips and flip them so that Keith is lying on his back and he’s hovering over him. “Okay,” he says, still blushing a little. “So apparently I like biting. You’re probably into some embarrassingly weird stuff too.”

Keith hums and thinks for a moment, “Besides you?”

Lance blinks and shakes his head. “Wow. How dare you? I am shocked and appalled, frankly. I’m even more shocked and appalled at the fact that you saying that doesn’t make me want to suck your dick any less.”

And isn’t that a nice thought.

“Lance, I want you to know that I will never try to stop you from doing what you want to do.”

Lance laughs. “How kind of you.”

“No problem. Now just seems like a good time to tell you that I will wholeheartedly support you in your endeavors.”

“Specifically my endeavors that end with your dick in my mouth?”

“Especially those endeavors.”

Lance laughs and kisses him. “You’re incorrigible.”

“That is a five syllable word. Who breaks out five syllable words in the middle of sex?”

Lance pops the button on Keith’s jeans and drags the zipper down. “Technically we’re not having sex yet. Also who counts the syllables of words in the middle of almost sex?”

Keith blinks and tries to come up with an answer, an effort which is abruptly put on hold because Lance puts his mouth on him and it’s very distracting in the best way possible. “Holy shit!” he gasps, tangling his fingers in his sheets.

He can’t be certain because there are a lot of things going on at the moment, but he’s pretty sure Lance laughs.

It doesn’t take long before it starts feeling like too much too fast and he grips Lance’s shoulders, torn between pulling him closer and pushing him off. “Lance- Lance stop. I can’t-”

Lance sits up quickly and looks at him for any sign of something wrong. “What? No good?”

Keith shakes his head and tries to catch his breath. “Great. But if you want to get to any actual sex you gotta stop because I’m not gonna last.”

Lance blinks and an endearing flush comes to his cheeks. “Shit,” he mutters. “Yeah okay.” He fumbles with pulling Keith’s pants and boxers the rest of the way off and then he suddenly stops. “Shit! Lube, Keith. I don’t have any- We don’t even have a condom! We can’t-”

“Take your pants off. Now.” Keith practically launches himself over the edge of the bed and fumbles for the box he’d stuck underneath it yesterday. He will definitely not be telling Shiro and Allura how conveniently timed the arrival of their gift was. He grabs the first foil packet he sees and the closest bottle of Lube and sits back up to shove the items into Lance’s hands who is, impressively, already out of his pants and boxers.

Both of his eyebrows shoot up close to his hairline and his gaze flicks between Keith, the box, and the items that came from it. “Um.”

“Don’t ask.”

“Keith, you just handed me a neon purple condom and blue raspberry flavored lube and you’re telling me I’m not allowed to ask questions?”

Keith reaches for the bottle. “Blue raspberry- why is that a thing?!”

“Why is it under your bed?!” Lance cries.

“It’s Shiro and Allura’s fault!”

Lance drops the bottle and looks horrified. “What?!”

“Fuck! No! Not like that!” Keith puts his head in his hands. “They sent me a care package yesterday. There was a bunch of sex stuff in the bottom.”

“That’s what-”

“Do not.”

Lance laughs. “Okay. Well,” he gently pulls Keith’s hands away from his face. “Now that I know we will not be using your brother’s lube to have sex I feel much less opposed to getting on with it.” He presses a quick kiss to one of Keith’s hands. “If you’re still up for it.”

Keith huffs a laugh as well. “How are you still hard after all of that?”

Lance shrugs. “Probably because it’s you.”

Keith feels his heart trill at that. “That’s actually really sweet, Lance.”

“I’m actually really sweet, Keith. Thank you for noticing.”

Keith rolls his eyes and lays back on his pillows. “If I weren’t worried about further killing the mood I would call you Sugar but I’m not sure my boner would survive it.”

“Aw come on, don’t sell yourself short.” Lance uncaps the lube but has to stop and laugh while Keith groans at his joke before he pours some on his fingers. “Really though I think it’s a good thing that we can still laugh and talk. It’d be pretty awkward otherwise.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Lance hums and warms the lube between his fingers. “Ready?”

Keith nods.

“Tell me if it hurts?”

“Okay.”

It’s a little awkward at first. Lance is shaky from nerves and Keith is tense but they figure it out eventually and soon Lance is rolling on the condom and squeezing more lube from the bottle.

“Okay. Are you sure you’re ready?”

“I’m sure, Lance. I wouldn’t have said I was ready if I wasn’t. Believe me I don’t want this to hurt anymore than you do.”

Lance nods. “Right.” He reaches for Keith’s hips, stops and looks at all of the lube covering his hand, and grabs one of their shirts off the floor to use as a towel. “Okay.”

“Hey.” Keith smiles when Lance stops and looks up at him. “No stress okay?”

Lance smiles and laces one of his hands together with Keith’s, leaving the other on his hip. “No stress.”

And then he pushes in and Keith forgets how to breathe, but it’s not terrifying like he thought it would be. He feels buzzed, floaty and warm all over and Lance is right there with him, equally breathless, equally as overwhelmed.

It’s perfect.

Their movements aren’t timed perfectly and they bump noses and knock their teeth together but Lance never lets go of his hand, never stops saying his name and-

It’s perfect.

When they’re done and Keith can finally feel his extremities again he turns on his side to find Lance looking at him with a dopey blissed out smile on his face and he giggles- honest to goodness giggles- at the expression.

“You look happy,” he says and reaches for his hand to lace their fingers together again.

“I feel happy,” Lance says. He leans over Keith to give him a slow, lazy kiss and then flops his head back onto the pillow.

Keith grins and thinks back on how a few months ago, he was too nervous to change clothes around Lance, too overwhelmed to do much more than kissing. He thinks about seeing Lance in the hospital and feels something growing in his chest. It’s not panic, not even close. It feels more like determination.

He’s grown so much since then.

He bites his lip, taking his time to put his words in order. “I…”

“Hm?” Lance smiles at him, free and easy, and it builds on Keith’s resolve.

“I want to tell you I love you,” he starts. “But I don’t want you to think I’m only saying it because we just had sex.”

Lance sits up a little bit and looks down at him. “Are you only saying it because we just had sex?”

“No.”

“Then I won’t think that.”

It’s so simple. It’s so reassuringly simple.

“I love you, Lance.”

Lance’s smile is so soft and so bright and Keith wonders how he made it through twenty-one years of his life without this boy. “I love you too, Keith.”

And that’s that. The world doesn’t tremble, the building doesn’t crumble, the sky doesn’t rain down fire and brimstone.

There’s just Lance and Keith with full hearts and smiling faces and a sense of the promise in the air to get through life together.

“Do you know if the Thai place delivers?” Lance asks after a while and Keith is more surprised that the question doesn’t change anything about the atmosphere in the room than he feels like he should be.

“It does but one of us would still have to get dressed and answer the door.”

Lance groans and lays his head on Keith’s chest. “Darn. How much do you think we’d have to pay Hunk for him to bring us food?”

Keith rolls his eyes. “I will put on clothes and answer the door if you call and order the food.”

Lance gasps and sits up enough to kiss his nose. “Keith?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

Keith smiles and lets the giddy feeling in his stomach take over and spread through his chest to the rest of his limbs. He hopes he never gets used to hearing Lance say that. “I love you too.”