Archive of Our Own ^beta

"I'm trusting you with my boy, Lance," Dad said sternly.

Keith groaned, burying his face in his palms.

"Don't worry, King Kogane. I'll keep him safe. You'll have him back in one piece, prince's honour." Lance smiled nervously, nodding at Keith's dad.

"You'd better," Acxa interjected, sticking a finger in Lance's chest. 

"Don't worry," Lance tried, laughing a little. It was out of nerves, Keith knew. But that didn't mean his family knew.

"Don't you dare laugh, she means it," Krolia called from the doorway.

"Mom!" Keith screeched, a pleading look on his face. "Can you please not?"

"I'm just saying." Krolia shrugged, coming over to pat his cheeks. "Be safe, both of you."

Lance nodded once more and turned to Keith, offering his hand. In the three weeks they had been courting, Lance had never done anything to Keith without asking. It took him two and a half weeks alone to kiss Keith on the cheek. And even before that, he had always asked before engaging in any physical or intimate contact. Keith wasn't sure exactly how he felt about that- Lance had been so much more intimate in the few hours Keith had known him that night on the roof than he had been in the past three weeks. And if he was being perfectly honest, he missed that. He missed the clumsy, knuckle-knocking handholding and the cuddling beneath a blanket strewn over both their shoulders and kissing injuries better on a cot in the infirmary.

Lance seemed to be holding back. He wasn't any less loving, but at the same time he wasn't nearly as affectionate as he had been. It was so ironic that Lance was more intimate before they were actually courting.

Keith was snapped out of his thoughts by his friend, Pidge, honking the horn of the ship they were using for travel.

"Can you guys hurry up? Please? I don't want to be late for once in our lives!" Pidge complained loudly. Keith winced a little. He had known Pidge since they were seven. They had gone to the same private school, found each other, and stuck together for the rest of their time there.

"Get moving now," Krolia smiled a little, giving Keith a little push. He looked back at her a little helplessly. She shook her head and looked at his dad fondly. 

It was then that Keith realized that Lance was still standing there awkwardly with his hand out. He quickly took it and mouthed goodbye over his shoulder. They were walking for only a few ticks before something slammed into Keith's legs from behind. He yelped, caught off guard, and flailed a little as Lance, also caught off guard, held fast to his hand and quickly maneuvered to catch Keith lest he lost his balance.

Of course, Keith lost his balance. Lance caught him in his arms, dipping him, but stumbled around precariously. He caught his balance after a few ticks and let out a sigh of relief.

"That was close," he said jokingly, freckles bathing his face in a baby blue light.

A woof sounded through the night air and Lance was suddenly thrown forward by some impact that Keith couldn't see. He stumbled once more, and, unable to catch his balance, fell forward. Keith scrabbled at his shirt frantically, trying to gain some sort of grip but only succeeded in dragging Lance down further. 

The breath was knocked out of Keith's lungs as his back hit the ground. One of Lance's arms were stuck underneath his body, twisted in an awkward position while the other was trapped between both their chests, fingers still intertwined. Keith groaned a little, trying to breath at a normal pace. He could feel Lance's hot breath on his ear as the other prince panted. It made his stomach do flip flops, and Keith thanked the gods when the Altean shakily got to his feet and extended a hand to Keith, who accepted gratefully. 

"Are you okay, love?" he asked lowly. Keith nodded, brushing some dust off his pants. 

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Lance insisted, and Keith took his hand once more to silence him, smiling reassuringly.

"I'm sure."

"Alright. I'm trusting you, samurai. Now, what the quiznak knocked us down?" 

Keith sighed, gaze travelling to a few feet away where a mass of black, silver, and blue fur was sitting, mouth stretched into that wolfish sort of smile that only a star wolf could achieve.

"That would be Yorak." He turned fully to the wolf, whistling and patting his knees. "Yorak, come here."

Dad leaned against the doorway and watched as Yorak padded over to Keith, tail wagging so fast it was a blur.

"Ah, did I neglect to mention that you'd be taking Yorak with you?" he said casually, stretching. Keith glared at him as he scratched Yorak's ears.

"Is this really necessary?"

"Yes it is. Think of him as your chaperone."

"My wolf is my chaperone. My quiznaking wolf is my chaperone. My life has officially reached an all time low," Keith grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Lance laughed, reaching down and scooping up the wolf in his arms. Keith was vaguely impressed- lifting the wolf was a feat that even he had yet to achieve. Either Keith needed to work out more, or they needed to put Yorak on a diet.

"It's not so bad," Lance cooed in a baby voice, cradling the wolf like it was an infant. "He can tag along if he wishes. Look at him, darling- he's such a good boy! When was the last time Keith took you out for a special night?"

Yorak barked twice, obviously enjoying the special treatment. Lance looked at Keith accusingly.

"Really? Keith, you villain!" he exclaimed melodramatically. "He says you've had him for three years and you've only taken him out on a special night twice! Yorak and I are insulted. That's a lovely name, by the way." He winked at the wolf in question, scratching his stomach. "It suits you."

"Fun fact- my mom was going to name me Yorak, but Dad had some common sense and suggested Keith. And it's not like I don't walk him, Lance."

"I'm calling you Yorak from now on, starlight."

"I'm going to leave without you two!" Pidge shouted from the ship. Keith knew that she had no qualms with doing just that. "We are late and Matt is taking the liberty of sending me photos of the techno system there! I'm taking off in ten seconds and I don't care if you are on here or not!"

Lance laughed once more- a beautiful sound, Keith thought- and put down the wolf, only to grin wolfishly at Keith. 

"Hold on."

He grabbed Keith by the legs and somehow managed to get him on his shoulders. Keith shrieked and looped his arms around Lance's neck, praying that the other man would not suddenly drop him. His grip tightened as Lance bent down to pick up Yorak, cradling him again.

"7, 6-" Pidge called, annoyed, only to be cut off by Lance.

"We're on our way!" Lance whooped and Keith feared for his life as he started sprinting at an inhumane speed, never once stumbling or losing his balance. 

He was stronger than Keith had initially assumed. Keith wasn't sure whether that aroused him or impressed him, but it made something in his gut flip flop again. He decided that he was pissed off just because.

Lance reached the ship in the nick of time, literally diving through the doors just as they closed and still managing not to drop anyone. He carefully put Yorak down, who turned around three times and lay down to sleep, and then let Keith slide off his back.

"That was uncalled for." Keith pouted. "Yorak is fucking tubby, Lance. How the hell did you manage to carry him and me at the same time?"

"I work out, love," Lance said as if it was obvious, sounding quizzical. "How else?"

"I mean- I never- I didn't- oh, be quiet, Lance!" Keith huffed, embarrassed at how flustered he was. So his- boyfriend? Courter? Person, he decided. Person. So his person was incredibly strong and equally oblivious about it. Not to mention humble. So he did what any intelligent Galra would have done- he kissed Lance's cheek quickly and glared at him so hard he was sure he was going to bore holes in Lance's head.

The Altean sputtered for a moment and spun around on his heel, sprinting into the cockpit where Pidge was piloting. 

It confused him. Lance confused him. Of course he knew how he felt about his person- he loved him. It was only a month but Lance had stayed in love with him for six phoebs... or so he had said.

Maybe it was stupid of him, but some small irrational part of Keith suspected that maybe Lance had fallen out of love with him over the course of the past phoebs. That would maybe explain why he wasn't as affectionate.

But he had given him the earring. It was the same earring that Keith had put on a chain and worn around his neck every day for the past seven phoebs. It was Lance's promise to him.

That as long as you will, I will remember you. I will stay in love with you. I will never cease to care for you as much as I do in this very moment.

It was from a trip to Takashi Shirogane's planet, Earth. I am half-human, half-Altean. My ears? Well, they change on and off, I guess. Sometimes pointy, sometimes not. But my point is... it is a reminder to me that pieces of me are from all over this universe. And now, one of them lies with you. 

Keith remembered the way Lance's hand had crept towards his chest and rested there, palm flat and fingers splayed.

"My heart."

Keith gave himself a little shake. He shouldn't think like this. Instead he decided to sit down, listening as Lance tried to lighten Pidge's mood up in the cockpit. He felt a presence next to him and warily turned his head. Hunk was sitting there, absentmindedly scratching the next of a dozing Yorak.

"You're worried about you two," he said. It was not a question, nor an accusation. It was a gentle statement, full of understanding and sympathy.

Keith nodded slowly.

"What specifically?" Hunk pressed carefully.

Keith considered. "I'm afraid he doesn't love me anymore. We only knew each other for a few phoebs that night... I'm afraid that six months was to long to wait, or that maybe he didn't know what he was talking about. Or that I was so desperate that I leapt like a love-sick puppy when he told me he loved me."

"Let me tell you something, Keith," Hunk said kindly, turning to fully face Keith. "I don't know you very well. I know Lance like I know my own mind. You will never find another person as trusting or as kind as he is... or as loving. He's a flirt, but only because he's insecure. When you agreed to court him after six phoebs, he came to me first and told me, I didn't think he'd want me. He could have had anyone in this universe and he chose me. It feels too good to be true."

"Really?" Keith whispered. "I... what?"

"That night of the meeting, I was there with my family. Lance kept coming to me to rant about you, you know that? About how handsome and adorable and sophisticated and cute the Galran prince was. Keith, Lance flirts so much but he loves so few. And when he met you, I knew he fell for you the moment he watched that gladiator malfunction and attack you. I've only see Lance get the way he did a few times. And you know what else he said? He came to me with his head bowed and, Keith? I had never heard colder, steelier determination such as what I heard in his voice when he said to me, this one's mine."

Keith said nothing. He was trying to prevent his heart from lodging itself in his throat.

When he calmed himself, he managed to croak out, "Lance said that? About me?"

Hunk chuckled, picking at a hangnail on his thumb. "You wouldn't believe. All six phoebs he talked about you and didn't look at one other person. And believe me, there were people to look at. His ex kept coming back to hook up and every single time he turned her away. Lance is a... character, to say the least. But believe me when I say that his love for you is more infinite than the stars in the sky. His words, by the way, not mine." Hunk smiled at Keith, cheeks lifting with the gesture. 

And Keith found himself smiling back.

They arrived to the party only ten minutes late because Pidge sped and broke nearly every interspace highway regulation. Keith insisted they assign a new designated driver after they got off. They voted Hunk, because he was the least likely to get drunk in the case that there was alcohol at the party.

Matt met them at the door grinning, a glass of punch in each hand.

"I was beginning to wonder where you losers were! You're missing the party- take this. I don't know what recipe for punch this is, but damn is it addictive. Cute wolf, by the way. Also, do you think that that cute girl over there is checking me out?" He passed off one of the glasses to Lance, who briefly inspected it and then shrugged, gulping carelessly.

"I don't know. Why don't you go take a chance? You might get lucky," he offered, draining the glass. "This punch is amazing. Why can't we replace nunvil with whatever this is?"

"Maybe because it looks shady and you shouldn't consume anything but peanut butter, energy drink, and the blood and tears of your enemies," Pidge retorted.

"Edgy much?"

"Shut it, Garrett. The Olkari know things, which means I know things." She paused, surveying them and adjusting her glasses. As if they didn't get it, she added, "You know, because I'm an Olkari."

"Wow, Pidge, as if the green skin and giant ears weren't enough to give it away." Keith rolled his eyes as Pidge flipped him off. It was no secret that she was proud of her heritage as one of the most intelligent aliens in the galaxy and equally as proud of her profound bond with nature. 

"Shut up, purple-skinned and fluffy-eared," she shot back, and Keith's hands shot up to his face. He was undergoing what his mother deemed normal for Galran halfbreeds- when their alien genetics overpowered their human ones. His father was the first human to share the throne, but it was his mother who was the Empress, and nobody dared cross her. The Empire both feared and respected her.

But that was besides the point. The point was that Keith was growing purple fur and fluffy ears. Acxa had been lucky enough to inherit more Galra genes than human ones. Whether or not she would slowly transform into a human was beyond him, but some part of him hoped she did. It was only fair.

"Don't talk to him like that," Lance snapped out of nowhere, his hand on Keith's shoulder. "You may be his best friend but he's going through a lot of changes right now and doesn't deserve to be spoken to like that-" 

Yorak's fur bristled and he growled lowly, yipping. Keith dropped a hand to tangle in his fur, which helped calm him down some.

"Lance, calm down," HUnk intervened quickly. "Pidge was just joking, come on-"

"Be that as it may, Hunk, Pidge has no right to ridicule him for something that's entirely natural-" Lance's nostrils flared, eyebrows high up in his hairline. Keith put a reassuring hand on his wrist.

"Lance, it's fine. Pidge and I ridicule each other all the time. You don't need to jump to my defense every time. It's not like I don't tease her whenever I get the chance."

His person looked scrutinizingly at the smaller girl, whose eyebrows were drawn together but had her hands out in front of her in a defensive stance. 

"Pidge," Matt, who had been silent throughout the entire exchange, spoke up. "Apologize to Keith."

"What? But we tease each other all the time-"

"You might, but you should apologize and put this behind you all. Then we can go have some fun. It's scorching out here." Matt picked at a loose thread on his gloves.

"Ugh- fine. I'm sorry, Keith," she grumbled reluctantly.

"No need to apologize, pidgeon," Keith smiled, rumpling her hair. 

"Don't fucking touch me. Traitor." 

"I have your fake I.D."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

Keith sat at a table, running his index over the rim of his glass of punch. It was a bit sweet for his taste, so he was only on his second glass after a couple of hours. He sipped it carefully and surveyed the crowd of people who were grinding and dancing on the dance floor. It was much like that night on the roof, only he was enjoying it significantly more. Pidge had gone off to hack the techno system a while back, Matt was dancing somewhere with that girl (ugh, heterosexuals), and Hunk and Lance had disappeared a while back. Hunk had left his pack with Keith. As for Lance, Keith wasn't worried- he trusted Hunk. He only had Yorak with him, and that was fine. For the time being, he was rather enjoying the tranquility. 

Or at least he was until his phone rang. Yorak lazily lifted his head from his position on the floor and whined.

He dug it out of his fanny pack. It was Hunk.

"What do you need?"

"Some douche smashed a plate of houer d'oevures on his shirt." The eye roll was tangible through the voice call. "I packed a spare shirt for him because reasons. I'm always prepared, so don't ask. Can you bring it to me? We're in the restroom."

"'Course. Be right there"

He hung up and Keith turned to dig through Hunk's pack. There was a lot in there- protein bars, water pouches, an engineers' manual, an instant camera, etc., etc. Keith finally found the shirt after much, much digging and tugged it out triumphantly. Tucking it under his arm, he roused Yorak and found his way to the bathroom where Hunk was trying to mop a squished, gooey mess of Lance's shirt.

"Keith! Thank goodness you're here. You get him to change into this and meet me outside."

"Wait- Hunk! I can't- we haven't- I haven't- why can't you do it?!" he asked desperately, flushing. He and Lance were nowhere near removing clothing of any sort around each other. 

But Hunk was already out the door.

"You're the best, Keith!"

Keith gulped and looked at Lance, who was staring at the front of his shirt with an aloof look.

"Hey, Lance. Look, I have a shirt for you since that one's a mess. Can you change into this for me?" He held out the light blue button down. Lance looked at him and his face broke out into a grin.

"Hey! That shirt's my- my faaaaav'rite colour. It's blue!" 

"Are you alright?"

Lance gasped loudly, leaning down. "Is that a puppy?! He's soo-" he hiccupped, then continued talking. "-cute! Can I pet him? Please? He looks so fluffy and he's glowin' and ev'rything."

"Only if you let me help you change into this. The punch must have been spiked... you sound drunk off your ass." His fingers trembled as he moved to unbutton Lance's dirty shirt. The Altean's head snapped up and he moved backwards, stumbling a little.

"N-no, don't!"

Keith looked at him quizzically. "That shirt looks filthy, Lance."

"It's not that." The blue eye boy regarded him. "I have a- hic- boooyfriend." 

Keith was sure his heart had stopped beating at that very moment.

"I have a boooyfriend," Lance repeated dreamily. "And he's beaut'ful. He has ugly hair, though."

"I'm pretty sure your boyfriend's hair is just fine!" Keith defended.

"Well, I say boyfriend," Lance continued. "But I'm-a courtin' him so I really don' know what he wants me t' call 'im... but- but I love him soooo much.... he has big purple eyes and a scar on his cheek and he's the most gooorgeous Galra prince in the entire gal'xy. He looks kinda like you, actually, except you're p'rple an' fluffy.... weeeeird..."

"Lance-"

"I wanna marry~ him someday, y'know that? I wanna give him the best life but I'm scared t' tell 'im that." Lance's face suddenly fell. "I'm scared he's gonna leave me because he fines' someone better." He hiccuped once more. It didn't sound like a drunk hiccup. It sounded vaguely familiar to how someone would hiccup if they were going to cry... 

Lance's shoulders started shaking silently and Keith panicked. He did not sign up for this.

"Lance, it's me. I'm your boyfriend. It's me, Keith? Your boyfriend? I'm courting you... come here, Lance. It's me." Keith had dropped to his knees and was cradling Lance gently, repeating the words like a chant until they registered in Lance's boggled mind.

"Keeeeith?" Lance looked up at him, sniffling, and blinked twice. Then he brightened. "Keith! It's you!"

"Yeah, yeah. It's me."

"It's you," Lance said again.

"Lance, listen to me. I love you. And I will never get tired of you or find someone better, hear me? I chose you because I love you."

"I looooooooooove you, Keithy~"

Keith felt blood rushing to his cheeks. "I love you too. Now change your shirt, huh?"

Hunk was waiting outside the bathroom. He was holding something in his hand- a bottle of pills.

"This should take the edge of drunkenness off in just a few minutes," he explained.

Lance, who had been virtually spooning from behind Keith as they walked, lifted his head from the nape of Keith's neck and blanched. 

"I don't wanna take that! It- it looks grooooss, Hunk!"

"I have an idea," Keith whispered. He quickly stole a pill from the bottle when Lance's gaze was averted and popped it into his mouth. Then he turned to his person and slung his arms around his neck, batting his eyelashes a little for good measure.

He leaned his head in and caught a glimpse of Lance's Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

"Lance..."

"Do you want me to kiss you?" the Altean whispered. Keith nodded, stifling a giggle. Lance leaned in and their lips connected. It was an amazing kiss.... until Keith slipped the pill into Lance's mouth with his tongue. He broke off from the contact, pinching Lance's nose gently.

"Swallow."

Lance looked at him, betrayed.

"Please?"

Lance harrumphed but swallowed the pill anyway. 

"That wasn't faaaair, Keith..." The drunkenness was still there a little, but Keith could see it fading. Maybe he was scared, maybe drunk Lance was braver than sober Lance, maybe drunk Lance was more honest and open and Keith was scared of losing what they had developed between themselves, but he leaned forward and cupped Lance's face between his hands.

"Be quiet, I'll give you a real kiss if you want."

And, Keith would one day muse as he looked back on that day, it was strange how things worked out. With a kiss that sapped the drunkenness out of them even though only one of them had actually drank deeply, with a long discussion between the two of them that night when they were both fully sober.

Don't shut me out like that.

I'm scared of losing you, I don't want you to think this was a mistake.

It scares me when you don't show that you care. 

I will never leave you.

I can promise the same, love.

It was strange how they walked into the dining hall of the Daibazaal palace holding hands, Keith wearing Lance's favorite jacket and Lance wearing Keith's gloves. It was strange how they giggled and flirted shamelessly in front of Keith's family over breakfast, clumsily knocking their knuckles together when they tried to hold hands under the table and how Keith fed Lance off his own plate for a change.

But most of all, Keith would always remember how Yorak had charged them when they were kissing in the middle of the night club and forced them apart, barking at them like they were supposed to be ashamed of their scandalous behavior.

Fucking chaperone space wolf.