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Voltron Stars🌌, Destroys you in the best way, Why sleep? We have great stories!, You're fermented in my bones, Keith x Lance (VLD)
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Published:
2019-06-07
Completed:
2019-08-19
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5,402
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2/2
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102
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Hidden Panels

Summary:

Lance actually finds the secret panel he was looking for.

Notes:

This is kind of rambling and doesn’t really go anywhere but I wanted a different version of that scene where Lance actually finds a secret passage.

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Keith isn't sure what wakes him but knows better than to brush it off. He blinks bleary eyes in the dim light of the prison cell they've all been stuffed in and it takes him a moment to find what’s out of place. The others are asleep around him, snoring softly. He listens for a beat, trying to figure out what had pulled him into wakefulness. All he can hear is the soft breathing of the others around him. And then he spots a tall figure standing in the corner nearest the call bars, head craned up to stare at the ceiling.

Keith scrubs a fist over his eyes, trying to chase the sleep from them. “Lance?” His voice rasps softly and he swallows. He could really use some water. How long have they been here?

Lance turns his head partially towards Keith, as if looking away from whatever has captured his attention is impossible.

“Hmm?”

Keith groans and sits up. Sleeping on the metal floor with his back against the wall hasn't done him any favors and his body aches.

“What are you doing?” He stands slowly, every part of him complaining at the movement. He steps carefully around the sleeping paladins, his mother, and the Alteans, coming to see what Lance is so enamoured with. He can’t help tugging on the restraints binding his wrists, more out of habit than any belief they’ll give way.

“Please don't tell me you're still looking for hidden panels,” Keith says, tone scathing but Lance ignores the barb. He’s more serious than Keith can remember ever seeing him, a finger stroking over his thumbnail, a nervous habit he can't quite shake. Keith isn’t sure when he noticed.

When Keith comes to a stop beside him Lance lifts his cuffed hands and points into the corner.

“Do you see that?” His voice is soft in the dark, trying not to wake the others. It’s a pitch Keith has never heard before and part of him hates that he makes note of it; the same way he seems to make note of everything Lance does lately.

Twisting his head, Keith tries to crack his neck but only succeeds in making it cramp. He winces.

“I don't see anything,” he grouses.

“That's because you're not looking.” Lance finally looks at Keith and either it's the dim light or their situation but for once Keith takes the bait. He squints and looks where Lance is pointing. After a moment he shakes his head.

“I still don't know what I'm supposed to be seeing,” he mutters, eyes searching the wall.

Lance leans into his space, levelling his pointer finger with Keith's eyes.

“That panel in the corner,” he gestures.

Keith’s gaze finally lands on the slab of metal Lance is pointing out but it looks the same as all the others. He doesn’t understand what’s so special about it.

“What about it?”

“It's slightly more elevated than the others. Look at the shadow under it.” He points to the small lip of shadow under the panel, barely any different than the other pieces of metal used to build the room.

“It’s slightly longer than the others, like it doesn’t fit right.”

“Lance-”

“Yes, I know, it's nothing important,” Lance interrupts before Keith can berate him for being an idiot, “but look at the rest of the room.” He gestures sharply. “The other panels are all relatively uniform, almost like they were put together by a machine. Perfectly balanced, perfectly symmetrical except for that one.”

He points at it irritably before turning to frown at Keith. “Why?” He sounds frustratingly serious, like he really wants an answer.

Keith scowls, pinching at his eyes which are dry and gritty. He's getting a headache. “Does it matter?”

Lance shrugs, the irritation slipping away from his shoulders. “No, but I've got nothing better to do than sit here and count the panels and it's bothering my sense of order.”

He glances back up at the panel before turning back to Keith. “Boost me.”

“Excuse me?”

Lance rolls his eyes. “Look, I'm never going to be able to sleep until I find out why it sticks out like that. Just help me. I can't reach it on my own.”

“It's just a crooked panel,” Keith hisses trying to keep his voice low but quickly losing patience.

“So you've got nothing to lose by letting me poke it,” he shoots back, his voice level and irritatingly reasonable.

Keith lets loose a long-suffering sigh like Lance's request is the greatest inconvenience in the universe before his shoulders slacken.

“How?”

Lance scoots over, stepping as close to the wall as he can and bending his knees. “I need you to crouch like this with your feet apart and your hands above your head. I'm going to step on your leg here,” he taps the top of his own thigh to demonstrate, close to his hip, “and swing my other leg over your shoulder, using your hands to help me balance. Then just stand up and drop your hands so I can get my other leg over your shoulder. Make sense?”

Keith makes a face. “Can't I just cup my hands?”

Lance smiles and straightens. “I mean yeah, if you want a facefull of my crotch we can do it like that.”

In spite of everything Keith flushes and glares at the wall. “Nope, the other one’s fine.”

Lance does his best not to laugh and moves out of the way to let Keith stand where he was.

Despite never having done the lift before they perform it almost seamlessly, Lance briefly losing his balance and having to catch himself against the wall with his hands as Keith stands. He hooks his feet around Keith's waist, Keith's arms folding closely against Lance's legs to keep him stable.

“Now what?” he grumbles, glaring at the metal a few inches from his face.

“Patience,” Lance grumbles, his hands sneaking up the wall to poke at the panel that's been bothering him.

“Huh.” His fingers probe around the edge of the plate where it meets the others.

“What?” Keith snaps, shifting his weight and Lance sways above him.

“The bolts are different,” Lance mutters. He looks down at the top of Keith's head, trying not to shift his weight too far back, thereby unbalancing them both. “Brace yourself, I'm going to push on it, see what happens. I don't want to knock you off balance.”

Keith grumbles something that sounds mildly like consent and Lance's thighs tighten around the back of Keith's head and neck, making him flush. He stubbornly smacks down every inappropriate thought that rises to mind, counting the scratches in the wall for something to do.

Then Lance is pushing against the metal panel, his weight rocking back and Keith has to adjust his stance to counter, arms tightening around Lance’s calves.

There's a brief moment where nothing happens and then Lance is pressing harder and the plate drops back into the wall, a dull click resonating in the room. Lance retracts his hands and metal begins to grind, a portion of the wall a few feet away from them beginning to shift. It falls back to reveal a small passage and Keith's mouth drops open. He stares in mute surprise before glancing up at Lance who’s frowning, hands held loosely in front of him.

“Fuck,” he whispers, a furrow between his brows.

Keith glances between Lance and the wall. That was not the reaction he was expecting.

“You just found an actual hidden panel and that's all you have to say? Shouldn't you be crowing and drawing the attention of everyone within a hundred meters?”

Lance's frown deepens and before Keith can react Lance is pressing the metal slab again, the panel moving seamlessly back into place with another loud grinding that makes them both wince.     Either it’s as loud as they think it is or the silence makes it seem louder.

“Put me down.” Lance slides his legs free from where they're pinned beneath Keith's arms without waiting. Keith rolls his shoulders back, allowing Lance to slide free before he can take Keith down with him. He lands deftly and goes to stare at the wall, poking at the seams where the passage just was, seaking the narrow edge out with his fingers.

“Lance.” Keith says but Lance ignores him. “This is a good thing. We can escape now.” He comes to stand beside Lance as he assesses the wall, staring over his shoulder.

“Can we?”

Keith's face falls. “What's that supposed to mean?”

Lance sighs and straightens. “You're right, we could wake the others and go now. We could find a way off the ship. It could actually be that easy.”

Keith can hear the argument in Lance’s voice, his tone giving rise to a sense of trepidation. “But?”

Lance shrugs, staring at the wall. “But it could be a trap. This could be deliberate. Maybe they put us all in this cell on purpose because really, why would they do that? There’s no reason to keep us together.”

“Maybe one of them is a Blade and they put us in here knowing we would find it,” Keith offers.

Lance nods like he’s giving the thought serious consideration. “It's possible but unlikely. It's not an easy trigger to spot.” Lance shakes his head. “As much as I'd like to say we're clever enough to find something like this,” he gestures up to the trigger, “we aren't.”

“You were.”

Lance glances at Keith out of the corner of his eye but doesn’t say anything and Keith frowns. He never knew Lance to pass up a compliment but this one he blatantly ignores.

“I don't think the Galra know it's here. Did you see the inside of the passage? There was dust and actual cobwebs. That kind of shit doesn't form overnight, especially not in space.” He tugs at his lower lip. “But a secret tunnel inside a Galra cell is suspicious as hell.”

“Maybe the ship was repurposed?” Keith suggests.  

“Like from a smuggling ship?” Lance hums throughtfully. “That's also possible. Might explain the hidden passages and suggest there are others...but it’s a standard Galran design.” He tugs on his lip a sword he thinks. “Unless it was stollen, repurposed, and then taken back by the Galra,” he says idly, starting to pace. “If we're right and the Galra don’t know it's here we would have the element of surprise. We could escape without them any the wiser or we could attack or we could send a scout to clear the way. We still don't know where this goes.” He gestures at the wall with husband bound hands. “It could be a dead end and we’d be waking them all for nothing. They need sleep.”

“And you don’t?”

Lance makes a face, exasperated and flaps his hands. “I’m an insomniac. I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to.”

Keith frowns, shifting his weight irritably. Lance is making this more complicated than it needs to be. “So what do you want us to do?”

Lance shrugs, Keith’s irritation rolling off him like water to a duck. He meets Keith's eyes boldly.

“That's not my decision to make. I'm just giving you options and likely scenarios. It's either freedom or a trap. We either wait, weigh our options and come up with a plan, which gives the Galra more time to possibly interrogate and split us up and to discover the panel and the tunnel...”

“You really think that's possible?” Keith interrupts. “They haven't discovered it yet.”

Lance shrugs. “Anything is possible. We found it didn't we?”

“Pretty sure that was all you.” A ghost of a smile pulls up one side of Keith's mouth but Lance doesn't return it.

“Or we go in now, dead blind, and hope we can find a way off the ship before they catch us. A group this size isn't exactly stealthy. I have no idea what Galran sleep patterns are like or if we’re in the middle of a sleep cycle. For all we know they’re running regular patrols or the passage leads into the middle of a barracks.” His gaze doesn't waver and Keith notices for the first time the steel in Lance’s eyes. “We're only going to get one shot. Both choices have their consequences.”

Keith frowns at the floor in thought, toeing at the metal. He doesn’t like having to make this decision. It’s becoming more complicated than he’d first imagined.

“What would you do?”

Lance shakes his head. “It's not my-”

“I know but I'm asking.” Keith's head darts up and Lance closes his mouth. “What would you do Lance.”

Lance scratches his cheek, glancing at the wall and Keith can see the gears in his mind grinding. He lets a long sigh out through his nose.

“I'd send a scout,” he finally says, “see where the path leads. There's no guarantee they're going to let us sleep through the night. It'll have to be fast and it'll have to be quiet but it would give us more information and I’d be happier making a decision with more information. We’re shooting blind here. Easier to hide one missing person than all of us just in case someone comes to check up on us.”

“So who do we send?” Keith asks.

Lance chews the inside of his cheek, staring at the wall. “I'll go.”

“You?” Keith scoffs. “You make more noise than a bull in a china shop. Why not me?”

“You know that's a myth right?” Keith just frowns and something weighty crosses Lance's face. “Because you're the leader and the team needs you.”

Keith scowls. “I can get in and out without anyone missing me.”

Lance actually scoffs. “You are literally the leader of Voltron, if you suddenly go missing in the middle of the night and someone comes to check on us they are going to notice. They won’t notice me missing, I’m nobody.” He purses his lips and lowers his voice  

“The team can't afford to lose you if you get caught.”

“I won't get caught,” Keith argues. “Jesus, Lance, do you always have to be such a glory hound?”

Again Lance ignores him. “But you might,” he whispers and shakes his head. “I'm not willing to risk that.” He swallows whatever emotion is trying to work it's way onto his face and shrugs. “Besides, you've got Allura to fly Blue and I'm sure Black would take back Shiro if she had to. And we all know Red would take you back in a heartbeat.”

Something in Keith's expression flinches and he looks away. “You don't know that.”

A small smile finally flits across Lance's face and when he speaks his voice is unbearably soft. “Yeah I do,” he says softly. “She misses you.

“Not that she likes talking about it. She's almost as slow to trust as you are,” he teases but it’s weak. “Losing Alfor did a number on her and then she lost you. She didn't take that so well. I'm sure she'd take you over me any day.

“We don’t get along all that well.” Lance shrugs in that self-deprecating way he has but something in his eyes is raw and vulnerable.

“Seventh wheel remember?” He smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes and something in Keith's chest twists. “I’ve always been the most replaceable.” Keith wants to argue but he doesn’t know what to say.

“Besides, I may not be as fast but I'm just as quiet as you are.”

Keith scoffs. “Like hell you are.”

“Never caught me in the training room have you?” Lance lifts his eyebrows questioningly and Keith frowns.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“You came in last week and the lights were already on. I remember because you were barefoot and in sweats instead of your armor and I thought it was weird. I snuck out before you saw me.”

“Bullshit.”

Lance grins. “When we get back I'll show you the footage. Until then, boost me up again. I’m going.”

In a matter of minutes the panel in the wall is sliding open again and Lance is slipping inside. He takes his boots off, tucking them in a deep corner so his footsteps will be silent and then begins probing the walls for a secondary switch to close it from the inside. Keith's voice stops him just as his fingers find it.

“Lance.” He looks up at Keith who looks concerned. “You’re not disposable. You never were.” Lance watches a muscle in Keith’s jaw twitch. “Be careful.”

He offers Keith a roguish smile.

“Can't fight all my battles for me Samurai,” he murmurs and then he's pressing on the metal and Keith feels his heart lodge somewhere in his throat as the passage closes, cutting him off from Lance.

“But I would.”

Keith stands in silence as the wall slips back into place, listening for a moment but hears nothing over the pounding of his heart. He stares at the wall as the minutes tick by, counting them by the beating of his heart, willing Lance to reappear, but he doesn't. With each beat that passes Keith grows more and more concerned, fear souring his stomach.

“Come on Lance,” he whispers, anxiety strangling him, his foot beginning to twitch irritably. “Let me know you're okay.” His leg starts bouncing and he has to will it to stop but the movement only redirects into his fingers and he starts drumming them against one another.

“Keith?” Allura rubs a hand over her eyes, blinking at him. “Where’s Lance?” Her voice is thick with sleep. He goes to sit beside her, smiling softly.

“Sleeping, like you should be,” he whispers, lifting a rogue curl out of her eyes.

She blinks at him slowly and he notices her eyes are glazed with sleep. “Oh. He’s okay?” she mumbles and Keith nods.

“Yeah, he’s okay. Go back to sleep.”

“Okay. Good night neeban,” she slurs, laying back down.

Keith isn’t sure what the word is but it sounds Altean. He files it away for later.

It’s some time after Allura’s dropped back to sleep that Keith hears what sounds like scraping from the other side of the wall. There’s a quiet tap against the metal, one Keith echoes back.

“Lance that had better be you,” he whispers, the door sliding open. Lance slips back into the cell a moment later, shaking dust and cobwebs from his hair.

“Are you alright?” Keith’s eyes dart from Lance’s hair to his boots, which he’s slipped into, and back again, looking for injuries.

Lance continues to shake out his hair. “Yeah, we’re good, I think I know where the tunnel comes out. We’re not far from one of the hangar bays. We should be able to steal a few fighters and book it.”

“That easy?”

Lance grins, reaching out to idly knock against the wall with his knuckles, soft as he can. “Don’t jinx it.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be wood?”

Lance rolls his eyes but he’s still smiling. “Come on, let’s wake the others.”

Chapter 2

Notes:

I have been sitting on this for months but it hasn’t been going anywhere. So have some much needed Lance validation.

LANCE IS A SMART BOY FIGHT ME

Chapter Text

Keith sits down next to Lance, watching him spin his coffee mug idly now that they’re safe. 

“How did you know the tunnel was there?” He knows it’s blunt but he doesn’t understand why people talk around what they want to talk about.

Lance shrugs, staring down into the mug. “I didn’t.”

“But you noticed the panel. Something none of us did. How?”

Lance’s lips thin. “I don’t know.”

Keith’s eyebrows knit together in frustration. That is not the answer he’d been looking for.

“How can you not know?”

“I don’t!” Lance finally looks up, gesturing with a hand, “It just happens okay? It was out of place and bothered my sense of order. It’s like I can just feel when something is out of place. And it bothers me until I know why.” He scuffs his shoes against the ground, twisting his foot side to side. A moment later he settles and goes back to spinning his coffee cup. 

“I don’t like questions without answers,” Lance mumbles. “They make me nervous. 

“The panel was different. I needed to know why.” He lifts his eyes, a self-deprecating smile pulling his mouth sideways. “That’s all there was to it. It could have just as easily turned out to be nothing.” He shrugs one shoulder.

Keith frowns at him, weighing Lance’s words. 

“Do you have any idea how amazing that is? You’re insanely observant.” He shakes his head in wonder. 

Lance shrugs, staring down at the table. “Most people think it’s annoying. I don’t mean to nitpick. I just-” He trails off, scratching at his scalp. “I don’t know. Things bother me. It’s how the world makes sense to me. I don’t like questions without answers.”

Keith’s lips purse thoughtfully. “Earlier, when you said you were looking for secret passageways…”

“I was just trying to lighten the mood,” Lance says, dejectedly. “But to be fair, the dimensions of the cell were different than the rest on the ship. If you run a mental layout and base it on the standard design of Galran ships it didn’t make sense. I didn’t actually expect a passage to be there, but the cell was hinky.” Keith stares at him as Lance rattles all this off. He shakes his head, a small laugh building in his chest and he stares at Lance in awe. 

“You’re amazing.”

Lance blinks at him dumbly before his face screws up in distaste and he looks away. 

Keith’s face falls. “What?”

“I don’t feel amazing. I feel obsessive and broken,” he mutters darkly.

Keith frowns, studying Lance’s profile. His expression is tight and exhausted, not just physically, but emotionally.

Lance has always been a burning flare in the dark. Now he seems like a candle, spent and guttering, trying desperately to hold on. 

When Keith had left for the Blades he’d expected to come back, that he’d see Lance again. He hadn't expected to find him a hollowed out version of the brilliant boy he’d left behind. 

He searches Lance’s expression, trying to find answers.

“You know I didn’t mean it right?” he says quietly.

Lance looks up at him, arching a brow curiously. “Mean what?”

“Back on the ship,” Keith says slowly. “When I called you a glory hound.” He searches Lance’s eyes, sees the very brief moment when he flinches, like playing chicken. “I didn’t mean it,” Keith says again, more insistently. “I was just-” He gestures lamely. “That’s what we do.” 

Lance nibbles on the inside of his cheek. It’s a small gesture, hard to spot, but Keith is looking for it. 

“Yeah, I know.” 

“Do you? Because you’re not-” Keith licks his lips, trying to find the right way to say this. “You’re not the person I left behind. I had hoped,” he fades out and takes a deep breath. “I’d hoped to give you room to grow. I didn’t expect to find you withered.” 

Lance scowls. “I am not withered,” he snaps, crossing his arms over his chest and sulking. 

“But you’re not radiant either.” 

That draws Lance up short, stops him from launching himself out his chair and storming away. 

Keith searches his eyes, cheeks warm. 

“You’re not the same. And I mean, I expected that, but I’d hoped the change would be positive, that it’d be good for you.” Keith’s face falls. “But it wasn’t.” 

“Sorry to disappoint.” Lance shoves himself to his feet, Keith immediately rising with him, stepping into his space, cutting him off.

“That’s not what I meant. Lance you’ve never disappointed me a day in your life.” 

He snorts, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah right.” 

Keith touches his arm, trying to get Lance to look at him. 

“I’m serious. I have been frustrated and angry and jealous but never disappointed with you.” Their eyes meet, Lance’s more withdrawn and Keith misses the bold as brass swagger he used to find there. 

“I mean it.” 

Lance shifts his weight, eyes dancing around before landing on Keith again. 

“Why did you listen to me?” he asks quietly. “On the ship. You asked me for my opinion on what we should do.” His eyes dart back and forth between Keith’s, searching for something, like he needs it. “Why?” 

Keith frowns, his hand falling away from Lance’s sleeve. 

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re the strategist, not me. Besides, you’ve always got a plan for when things go wrong. And a plan if that plan goes wrong.” He tries to smile but Lance frowns like he doesn’t understand. “Why wouldn’t I ask you for your opinion?”

Lance bites the inside of his lip, fingers flexing on his arms, expression doing something complicated. 

“Maybe because no one else does,” he says faintly, shaking his head. “No one else listens to me. No one else cares. 

“Look, I know I can be unorthodox and unconventional but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid.” There’s enough defensiveness to the words Keith wonders if it’s something someone has said to him before. 

Keith's bangs slip over his eyes and he brushes them back as he tips his head, something hot and angry coiling in his gut. 

“Who said you were?” There’s a biting undercurrent to the words, suggesting he’ll rip the head off whoever did. 

Lance shrugs and looks away. “Nobody in as many words.” He catches his lip between his teeth, pulling it sideways and Keith has to fight the urge to get him to stop. 

“Shiro yelled at me.” Keith’s eyebrows lift and Lance curls further into himself. “He doesn’t care about what I have to say. He doesn’t listen.” Lance grinds the heel of a hand into his eye, taking a breath, embarrassed to be so upset about it. But he doesn’t have anyone else to talk to. 

He drops his hand and looks at Keith. “Not like you. You listen to me and you hear me and god forbid, you actually do what I say.” He stares at Keith. “You’re not as bad at this as you think you are.” 

Keith’s shoulder’s slump. “If that were true I’d have noticed you were unhappy a long time ago.” 

Lance shrugs, his arms falling to the side. “At least you bothered to.” 

Keith opens his mouth but doesn’t know what to say. 

“No one else seems to care.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” 

Lance gives him a withering look. “I was holed up in my room for almost two months Keith, no one even missed me.” 

Keith’s eyebrows curl into something sad. “I did.”

“Yeah well you still left.” Lance doesn’t mean to sound as petulant as he does or for the words to hurt quite that much. 

“And it was a mistake.” That catches Lance off balance. “I’m sorry,” Keith says. “I made a mistake. I thought leaving was the right thing to do. It wasn’t. And I’m sorry.” 

Lance tugs at his sleeve, shifting his weight and chewing at his lip again. 

“Would you stop that?” Keith puts his hand on Lance’s cheek without thinking about it, thumb pushing at Lance’s lip where it’s gone white. “You’re gonna ruin your lips.” Keith pokes him in the cheek, startling a laugh from Lance. He lets go of his lip, ducking his head to smile and Keith drops his hand. 

“What would you know about it?” Lance teases, a sparkle finally back in his eyes and stars, Keith missed that. 

“Not a damn thing. But someone much smarter than me once scolded me for the same thing.” 

Lance peeks up at him from under his eyebrows, cheeks pink. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Keith smiles but the expression doesn’t last. What Lance said is really bothering him and his smile slowly falls. “You really hid in your room the entire time?”

Lance shrugs, withdrawing into himself again. “Wasn’t much else to do. I was the butt of every joke when I wasn’t, Pidge and Hunk were wrapped up in technobabble, Shiro was being Shiro, and Allura was so wrapped up in Lotor she forgot I even existed.” His mouth pulls sideways. “Not that I can blame her, have you seen him? He’s a prince and I’m just-”

“Amazing.” 

Lance flushes again, a deep red that races to his ears and he shifts about even more, restless and awkward, making Keith grin. 

“I can’t believe it,” he says slowly, a wide grin splitting his face. “You don’t know how to take a compliment.”

“Shut up,” Lance snaps, tucking his hair behind his ear and fidgeting. 

Keith raises his hands in surrender, swallowing a laugh. “We’ll come back to this,” he promises in what feels dangerously like a threat. “But first I have a really important question.” He lowers his hands, expression smoothing into something more serious and Lance gives him his undivided attention. 

“Do you need a hug?” 

Lance is mortified to find his eyes burning. He swallows thickly and looks away, unraveling a loose thread from his sleeve and wrapping it around his finger. 

“It’s okay.” He clears his throat, trying to speak past the sudden thickness. “You don’t-”

“That’s not what I asked,” Keith interrupts gently shuffling closer. “Do you need a hug?” 

Lance swipes a hand under his eye trying to pretend the question doesn’t leave him feeling vulnerable. 

“Yes,” he admits, arms pulled in close to his chest as he tugs the thread free. 

“Can I hug you?” 

Lance sniffles and nods and Keith steps forward. “Not sure I’m any good at them but-”

“Oh shut up, it’s a hug, they’re not complicated," Lance mutters, wrapping his arms around Keith, tucking his face into his shoulder. 

“See?” The words are muffled but Keith doesn’t mind. 

Lance holds him tight and Keith follows his lead, tightening his grip on Lance and holding him until Lance begins to pull away a few minutes later. 

He takes a jagged breath, wiping at his cheeks. 

“Sorry.” 

Keith swipes at the wet streaks Lance has missed. “Don’t be. I’m happy to help, however I can.” 

Lance’s eyebrows come together. “Why do you care?” He looks so confused Keith wants to laugh if it didn’t make him so sad. 

“Why wouldn’t I?” 

Lance’s face crumples and he cries again. 

“You don’t deserve this.” Keith’s voice is soft and it only makes Lance cry harder. Keith pulls him into another hug, smoothing a hand over his hair and Lance clings to him. The wound in his heart splits open, the shields he’s been hiding behind falling away.

He’s been so alone since Keith left, every small nick to his pride and his trust and his heart slowly wearing him down. He feels like he hasn’t been able to do anything right since Keith left and it hurts to feel so worthless and inept.

“They don’t deserve you,” Keith whispers. 

“God, you have to stop that,” Lance chokes. 

“Stop what?”

Lance whines, his grip on Keith’s shirt tightening. “Being nice. And sweet and wonderful.” The knot in his throat strangles him, swallowing everything else he might embarrass himself by saying. 

“Or what?” Keith still hasn’t let him go. 

Lance sniffles and lifts his head, as vulnerable as he’s ever been, heart wide open and hurting. 

“Or I think I’m gonna fall in love with you.” He cries and Keith cradles his face in his hands with a smile. 

“Would that be so bad?” 

Lance’s heart shudders and he shakes his head in short bursts. “No. No it wouldn’t.” 

Keith tries not to laugh, kissing Lance’s cheek and pulling him into another hug, Lance swaying in his arms. 

“I didn’t know how badly I needed you,” Lance manages, face buried in Keith’s shoulder. “Not until you were gone." His voice cracks. "I thought you were never coming back.”

Keith holds him close, the way Lance has always wanted to be held and it hurts as much as it heals. 

“You’re a mess,” Keith teases gently and Lance hiccups, nodding as Keith wipes his tears away again. 

“Come on. I know what will make you feel better.” 

“What?” Lance sniffles.  

“A face mask.” 

Lance makes a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob, scrubbing at his face with a sleeve. His cheeks feel raw and stinging.

“Then I think I’m going to hug you for an hour,” Keith says. “Sound good?”

Lance nods even as he blushes. “Yeah,” he croaks. “Sounds good.”