CHAPTER ONE: I Miss You

"Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."

- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

The Paladins and their passengers landed on Olkarion approximately seventy – two vargas ago, and most of them had spent the first twenty - four sleeping. Now, Pidge and Hunk were configuring something or another. Allura and Coran were catching up with Romelle. Keith's mother was – somewhere- and Lance found himself wandering aimlessly around the complex the Olkarion set aside for them to live during their short stay. Everyone wanted to find a body of water to sit and chill beside as soon as Shiro was stable and able to walk.

Lance now found himself standing in the doorway of the large room in which Shiro slept. The man had woken only a couple times to eat and use the restroom. The doctor that the Olkarion brought in to look at Shiro said that sleep was his best bet for healing his body and mind. However, the Doctor decided that an I.V. would be the best to keep Shiro hydrated.

Lance and Keith took turns watching over Shiro, but Keith never left his side. Lance finally had to shove Keith out of the room and force him to eat and shower eighteen vargas ago. Lance shook his head and sighed loudly when his eyes landed on Keith's form curled up on the couch. It barely held his new, more substantial body, and Lance had to grin at that. He leaned against the doorframe, watching both men sleeping soundly.

Pushing away from the doorframe, Lance walked over to the bed and knelt beside it, resting his arms and chin on the bed. The only light in the room came from the hallway and the setting sun, casting shadows on Shiro's face that made him look older than his 26 years – older and tired. Lance reached out and gently brushed his hair off his forehead.

"Shiro I-…" Lance whispered, the words stuck in his throat. "I can't express how happy your return has made me. I missed you and Keith. I missed having you set me straight and having Keith pushing me to my limits. My life hasn't been the same since we made the decision to rescue you. None of our lives have been the same. That's a good thing I think cause we've all grown in our own little ways…I'm just glad that both you and Keith are alive…"

As Lance chatted to a sleeping Shiro, Keith stirred in his sleep. His dreams had been of his time in the Quantum Abyss; his mind refusing to accept the battle with Shiro. Keith was glad for that – he didn't want to wake Shiro with his screams of Shiro's name. He rubbed his face and blinked, trying to get his bearings. Keith was just about to tell Lance to shut the hell up when Keith realized Lance was talking about him; praising his fighting and leadership skills and his good looks…

Keith almost choked as he coughed and tried to untangle his body from the small couch he had been sleeping on. He wanted to put an end to Lance's rambling before he said something he would regret. Keith stretched his lithe and lean body across the couch, and his shirt rose up just enough to show a sliver of his pale skin.

Lance in the meantime stared at Keith, and when the sliver of skin showed itself, his face turned red and hot to the touch. He buried the bottom half in his arms to hide his blush from Keith; he knew Keith would never let him live that down.

"Lance," Keith's voice was rough around the edges from sleep. They stared at each other over Shiro's sleeping form. "What are you doing?"

Lance scratched the back of his neck, carefully selecting his words. He wasn't sure how much Keith had heard.

"I…ah…just wanted to check in on you and Shiro to see how you two were doing," Lance buried his face again.

Keith yawned and flung his long legs over the edge of the couch. He winced as he placed both hands on his lower back and pushed as he stretched his back. He rolled his shoulders then rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together.

"Shiro has been sleeping fitfully the past seven hours," Keith ran a hand through his hair. "He hasn't actually talked in his sleep, just grumbles and turns over. He's been quiet the past two hours, and I slept way too hard on this couch."

"Why didn't you just go to your room and sleep? I'm pretty sure Shiro would have been fine,"

"I wanted…er…to be here when Shiro woke up," Keith rubbed his neck and turned it gingerly to the left. "I'm really regretting this couch."

Lance stood carefully as to not disturb Shiro and walked around the bed to sit next to Keith on the couch. Keith instinctively moved away as Lance held his hands up.

"May I?"

Keith opened his mouth to protest, wondering what Lance's motives were. But when all he saw was open honesty and not his trademark sneer, Keith obliged.

"Um…okay," Keith said as he turned his back to Lance.

Lance placed one hand gently on Keith's neck and started kneading the muscles there. He put his other hand on Keith's shoulder, effectively holding him in place. Keith bit back a groan that threatened to escape his lips.

"Thank you," he said instead.

"No problem. You seemed wound up, and I know that couch isn't comfortable," Lance said, lowering his hand as he kneaded Keith's shoulders. Keith grunted his acknowledgment.

"So, uh, how was life out in space?"

"It was…different. Being able to bond with my mother was nice. But it was quiet out there. It made me feel small. I missed you guys every day."

"I bet you didn't miss me?" Lance gave a self-deprecating chuckle as he kneaded his way across the other's shoulders.

"What?" Keith said as he turned his head slightly. "Lance, what are you talking about? Of course, I missed you. Thinking about your crazy antics is what got me through some of my darker days."

Lance froze, then pulled away from Keith. "Quit lying, it's not funny, dude."

"Lance?" Keith turned to face Lance who had turned away from him. "Lance…look at me."

"I know you have your moments, but I should be the last person you think of," Lance huffed.

Keith raised his hand and hesitantly placed it on Lance's shoulder, forcing the other to turn and face him.

"Lance, you…" Keith paused. He normally didn't wear his heart on his sleeve like this, but something about Lance at that moment made him want to show the man how much he meant to him, and the team. "How could I not miss you? You mean a lot to me…to this team! Lance, I saw you taking charge of the team when Shiro broke down. It struck me hard when he went to his knees like that and…and I froze. I didn't know what to do."

Lance swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. He didn't want to believe Keith's words – they were coming from KEITH after all- the hothead. He watched Keith as he spoke; the way the Quantum Abyss had aged him, it made him look almost…beautiful. The teenager was gone, replaced by this handsome man with his cheekbones that could cut glass and hair that Lance suddenly wanted to run his hands through. All these thoughts scared Lance, not knowing what to do with them.

"Honestly, without you, I believe the whole team would be flying off the handle. I like this change in you Lance," Keith managed a small smile and Lance gave one back, but sniffed and turned away from the intensity in Keith's wide eyes.

"Hey," Keith said quietly as he timidly placed his hand on Lance's face and turned him to face him. Lance sucked in a sharp gasp of air when he found himself only inches from Keith's face. He could feel his breath on his lips. "I think…"

Keith closed the distance between them as he placed a chaste kiss on Lance's lips. He expected it when Lance froze; in fact, he expected Lance to push him away violently, not accepting any sort of affection from Keith.

What Keith wasn't expecting was Lance to return the kiss, gently and carefully placing his right hand on Keith's shoulder.

Keith pulled away to breathe. Lance scanned his face, his eyes landing on the soft lips that were just on his. He placed both hands on each side of Keith's face and closed the distance again, this time deepening the kiss. Keith gasped into his mouth as Lance ran his tongue along the other's lower lip. Taking another chance, he dipped his tongue into Lance's mouth, running it along his teeth. Keith groaned as he met Lance's tongue with his own. He grasped onto Lance's shirt sleeve with one hand and his thigh with his right hand.

They were breathing heavily when they broke away. Both looked at each other in the fading light of the sunset.

"How long…how long have you felt this way?" Keith asked as he watched Lance lick his lips. Oh, gods how he wanted to kiss this man forever.

"I-I don't know?" Lance paused. "When you left through the wormhole, I was so freaking worried. After I tried to console Allura, I found myself thinking of you more than usual. And not the usual spiteful things."

Keith was taken aback for a second as his scowl returned.

"You think spiteful things about me?"

Lance chuckled. "Not anymore. You and I were at odds for so long that I used those spiteful thoughts to fuel my confidence in a battle. Somehow, those spiteful thoughts turned into not spiteful thoughts and then to 'I wonder when Keith is coming back so I can bother him' to 'I really miss Keith' thoughts."

Keith raised his brow and opened his mouth to say something before he was interrupted by a voice from the bed.

"Keith? Lance? What are you guys doing?" Shiro propped himself on his elbow, his hair disheveled.

Both Lance and Keith untangled themselves from each other and stood, almost tripping over each other. Shiro smirked at them knowingly.