(A/N: I wrote this for the Hey, Sharpshooter Bang and it is posted on my AO3 as well. My beloved beta is such a trooper, because I signed up for a 20k fic and then tripled the word count, and she didn't throttle me for it! So, big love to /PunkInGlitter for being awesome! It was really great working with you! The amazing art for this fic can be found here post/186802482426/rating-mature-tags-topics-of-suicide-self-harm and was done by .comwho is so talented and sweet and so much fun to work with. I love this piece so much, I really do!)

Krolia was hunting, the space wolf having tagged along with her- which meant that Keith was alone at the little camp they'd made to serve as 'home' while they traveled through the Quantum Abyss. He'd always enjoyed solitude, but after nearly 2 years of only his mother and a wolf as company, he thought he might have reached his lifetime quota. When they'd first arrived, Krolia had really pushed for them to try to avoid the flashes of light that brought visions of the past and future. Before long, she hadn't had to, because he'd gotten used to doing that himself. But eventually, he found himself almost seeking them out. He missed his friends. He missed Shiro. He missed Lance.

He'd gotten into the habit of ignoring the sizzling awareness he had of the other Paladin; the attraction and frustration and fascination he had with the tall sniper. He'd gotten good at dodging Shiro's occasional questions and ignoring the pointed looks he got from his closest friend when Lance's flirting would sour his mood. He'd gotten really good at putting as much distance between himself and Lance's obvious infatuation with Allura as possible- which turned out to be a lot of distance once he'd joined up with the Blade full time. Here in the Quantum Abyss, with only his mother and a wolf and his own thoughts to keep him company, it had eventually become impossible to pretend that all that dodging and ignoring and removing himself had been nothing but running away from a truth he didn't like. He didn't like that he'd fallen for the loudmouthed, soft-hearted, blue-eyed guy, but that didn't change the fact that he had.

He missed Lance and Shiro the most, but he missed them all and sometimes, the visions brought them back to searing, vivid life for just a few ticks. It made missing them hurt a little sharper, but it also made him feel a little less alone… and feeling less alone had become incredibly precious. So, yeah- he caught himself hoping for those flashes of light that bent time and reality and provided a bit of a break from the crushing sameness of day to day life on the space whale.

Most of the time, it was a flash of the past, which was usually his favorite. Something to solidify his own memories of them as they started to fade and warp with time apart. Sometimes, it gave him a glimpse of memory from a different point of view- something that happened when he was present but focused on something else. He usually liked those, too- it helped him understand his former teammates a bit better- but on occasion, the new perspective was… kind of awful.

Glimpses from the time when Shiro was missing were bad. He'd been there, but so caught up in his own anger, and fear, and pain that he'd been blind to the suffering of the people around him and completely clueless to how much worse he was making it for everyone else by shutting them out. Pidge and Allura working themselves into exhaustion. Hunk spiraling into anxiety that kept him awake and drove him to small, repetitive patterns for some tiny measure of comfort. Lance, though, Lance was the worst. He'd gone quiet- and no one had really noticed how he'd started to melt into shadows unless he was pushing himself to try to comfort someone else. He'd kind of deflate, and then rally, urging Pidge to sleep, or Allura to eat, or trying to distract Hunk. In most of those flashes, there was a common point that made Keith feel small and awful… Lance would pause in whatever he was trying to do to caretake someone and glance at Keith- eyes worried and pleading and filled with… something he didn't really understand. He'd glance, like he was calling in backup, and his eyes would change and he'd just crumple when Keith didn't respond. In others, there was a completely different common thread that made Keith feel small and awful- the ones where Lance would reach out to him, trying to help, trying to be a friend, trying to comfort him- and he'd shoot him down and shut him out. How had he missed how much of Lance's antics were attempts to lighten the mood, or cheer people up, or just... connect?

Flashes from his time at the Garrison were similar. It hadn't taken many for Lance's 'rivalry' with him to start making sense. Iverson was an ass to everyone, not just to Keith and it didn't take long to see that he'd used Keith's scores as a weapon against Lance. In the earliest flashes, Lance would blink up at the teacher, his face a mask of indifference, even as his eyes welled up. Once Iverson turned away, Hunk would lean over and whisper to him and Keith could see Lance's face change. It was those memories that made him clue in to something that should have been obvious to him. Lance was from Cuba. His English was exceptionally good, but it wasn't his first language. In those early flashes, he didn't always understand the things that Iverson was screaming at him and he'd needed Hunk to translate some of it.

The entire curriculum at the Garrison was English, which was fine for regular academic classes, but the flight classes and engineering classes were so full of technical terms and jargon that it was hard for kids who'd grown up speaking English to keep up. Hell, he'd had Shiro and Adam helping him with his homework every night and still the vocabulary had been hard to learn. Lance had had to try to keep up with a very competitive program while translating everything in his head- and in flight simulations, he had to do it incredibly quickly to be able to communicate with the others… and still he'd made time to reach out to Keith more than once and warn him against his recklessness. Warnings that had been met with hostility… and then Iverson kept pitting Lance's scores against his own. Adding that information to some things Hunk and Lance had said in passing, he'd realized that even after he'd gone, he was still Iverson's favorite humiliation tactic to use on Lance. No wonder he'd felt like everything had to be some kind of competition between them! Keith was surprised Lance didn't genuinely hate him.

When he got back, he was going to apologize to Lance. When he got back, he was going to make a fresh start with all of them. When he got back… things would be so different.

The glimpses of the future confused him- he still wasn't sure if they were things that were definitely going to happen, or just possibilities that could change. He wasn't even sure they were all from this reality- because he'd seen some things that made no sense. Like, a robot similar to Voltron but which dwarfed it the way a Lion would dwarf a Garrison Combat Jet; and fields of extinct juniberries surrounding a statue of Allura. Things like Lance and Allura in what looked like brightly colored Garrison uniforms, her asleep curled against his chest while he spoke softly with him and Acxa; and Pidge and Beezer in some kind of greenhouse as he walked past the wall of windows. Visions of Rolo and Hunk laughing together as he helped them unload a cargo hold; of Lance, but Altean and smiling in a way that was clearly directed at him, but was an expression he'd never seen on his face outside of daydreams. The worst, though, was Shiro, eyes glowing, charging at him with a ferocity that sent chills down his spine.

When he got back, he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that last one never came to be.

That was the plan.

Things never really went according to plan, though, did they? When he'd gotten back, he'd landed right in the middle of a crisis, and it led directly into another one. They'd piled up and buried him under their weight and before he knew it, phoebs had passed and he'd still never managed to apologize to Lance or really fix things with the team. Things had gone bad and then repaired themselves a couple of times over… and then they'd watched realities blink out of being one by one and Allura had… saved everything. One after another, he'd seen almost all of those seemingly impossible flashes come into being.

At this point, he barely remembered most of them, but one haunted him. That smile. Those soft, affectionate eyes. The blue marks glowing gently in the fading light of sunset. The fragrance that he could now identify as juniberries. It hadn't happened, and he was terrified to let himself believe that it would.

"Helloooo? Earth to Keith!" Lance's voice cut through his wandering thoughts, "dude, Kosmo has been waiting for you to throw that stick for like five minutes. Look at the poor wolf! He's about to shake out of his own skin. Throw it already!"

"What? Oh. Oh! Yeah… right," he shook the cobwebs out of his head and drew his arm back, launching the stick in a graceful arc through the air. ticks later, Kosmo zapped away to catch it. "Listen- Mom's picking Kosmo up tomorrow and I need to leave the day after. I wanted to ask you something…"

"Me? Shoot- I'm an open book," Lance grinned at him and his breath tripped over itself the way it always did when he was the focus of one of Lance's grins.

"I'm headed to Daibazaal, to speak at one of the universities. I want you to come with me. Do your thing- the 'spreading Allura's message' thing."

Lance faltered, "uhhh… I don't know, man. The only time I leave Earth is to go to New Altea for our yearly thing…"

"I know. But I still want you to come. It's a long trip. I'd like to have another pilot with me. Someone I trust."

"Keith," he sighed, "that's a big ask."

"Yeah, I know it is. But I'm still asking." Lance wasn't healing here on Earth. Every time he saw him, it seemed like he had faded a little more. At first, it had made sense for him to stay with his family, to mourn and reconnect. For the first few years, it had really seemed to be what he needed, but lately… Keith hated to say it, but it was as if the fire that had burned inside of Lance had been doused somewhere along the way. This was the only thing he could think of that might help. "Do you remember what I said to you that night? Before your date with Allura?"

"Yeah," Lance nodded, "I remember- God, it was so hard to climb Black with all those pots. I looked like an idiot."

"Well, you let Coran dress you, so…" he trailed off with a shrug, "that's kinda on you."

"The Lance that always has your back, right? That's why you're asking?"

Keith nodded, "I love Daibazaal… but… I hate it, too. It's… a lot…"

"People still trying to convince you to run the whole thing and you just want to be left alone to brood and play with your wolf?"

"Something like that, yeah."

Lance's smile was small and affectionate as he delivered their old joke, "classic Keith." He sighed, "yeah. Alright. I'll go. I mean, I should see Daibazaal at least once now that it's been restored, right?"

"Yeah, you really should." He smiled, bracing as he felt the air crackle so that when Kosmo blinked into being a nanosecond later and fell on him, he didn't get knocked to the ground. "Ugh… Kosmo- you are not a pup anymore! You gotta stop dive-bombing me!"

Two quintants later, Keith was showing Lance where to stow his gear in his little ship. Compared to the Lions, the Atlas, and the Blade cruisers it was small and unremarkable, but it was his and it was a sturdy, and maneuverable little ship that had just enough space to serve as a small apartment when he was on his own. Two grown men sharing the space for the few movements it would take them to get to Daibazaal would be a bit of a challenge, but they weren't teenagers anymore, nor were they strangers. If it was really unbearable, they could split their days into shifts.

"So, does your little houseboat have a name," Lance asked, dropping into the co-pilot's seat, "or are you still waiting for it to name itself?"

Keith rolled his eyes, "it has a name. Houston."

"Your spaceship is the Houston?" He was incredulous.

"Yes, Lance, that's what I said. It's the city my Dad was from. Houston is kind of like home."

"Okay, but… you get that you are kind of begging for NASA jokes, right?"

"Right, because soooo many members of the Blade of Marmora are such huge Earth history buffs," he shook his head and turned his attention to getting underway. "Controls are pretty straightforward. Most things are similar in layout to the Altean shuttles. Hmmm… oh! The comms can be kind of finicky- just give the panel to the left a good thunk and it'll fix it if you are getting video but no sound or sound but no video."

"Seems simple enough. When do I get to put her through her paces?" Excitement laced his voice and Keith couldn't help but smile, he was starting to sound like the old Lance already.

"Let me get her out of the atmosphere first, then we've got a wormhole jump to a Blade base to grab some supplies. Once we head out of there, you can take the wheel. Good?"

"Fair enough. Music?"

"Are you asking if I have any or if you can play your own?" Keith chuckled.

"Like I want to listen to your emo music, Mullet," he pulled out his phone, "if you're flying then roadtrip rules say I'm in charge of navigation, rest stops, snacks, and entertainment."

"Fine. Knock yourself out- you can connect to internal comms… just, the speakers in here are powerful, so… start off with a low volume."

"If it is set to the volume you listen on, I can handle it."

It took all of three quintants for Keith to realize that he'd been worried about the wrong things when they'd started this trip. He and Lance had quickly and easily fallen into old patterns- it felt like they were back to being Black and Red Paladins in many ways. They'd been a mess when they were flying Blue and Red, but once Keith had accepted his role as Team Leader, Lance had excelled as his second in command. That old work dynamic made for great road trip buddies. The conversation was light, and the teasing and bickering was playful, not mean spirited.

It was fun.

They'd also quickly figured out how to maneuver around each other in the small space. At times, it was so effortless it felt almost like some kind of dance or martial arts kata. This was especially obvious in the mornings as they got cleaned up and ate and slowly readied themselves to face the day. Space was always at a premium in little ships like his, and that meant that kitchen and bathroom facilities were almost always convoluted jigsaw puzzles of appliances and storage and water access. It was eerie, the way they could read the other's movements and adjust without thinking about it to avoid crowding each other, weaving and ducking and bending to allow the other to reach what they needed.

He'd worried about fighting and getting on each other's nerves within a quintant. Didn't happen. He'd stressed about clumsy tripping over one another. Not a concern. He'd worried about fighting about routes and stopovers. No issues.

No, the thing that was making this trip difficult was something he hadn't factored into his plans, at all. In his defence, he'd traveled with a lot of people over the years and the things he had worried about were, by far, the most common issues. It had been a long time since he was in deep space with Lance, and this was the first time they were travelling together without the buffer of the others. It was the first time he'd ever had to spend a significant amount of time with Lance in such a small space and with no one else to give him a break from his company. He hadn't realized how much of an issue his own feelings would be.

First of all, Lance smelled unnaturally good. He always had, but this ship was small and space-faring- which meant that within a couple of vargas, the whole ship smelled like Lance's shampoo and cologne and aftershave and the deeper, more subtle fragrance of his skin… and it wasn't like 'cracking a window' was an option! Galra, as a species, had a more finely tuned sense of smell than humans, that was much more directly tied to what Kolivan had rather stiffly referred to as 'mating impulses'. Keith was considered rather dull-nosed by most of the Blades, but he still was much more attuned to odors than a pure human was. Lance smelled too good, and that was rapidly becoming an issue. The last thing Keith wanted to deal with was trying to explain his irritatingly frequent impulse to sniff his travelling companion!

Second of all, they no longer had their Paladin armor, but it wasn't exactly safe to be running around in a small ship with a risk of depressurization in jeans and t-shirt… so they were both wearing Blade's jumpsuits. Farm life had been very, very, verrry nice to Lance's physique and the snug material of the Blade jumpsuit was doing far too good a job of showcasing that. For the first time, he was starting to understand why Zethrid would get that look on her face whenever Ezor would suit up for a mission. He had a sinking feeling he had a similar look on his own face far too often.

Third of all, Keith was not used to spending so much time with someone who was so casually affectionate. Beyond the easy way Lance shoved shoulders, and ruffled hair, and, hugged, and otherwise just touched people, there was the flirting. Lance had always been a flirt, but Keith had known him long enough to know that his flirting was less about sexual interest than it was about banter. Lance liked wordplay, he liked the art of flirting, the humor and playfulness. It was part of how he interacted with pretty much everyone he wasn't intimidated by. Keith had seen him flirt with both Shiro and Curtis at their wedding, for God's sake. Most of the time, he didn't even seem to know he was doing it… and over the years, he'd veered away from the skeezy lines somewhat- which was really bad for Keith's state of mind, because he couldn't even hide behind cringing at the awfulness of his lines. At least once a varga he had to remind himself that Lance didn't realize he was flirting with him. He wasn't actually flirting with Keith. Not with sincerity. Not with intent. That was absolutely vital for Keith to remember.

Fourth of all, they each had their own bunks, but they were literal bunks. Two cots that folded away into the wall when not in use. The same wall. Keith was used to them, so he gave Lance the top bunk, because it had much more clearance- which was important for someone who was used to a human bed. Keith's mattress was all of three feet below Lance's. Close enough that he could hear every slow, steady breath when he fell asleep. And every small, distressed noise when the nightmares inevitably hit a varga or two later. He had no idea how to bring that up to Lance, but it worried him.

Between his nose and the suit; the accidental flirting and the growing concern; Keith felt like the Houston had turned into some kind of Keith-Kogane-specific pressure cooker… and it had only been three quintants! All of that explained why he'd found himself counting down the vargas until they would be touching down on Thayserix to refuel and check in with the locals. At least then he could… like… air out the ship or something.

"You wanna take us down?" he asked Lance as they approached the planet, "see how rusty you are at landing?"

"Rusty? Pffft- I'm not rusty… and it wouldn't matter if I was! You think I didn't notice that the docking and landing protocols are automated on this thing?"

"I can disable the assist if you think you don't need it," Keith said, unable to resist the urge to smile at Lance. His instincts had been right, or it least it seemed that way so far. Ever since they'd left Earth, Lance had been more upbeat, more engaged. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief that Keith hadn't seen in them in years.

"Is there, like, a halfway point we can set it to?" Lance asked after a few ticks, revealing a depth of maturity that far outpaced what he had even in those last days on the Atlas before they had confronted Haggar. "Just in case I am rustier than I thought?"

"You mean, something that kicks in if you go outside specific parameters? Yeah, I can do that." Turning back to the controls, Keith flipped a few switches and messed with a couple of dials. "There you go! It's all you unless you are in some kind of dangerous approach."

It wasn't the smoothest landing he'd ever had, but Lance had been capable and determined. After a few initial wobbles, he'd gotten a feel for the controls and then the descent was like silk until the last few ticks. Even that had been more awkward than bad. A lurch and a hitch and then a soft drop and they were on the ground.

Lance had done that weird rooster crow howl thing he'd heard so many times over the comms in the Lions and Keith couldn't help the huge, indulgent smile that bloomed on his face. There he was. That was the competitive, enthusiastic, brave, thrill seeker he'd fallen in love with.

Lance turned to him, eyes sparkling almost as bright as the smile that graced his handsome face, "told'ya I wasn't rusty!"

"Not bad," he conceded, "how long has it been since you landed something from orbit?"

"Probably not as long as you think." Lance laughed, rising out of his seat and stretching. He grabbed onto the crossbar of the storage access hatch above them and leaned forward, hanging his weight on his arms. The motion curved his torso back in a graceful line that showcased… just… everything and Keith heard a few pops before Lance let out a low, soft sigh. Three quintants. It had been three quintants and Keith was pretty sure he had made the biggest mistake of his life. "Maybe a year?"

"Huh?" he blinked at Lance, trying to make sense of what he'd just said. What about a year? Jesus- had he always been so flexible?

"There was an event on the Atlas," Lance was saying, and Keith was trying very hard to listen, and not just watch those lips move. "They were orbiting, and Veronica convinced me to go with her. Then she got completely shit faced and I had to fly us home. She and Rivazi had a fight, so… glug glug, I guess - seriously, save me from all the drama of my sister's sex life."

"Oh… okay. Umm… a year's not so bad."

"This ship is nicer than the old shuttle we had access to. Man, that thing was sooo clunky!" He cocked his head toward Keith and grinned, "so, do we change out of these scuba suits in here or after we get wherever we are going? Because… I'm not sure the girls of Thayserix are prepared for all this eye candy..."

"Here," Keith said, a little too forcefully. Eye candy. The 'girls' of Thayserix were definitely not prepared. He hadn't been prepared and he'd seen nothing but Lance in that suit for three damn quintants. Three quintants. That meant… at least ten more on the ship before they got to Daibazaal. He coughed, because it was the only thing he could think of that would prevent the actual whimper he'd felt building in the back of his throat, "you can change here. I'm not sure how busy things will be once we head out."

"Sure thing. I'll be right back and then you can change." Righting himself, he rolled his shoulders and headed to the back of the ship. After a moment, Keith heard him call out. "How long are we staying here, anyway?"

"Ummm… Thayserix is primarily a hospitality planet now, and I wasn't sure how stressed out we'd be when we got here, so I planned on staying for a couple of quintants." Laughter drifted out of the room, but Lance didn't say anything. Keith busied himself with running through the various checks and system shutdowns that needed to be done before the Houston could be refueled, and tried not to think too much about the fact that Lance was getting naked in close proximity to a bed at this precise moment.

"You really thought we'd be at each other's throats by now, didn't you?"

Keith nearly jumped out of his skin, he'd been so focused on not thinking about Lance that he hadn't even heard him approach. Whatever. At least now he wasn't going to be wearing the Blade jumpsuit. He'd have changed into something comfortable and normal like jeans and a t-shirt. Something Keith was used to seeing him in and could handle. "I thought that this is a small ship and you haven't been off planet for any length of time in a few years and…"

Oh.

Oh no.

Not jeans and a t-shirt.

Not even close.

Damn.

Black slacks encased Lance's long legs- a little snug over the thighs and sitting low on those narrow hips, like he'd bulked up a bit since he'd bought them. Instead of a t-shirt, he was wearing a pale grey button down, the top couple of buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up a little and then pushed up to his elbows which showcased a small assortment of colorful braided bracelets on his wrist. He'd topped that with a darker grey vest, hanging open. Something about the shades of grey made his coppery skin look warm and inviting and by some magic Keith didn't understand, those blue eyes of his looked even bluer and up until this exact moment Keith would have claimed that was impossible. He had no idea what he'd been saying so he just shrugged, like the rest of his comment was obvious.

"Awww," Lance cooed, batting his eyelashes playfully and Keith just plain forgot how to breath. "You planned a spa retreat for lil'ol me? Keith! You're spoiling me! Now I gotta figure out some way to pay you back!"

"Whatever… I should… change," he muttered, standing and pushing past Lance to head to the sleeping quarters. He doesn't know he's flirting, Keith reminded himself. He doesn't know he's flirting. Hedoesn'tknowhe'sflirting. Hedoesn'tknowhe'sflirting. It doesn't mean anything! Running through the mental list of all the reasons that he had come up with this (stupid, self-destructive, masochistic) plan of his he peeled out of his Blade jumpsuit and changed into a pair of black jeans, a red t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. Basic, NORMAL clothes. Shoving his feet into his boots, he stuffed the last few things of his into his duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. Lance's bag was resting against the airlock door. "Ready?"

"Yep!" There was a hiss as the airlock disengaged, the inner doors opening and then closing again behind them. Then a soft whine and a whoosh as the exterior doors opened, bathing them in blessedly plant-scented fresh air. "Ummm… Keith..." Lance turned to look at him, his expression stunned, "what?"

There was a crowd of Thayseri people cheering and setting off noise makers that sent little glittering sparks into the air as they exited the ship. He was not expecting this kind of reception! He'd stopped on this planet on his way to Earth and he'd been greeted by a single government representative and a driver. "I don't know! Maybe it's because of you?!"

"Why would I trigger this kind of reception?" Lance whispered, as he smiled and waved like a politician. "I'm a nobody! People don't even remember who I am!"

"One- they absolutely do, and two- I don't know! I just know that when I was here like three movements ago nobody cared!"

Thayseri were a humanoid species with warm yellow skin and curly blue hair that grew out like a mohawk and was usually decorated with little gemstones. Generally, they stood at about four feet tall and tended to be quite rotund and jolly looking. The planet itself was colorful as well, with cotton-candy pink grass and palm-tree like plants that seemed to be topped with red and purple and blue pompoms instead of leaves. The whole place reminded Keith of books his father would read to him when he was really small. He actually loved it here… but usually it was quiet and calm. He had no idea what to make of the sudden fanfare.

"Welcome! Welcome!" One Thayseri broke free of the crowd, rushing forward on his short legs, his face beaming with what could only be described as joy. "Former Paladins of Voltron! Representatives of the Blade of Marmora and the Earth Alliance! Carrier of Princess Allura's Legacy! Welcome to Thayserix and Congratulations!"

"Uhhh… ow!" Lance's elbow connected with his ribs with more force than was really needed and he fought the impulse to glare.

"Thank-you!" gushed Lance, despite the fact that he had no more idea of what was going on than Keith did. "This is all… so… festive! We are thrilled to be here. Just… thrilled!"

"It is such an honor to host you both," the man said, clasping Keith's hand in an enthusiastic handshake, "an honor to be a part of such an important event!"

"Uhmmm… Good… we're… uh… happy to give you the… uh… opportunity." He wasn't as good at this stuff as Lance, and he still had no idea what was going on!

The jolly man shifted his attention to Lance, grasping his hand in another firm handshake. "When we read your missive we were just so…"

"Honored?" Keith guessed.

"Yes! Yes, very honored. So honored. Always. Of course… but surprised! The accommodations you requested? So… modest. It wouldn't do! It just wouldn't do, at all. You understand, of course. It is a matter of pride! It couldn't stand!"

"No, of course," Lance nodded along, "we defer to your expertise, of course. I'm sure Keith… simply didn't want to be… a burden on you."

"A burden!? Impossible! On such an auspicious journey? Never!"

"Well, we are very glad to hear that we aren't causing any hardship." How was Lance doing this?! He sounded like he completely understood everything that was happening- even though it didn't make any sense at all! "But really, I'm sure the accommodations that Keith requested are perfectly adequate, ummm… I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name…"

"My name? Mine!? Oh my Seri! A Paladin of Voltron wants to know my name! I am so honored… just so honored. It's Gu'klick. Gu'klick Y'hilky… but Gu'klick is fine, absolutely fine. Oh, my Seri! I am delaying you! My apologies! My deepest regrets! Please! Please! This way…" he shuffled backwards, half bowing as he swept his arm out to direct them to what looked to be some kind of hovering boat-thing?

"Gu'klick," Lance said with a smile grabbing Keith by the wrist and tugging him along as Lance followed the Thayseri. "I'm Lance, and this is Keith. We are so pleased to meet you. Your planet is lovely. Just lovely… and what a warm welcome!"

"Yeah," Keith managed, catching up to Lance, "pleased to meet you… uh… Gu'klick."

"The pleasure is mine, I assure you!" Gu'klick gushed, opening a door on the side of the odd transport to create a narrow ramp. Lance didn't miss a beat before bounding up the ramp and dropping his bag onto the floor of the vehicle. Keith followed a little more slowly. The interior was a gleaming red metal with a wide, low bench adorned with two deep blue pillows. He set his duffel beside Lance's bag and sat on one of the pillows. As Lance sat beside him, Gu'klick flashed an even bigger smile and clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! Now, we have relocated you to the Keriflimo Resort. Beautiful resort. Luxurious. Quiet. Private. Something befitting this visit. You will have the Elgari Suites, of course. I do hope they meet your approval."

"I'm sure they will be everything we could ever hope," Lance assured him, nudging Keith's knee with his own.

"Yes. Exactly." Keith nodded.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! I will send you on your way now. Please," he pressed a little box into Keith's hand, "do not hesitate to contact me if you are in need of anything. I am your personal attendant for the duration of your stay. It is my honor, my deepest, deepest honor to ensure you have the most wondrous stay!"

"Contact you?" Keith asked, turning the plain, unmarked little box over in his hand looking for a button or something.

"Yes! Of course! You've never stayed at the Keriflimo Resort! This is a… I believe 'comm' is the word you use, yes? Simply say my name and I will be alerted. Very easy to use. Very discreet," he assured him. "Otherwise, you will be granted complete privacy within the suites."

"Thank-you, Gu'klick," Keith said, because he wasn't as good at this stuff as Lance, but he wasn't completely useless. He could be polite, at least. "I'm sure that everything will be fine, but we'll keep that in mind."

"No, please! Thank you for this honor!" Gu'klick did another one of those little half-bows and tapped the side of the vehicle. The ramp retracted and the door slid closed. A soft bell chimed and shimmering walls that reminded him of the particle barriers they Lions had rose around them and enclosed the hovering transport. All the noise and bustle vanished immediately. They could see everything that was going on around them, but they seemed to be in some kind of bubble of silence.

"Keith- What is going on?" Lance breathed, still smiling, waving at the crowd that had greeted their ship.

"I don't know!" He insisted, exasperated, "I have no idea. I've been here before- a few times- they have never reacted like this! It's gotta be because you are here!"

"But that doesn't make any sense!"

"I don't know what to tell you! Maybe it's because of what they were saying about Allura's Legacy or whatever?"

"A couple of blue marks on my face doesn't warrant that… oh my god.."

"Wha- holy crap!"

The streets were packed with cheering Thayseri. Dozens of yellow-skinned, blue-haired people crowded behind glittering energy barriers. More of those sparkling noise makers were set off, although they couldn't hear them, or the cheering crowd. People held signs written in an alphabet that Keith didn't recognize and waved flags and banners. Their transport floated down the roads and a wave of those half-bows followed along with them, each and every Thayseri bending slightly and sweeping their arms in the direction the vehicle was travelling as they passed and then standing up to continue cheering once they had moved beyond them. It was surreal and more than a little overwhelming.

"It's like we are a parade," still waving and smiling, Lance sounded more awed than confused or pissed, "like, just us. I feel like this is the most disappointing parade ever… but we really seem to be a parade or something."

"This whole thing is soooooo weird," Keith muttered, also waving. "It's like… oh, God, Lance- it's like a royal procession! This is completely because of the whole Allura thing! They are treating you like royalty! Like they think she named you Prince or something. They must think this is some kind of diplomatic trip- some big symbolic peace thing between New Altea and Daibazaal!"

"Wow- no pressure or anything! Geez!" They exchanged a slightly panicked look, "when we get to the resort, I wanna see that message you sent- and then we are getting in touch with Kolivan ASAP! The last thing we need is to cause some kind of intergalactic incident because we don't know the protocols for this!"

By the time their little floating vehicle came to a halt and the glittering dome blinked out of sight, Keith understood why royalty all seemed to wave the same way- his arm was killing him and he hadn't even been waving that long! It had been maybe half a varga since they'd left the Houston.

The low whistle Lance let out brought him back to reality and he took in his surroundings for the first time. The vehicle had stopped in front of a… building, he guessed, although it didn't look like a building. It looked like a glass tree. A massive, pale purple glass tree that was completely covered in silvery vines dotted with little blue crystalline flowers… but a tree, all the same. An ornate filigree door was inset in the wall and he could hear birdsong and splashing water, "wow."

"Luxurious. Quiet. Private." Lance echoed the words of Gu'klick, "this looks like something out of a fairy tale!"

"Man, I think this is my favorite planet to visit…" Keith triggered the door and waited for the little ramp to slide into place before grabbing his bag and climbing down. Out of habit, he held his hand out for Lance to grab for balance as he followed behind him. "I mean, aside from all the weirdness this time around…"

"The 'pomp and circumstance'?" chuckled Lance, pushing a hand through his brown hair, "I dunno- that was kind of fun. Or at least, it would have been fun if we knew what was going on."

"I do not understand how you can enjoy that stuff…"

"Really?! You can't understand why I would enjoy people being overjoyed to see me? I'm not exactly a shy person, Keith," he laughed, his longer stride moving him past Keith on the path, despite the leisurely pace of his steps. "I mean, I wouldn't want it to be like that every day, but every once in a while? Sure. I like attention. This isn't news."

He was right- it wasn't news. But it also didn't fit with the way that Lance had been living his life for the last few years. A quiet life on the family farm was a completely valid way to live. It just didn't make sense for Lance. Not permanently. Lance's family had always functioned like a kite string- they kept him connected but let him soar. Without them he crashed. Since Allura's loss, and since the Lion's left, it hadn't been like that. It had been three quintants, and already Lance seemed lighter, more engaged. If, after this trip, Lance headed back to the farm, Keith would keep his mouth shut. He wasn't trying to make decisions for Lance- just hoping to remind him of how much he'd enjoyed the wider world. It was far too easy to let grief build walls around you.

"Hmmm… they didn't give us keys… I guess we should just… knock." The smile that Lance shot him was quite possibly the sexiest expression he'd ever seen. It was… uhh… potent. Definitely potent. He stopped in his tracks as Lance rapped twice on the door. Memories of finding Blue flooded him in a rush. He'd said the same thing then and it had led to everything changing.

Lance was brave. He took risks. That was something they shared, but it was different in Lance. For a long time, Keith took risks because he didn't see himself as having much value. That had changed- in a large part because of the handsome man that stood at the door- and he'd found his place and was reminded of his own worth. For Lance, though, it was more of a matter of trust in the idea of life working out than anything else. Some would call it naivety or the result of not really comprehending the risk.

Keith knew better. It was faith. Faith in the innate goodness of the universe. Faith in the capabilities of the people around him to handle any problem that came along. Faith in himself being able to adapt and thrive no matter the hardship. Faith that the risk was worth the payoff. Faith that had taken a hard hit when the woman he loved chose to sacrifice herself; when Allura had made the decision that her life was an acceptable price to pay to restore life and existence to infinite realities.

The door swung open and Lance shook his head, his smile softening, "look at that- it worked! Keith? What's with the face?"

"Just… remembering the first time I heard you say that about alien stuff," he answered.

"Ahhh, the good old days, huh?" Lance walked through the door and Keith followed. The door opened into a foyer. One side of the exterior wall was lined with hooks for outerwear and there was a delicate table against the far wall, a large mirror hanging above it. The floor was a glossy black so gleaming and pure it almost looked like a void. The walls were pale and warm- kind of a honey-ish wood color, maybe? Design wasn't exactly something he was into. It was strangely homey, though and he could already feel himself relax a bit.

High on the walls, sunlight filtered into the room, painting little glowing purple shapes on the softly colored walls. "Pretty," murmured Lance, toeing off his sneakers and kicking them out of the way of the door. Keith followed suit, and then literally followed Lance down the hall that led away from the foyer. To their left was a quiet, dim room that seemed to have an entertainment system on the far wall. Instead of furniture, the seating was inset into the floor like it had been on the Castle of Lions, but this was all soft, organic curves and deep, plush cushions. "I wonder what kind of movies are popular here?"

"They have stuff from all over. Even some Earth movies. Old ones, but from Earth. I watched a couple the last time I passed through."

"Sweet! Oh man- look at that kitchen! My mother would swoon!" Lance came to a stop in the arched doorway of a kitchen that looked like something out of a very beautiful restaurant. Large windows above deep, wide double sinks overlooked a bright and colorful garden. The walls were lined with fully stocked shelves containing every kind of dish he could imagine and plenty more he didn't recognize at all. There were three different kinds of stoves- including one that seemed to just be a bed of blue lava with a rack of some kind above it. "Check out this fridge!" Lance pulled open a door to reveal a walk-in refrigerated room containing more food that Keith would have thought possible. "Oh, hey! These are those weird ice pop things from Clear Day. You want one?"

"Maybe later," Keith answered, "right now I just want to message Kolivan, and get some fresh air."

"Ohhh, yeah… I like your plan better. We can explore more after we unwind." He shut the fridge and they left the kitchen. The hall emptied into a huge sitting room; three more of those inset couches were placed roughly facing each other. There was a wet bar off to one side, tucked into the corner beside a shelf filled with reading material- dozens of scrolls, holodisks, projector crystals, books, magazines, and data pads to choose from. Pretty flowering vines climbed the walls and natural light streamed in from the-oh. "Holy quiznak! I never want to leave," whispered Lance.

What Keith had expected to be the far wall was, in fact, an ornate filigree fence. The room was completely open to the outdoors. A babbling fountain sat just on the other side of the fence and fed into a deep, open pool of sparkling water. The smooth stone that shaped it was a pale, glowing pink and at the far end, it dipped down, forming a kind of spout for the water to spill over into a pretty little stream that coiled through the garden. It was surrounded by more of that soft pink grass and ringed with those pompom trees. Other plants dotted the grounds, often near hanging, nest-like constructs filled with pillows, or low, wide swings and benches, creating quiet little spots perfect for curling up to read. Beautiful and private and serene. It was like a little slice of fairy tale heaven.

"Wow! That's… amazing." Keith was already deciding what book he wanted to read.

"Yeah, I'm going swimming," Lance said suddenly. "You message Kolivan then come join me."

"I don't know if I want to go swi-"

"Yeah, yeah- I see those hammock-y things. I know you are itching to go read. Did you pack trunks?"

"Yeah?" How did Lance know he wanted to go curl up and read? When had he ever done that around Lance?

"Okay, then change into them. I feel rude swimming alone, but I won't if you are in your suit."

"That makes no sense, Lance."

"Don't care, it's the truth." He shrugged, "I think it's because you could swim if you wanted- whatever. Message Kolivan and meet me out there. Logic would dictate that there is a bathroom near the wat- Ah-ha! Found it… and oh my God, the tub is almost as big as the pool!"

Keith chuckled and pulled out his phone, taking his time to make sure his message to Kolivan was as thorough as possible and including his communications with Thayserix as attachments.

"Augh! Okay!" Lance yelled, "I'm fine! This is fine… but the thing across from the sink is a bidet! Fair warning!"

Those little nest things were every bit as comfortable as they looked. They even had an interface built in to them he recognized from previous visits to the planet that allowed him to order up drinks and snacks- which were delivered to him on little floating trays. He'd been slowly swaying back and forth, nestled deep in fluffy pillows, soaking up the sunlight with one leg hooked over the edge of the nest and sipping on icy cold Kethran Ale for two vargas or so. It was nice. It'd be nicer if he could focus.

"Keith?"

"Yeah?" He didn't look up, because if he looked up, he'd get thoroughly distracted by Lance. He could tell, just from the sound of the water and the tone of voice, that Lance had his arms looped over the edge of the pool and crossed, his chin resting on the x of his wrists. He knew that his brown hair was slicked back from his face and curling adorably from the water. He knew that the sparkling water was making the blue of his eyes practically glow, and that the sun and water combined to make his skin look absolutely edible. He knew all this because it had taken almost a varga for him to learn not to look.

"Any word from Kolivan?"

"No. I'll tell you when he replies, Lance. Relax."

"What are you drinking?"

"Kethran Ale," he answered, tapping the screen to bring up the next page of his book.

"Sooo- beer?"

"Pretty much, yeah. It's… got a kind of coffee flavor to it. But, not bitter… more tart. I don't know how to describe it. I like it. Packs a punch though, so I don't drink it often.

"Oh… cool." There was a splash and the sounds of water sloshing over the stone edges. Lance probably did that amazing thing where he kind of curled backwards in something that looked like a backflip to move away from the edge of the pool… because that's what he'd done every time Keith had made the mistake of looking at him. Lance + water was bad for his self control.

The sun vanished and water dripped on his leg. His eyes flew up before his brain could engage to stop them. Lance was standing beside him, looking like something from a beach calendar. Keith's mouth went dry and he reached for his drink, downing half of what was left in it.

"Can I try it?" Lance asked, pushing his hand through his hair and smiling at him.

"Huh?"

"The beer, Keith. Can I try the beer?" He laughed, "I don't want to try out the hammock-thing! I'd ruin all the pillows!"

"Yeah," he nodded. Sure. He could try whatever he wanted.

"Awesome, thanks!" He took the bottle from Keith, and his fingers skimming along the edge of Keith's hand made something hot and primal curl deep in Keith's gut. Keith moved the data pad like he was going to start reading again, but his eyes never quite made it to the screen. Lance tipped his head back to sample the ale- because lucky, lucky Keith had finished most of it. The sun caught on a droplet of water as it dripped from his hair, making it glint and flash as it struck Lance's shoulder and slid down that sun-kissed skin, tracing a meandering path over his clavicle and- Blinking hard, Keith snapped his eyes back up to Lance's face just in time for him to finish his sip. "That's good! Strong though, woo." Shaking his head sent water drops flying from his hair and Keith squawked at the little splashes. "Order me up a couple?"

"I'll order you one," Keith countered.

"One's a start," Lance answered with a shrug. "How's the book?"

"It's good. I like it."

"I hate reading on data pads." Returning the bottle to the hovering tray beside Keith, Lance stretched, "I like the feel of the paper, you know?"

"I do, too, sometimes. But this one was just available on the pads."

"At least the data pads are waterproof," Lance said, "safer around the pool…"

He should have known. He really should have. He would have known if Lance hadn't distracted him by being… hot. Lance's face changed, his eyes crinkling at the edges, smile curling up into a mischievous smirk. "No!" Keith yelped. Too late. He knew it was too late. Lance was already moving, and before Keith could gain any traction on the pillows he was hoisted over Lance's broad shoulder and the cocky jerk slapped. his. ass. before running back to the pool- like he weighed nothing- and leaping into the water.

Warm, refreshing water encased him barely an instant after he thought to hold his breath and he felt Lance release him so they didn't get tangled together. He blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust and Lance came into focus a few feet away. Lance winked at him and blew him a freaking kiss before swimming off.

Oh no.

He was not getting away with that!

Keith gave chase.

Swimming was something that Keith enjoyed; but Lance loved the water and had grown up a stone's throw from the ocean. It was harder than he wanted to admit to catch up to his travel companion, and he'd had to surface for air far sooner than Lance had. Eventually though, Keith had managed to grab Lance by the ankle and yank him backwards in the water. That time, they'd both broken the surface almost simultaneously. A heated, prolonged splash fight ensued.

Keith had a blast- he was never able to grasp how Lance made being so irritated so much fun, but he did. It was fun to trash talk and threaten and get way too into winning when there weren't really any stakes, at all. No war. No rebuilding ravaged cultures. Just sun, and water, and pitting himself against someone he trusted not to turn a game into something dangerous, all tied together by Lance's laughter and goading and little shrieks when Keith managed a particularly impressive arc of water.

By the time they crawled out of the pool a few vargas later, Keith was exhausted and pruney. Somehow, Lance seemed to be just as energetic as he had been when they went outside in the first place.

"Hungry?" Lance asked cheerfully, "because I am starving. We should see if there is anything recognizable in that kitchen…"

"I can use the interface to order something," Keith pointed out, "the kitchen is basically just for people who find cooking relaxing. I have never prepared my own food a single time on this planet. Not once."

"Oooooh room service! Yes, please! You know what kind of stuff I like- I'm gonna go dry off and change."

Watching until Lance ducked into the bathroom, Keith let out a sigh. The fresh air had done him a world of good- he no longer felt like he was drowning in Lance's scent and completely ruled by hormones. The time in the pool had helped, too. That whole thing had been disconcerting and weird. He didn't like being hyper-aware of just how attractive Lance was. It was important to him that he be able to function like a sensible adult around him. Lance was his friend, and Keith knew exactly how Lance saw him, and had accepted it years ago. He just wanted his stupid Galra nose to get the damn memo so he could stop reacting like a freshman dealing with his first crush already.

Grumbling to himself, he plugged in orders for food- a couple of steaks (human food- yay!), roasted tubers from Arus, and a salad made up of plants from a variety of sources. Simple, tasty, reasonably familiar. Done. Wait- drinks. After a moment of debate, he added a couple of Kethran Ales to the order for each of them. Sure, they were kind of strong, but he'd seen Lance drink before and a couple of them with dinner should be fine. Then they could chill out and watch a movie or something and crash for the night. Hopefully, at some point during the evening Kolivan would get back to them with an explanation, and they'd be able to relax for the rest of the visit.

By the time the food arrived in little covered, hovering trays, Keith had also ducked into the bathroom to change and had managed to towel dry his hair enough that it wasn't dripping onto his shirt at least. "This smells awesome," he sighed, trying to decide whether to eat in the kitchen or the entertainment room.

"Wanna take the food out to the garden?" Lance suggested, "it's getting dark- we can watch the stars come out."

"Sure!" Honestly, the more time they spent outside, the better… and that garden really was something special. He wasn't sure why they'd been upgraded so dramatically, but he was going to take full advantage of it. He followed Lance through the little gate in the filigree fence to one of the benches.

"What did you order us anywa- oooh! Steak! Niiiice!" Lance grinned and shifted to one end of the bench.

"Thought you'd like that," he laughed, "and I got us a couple of beers, too. Nothing like steak and beer, right?"

"Well, I mean… wine is the obvious choice," Lance countered, "but beer's good, too. This place is amazing!"

"The entire planet could be a wasteland filled with crumbling hovels, and as long as that pool was something you had access to, you'd love it," Keith pointed out, setting the cover for his tray of food aside and grabbing his cutlery.

"Not fair! I'm not that much of a sucker for a good pool. I am also impressed by the massive bathtub, and that entertainment room is something else. I was poking around in there while you were changing- did you know it has like a planetarium ceiling? Very cool!"

"Find any movies you wanted to watch?"

"Yeah, actually. There's an Altean one I really like. I've seen it a couple of times at Coran's. It's not as… uhhh… artsy as most Altean media. It's… kind of a buddy cop comedy… I guess." He shrugged, "it's funny. I like it."

"Sure, I'm not picky… and if I hate it, I can always go read something."

"You'll like it," Lance nodded, sipping his beer, "oh- I threw your duffel into the bedroom before we came out- in case you are looking for it."

"Not sure why I'd be looking for it, but alright. Good to know, I guess- how's the steak?"

They fell into easy conversation, chatting about the food and sharing gossip about their mutual acquaintances. Keith got a kick out of Lance's stories about Veronica's very busy love life. Nadia Rivazi was a firecracker and most of the stories about their relationship involved arguments and reconciliations. Keith preferred the ones about Veronica and Acxa, though, because it was a side of the Galran woman who'd become practically family to him over the years that he didn't see much of, and because Lance had a knack for amping up the drama of their years-long relationship in a way that was hilarious.

As the sky grew dark and stars began to flicker in the sky, things got quieter. Sipping his beer, Keith talked about Blade missions and Kosmo and told the occasional story about Shiro, or his time living alone in the desert before they'd been part of Voltron. Conversation petered out a bit as they finished their food and started in on their second beers, their attention mostly focused on the night sky.

"Still messes with my head to look up and not recognize any of the constellations," Lance mused, "it's easier in a ship, I think. Something about being on the surface of a planet and seeing unfamiliar stars is just weird."

"Mmmhmmm… I know a few of these, though." Lifting his arm, he pointed at a cluster of stars near the horizon, "those are the Caliprakic Warriors and that… the kind of swoopy shape there with the duller stars? That's the Oxynbim- it's a monster that eats warmth."

Lance leaned in close, resting his head on Keith's shoulder so he had the same line of sight, "how do you know that?"

"My first time here, I got a book on the myths related to the stars… I loved Greek and Roman mythology when I was a kid, and I thought it would be an easier way to learn the stars of this system."

"So, you know the stories behind them?" At Keith's nod, Lance's eyes lit up, "ok, you have to tell me! Tell me about the Oxy-bum thing…"

"OxynBIM," Keith laughed, "alright. So, long, long ago, this world was cold. Very cold. Most of the planet was iced over, there were frozen poles, like on Earth, but they extended really far… nowadays, there is almost nothing near the equator here, because it is so unstable, but back then, all those volcanoes meant warm, fertile lands. There's this chain of them that almost completely circle the planet, called the Calipsi. So, all these little islands near the Calipsi were like the only spots where people lived. At some point, I guess the volcanoes went kind of dormant, and the temperatures dropped. But there was also less smoke and stuff in the atmosphere, so for the first time, they could see those stars."

Somehow, they ended up stretching out on the bench, side by side as Keith spoke, "food got scarce- it was too cold for a lot of the plants that people relied on and they needed to hunt more. For a couple of generations, things were really hard, but the people got stronger, leaner… and eventually the leaders from a bunch of those islands got together and decided they had to do something about the Oxynbim, before it stole all the warmth that was left and even their hunting wouldn't be enough to keep them fed. So, they prayed to their gods for guidance and the strongest, fiercest of their warriors were selected to go into the stars to fight to protect them all."

"Like their version of Voltron," Lance mused, "protecting them from space… I like that they came together to find a solution instead of fighting over shrinking resources…"

"Yeah, humans would have waged war on each other first, but not the Thayseri." Sipping his beer, he smiled, "right, so these chosen protectors, they were called the Caliprakic Warriors and they went on this quest and climbed to the peak of the highest volcano- the one that everyone was sure touched the stars- so they could fight the Oxynbim and bring warmth back to their families and villages and it could be like the elders said it used to be. They were young- they'd never been warm like that. They just had faith in what the elders told them things used to be like… and they were willing to die for the people they loved to have better lives. That's a special kind of bravery. So, like, the stories kind of end with them going off on this quest, but, supposedly, there was a huge eruption of the volcano they climbed, and everything warmed up again. So, they say the gods turned them into stars and they keep the Oxynbim at bay, even now."

"So, that's supposed to be them? The actual warriors that climbed a volcano to fight stars?" His voice was soft, "man, I love the stories ancient people came up with to explain things they didn't understand."

"That's supposed to be them," Keith answered. He was lying unnaturally still, because he was pretty sure that Lance hadn't noticed that in his shifting and talking he'd ended up curling into Keith's side. But Keith had definitely noticed how perfectly they fit together; how warm Lance was, even through the layers of their clothing; how incredibly easy it would be for him to unfold his arm from behind his head and let it fall around Lance's shoulders. It was hard to think about anything else, actually. "Given everything we've seen out there…"

"Yeah- it wouldn't be the weirdest thing we've encountered if they were those stars. Maybe they are keeping Allura company."

"Maybe- she'd certainly respect their bravery."

"And their hope," Lance said quietly, "she always valued hope."

They went quiet and just watched the sky for a few doboshes. Mentioning Allura would often end a conversation. It wasn't pain anymore, not really. Lance hadn't sounded sad, or heartbroken when he talked about her, just fond and kind of wistful. Still, while her loss wasn't as sharp as it had been when it was new, it was still big enough to swallow the conversation and replace it with a flood of memories.

"Hope takes a lot of courage," Lance said after a while, still resting his head on Keith's shoulder. Keith fought to remind himself not to read into it. Lance was talking about his dead girlfriend, for God's sake! "People don't think about it much, but it takes a lot of guts to look at all the awful stuff life can throw at you and choose to think 'this isn't forever, I can change this'. Those Calico-"

"Caliprakic…"

"Those Caliprakic Warriors had that. So did Allura."

"You have it, too," Keith pointed out, "you and Allura had that in common. Maybe that's what Blue valued in a paladin?"

"Maybe. I guess we'll never know now."

"It would fit… but yeah. Unless Coran knows, that bit of information is lost to us."

"I miss the Lions sometimes," Lance sighed, "not the battles and stuff, just… that feeling, you know? That like… purr in the back of your mind. The one that reminded you that you weren't ever really alone? I miss it."

"Me, too… and when we would all connect to form Voltron? I miss that a lot."

"I remember being so worried about how that would go once Allura and I started dating. Like, I was scared that the way things changed between us would mess up the Voltron mindlink somehow."

"It felt different, but not in a bad way. Just… warmer, maybe?"

"I like that. We were all sorely lacking in warmth back then." The smile on Lance's face was soft, but it reached his eyes. He was still curled into him, head resting on his shoulder. So close, and warm, and he smelled so good. But, he didn't mean anything by it, and Keith felt like such an asshole for enjoying the closeness and contact so much. "You know any other myths?"

He did, and he told them all to Lance- lying side by side on the bench, staring up at the alien stars until they were both yawning every couple of doboshes. It was probably totally safe to sleep outside, but he doubted it would be all that comfortable, so the next time Lance yawned like a sleepy kitten, he spoke up. "Okay- time for us to crash. We can do more stargazing tomorrow night."

"I wonder if it is safe to sleep outside here?" Lance mused drowsily as he sat up, surprising Keith with how perfectly he had echoed his own thoughts, "those hammock things look pretty damn cozy right now…"

"I don't see why it would be any more dangerous than the last few vargas have been… but there is no way I'm sleeping rough at a high end resort!"

"Mmm… good point. Maybe I'll grab a nap in one sometime tomorrow." He stretched again and Keith moved to pack up their dishes, covering the floating trays and hitting the little button that sent them whirring back to wherever the kitchens were located. After all these years, he'd gotten pretty adept at finding ways to occupy himself so he didn't ogle his friend too much, or make an idiot of himself (by getting caught ogling his friend).

"You and naps," Keith chuckled, because Lance had always been a very vocal fan of napping. Back on the Castle of Lions it was common to find him curled up somewhere, taking advantage of their limited downtime to grab a short nap. They'd all teased him a bit, but it never got too harsh. Tactically, it made sense to try to be as well rested as possible, since they were never really 'off-duty', but Lance hadn't been making a tactical decision. He just enjoyed naps.

"Listen, beauty sleep is important," Lance countered, giving Keith a playful hip-check as they headed back inside, "and it works!" He twisted, placing himself directly in Keith's path, and it was only Keith's continued training with the Blades that kept his reflexes sharp enough to avoid slamming into Lance. Still, he ended up standing close enough that he could feel the warmth radiating from that very solid chest. His mouth went dry, eyes flicking up to meet Lance's gaze reflexively. Lance smirked, and heat coiled deep in Keith's gut again. "Case in point," he quipped, framing his face with his hands, "don't knock the naps!"

And, just like that, he was moving again, completely oblivious to the havoc he wreaked without even trying. Keith pulled himself together (something else he'd gotten good at thanks to long practice) and followed behind him. "Hey- where did you say you tossed my duffel? Like… which door?"

"There's only the one door," Lance laughed, "end of the hall."

That was weird. A luxury resort like this was the last spot he'd expect to house them in a suite with a single bedroom- especially since he'd initially booked two rooms for them. Not that he really minded. It wouldn't be that different from sleeping in the bunks on the Houston- just horizontal distance instead of vertical. He pushed open the door, and froze. He'd been expecting to see two double beds. Not… this.

Like the other rooms, this one didn't have furniture in the way that Earth did. Keith wasn't sure why so many alien species liked to sink their furniture into the floor, but it was what it was. This room wasn't overly large, but there was roughly a three foot border of solid floor running along the walls. Past that point though? It was just one massive bed. One very inviting, absolutely decadent looking, bed. There was a fireplace-like thing that served as a kind of headboard, but that was the only indication of any type of proper positioning of the round sleeping surface.

He was pretty sure the neatly folded blankets along the far edge were satin and fur… and that pale yellow one looked like Grekagan angora. He didn't even want to think about what all the pretty little bottles on the tray beside the blankets contained! "Lance?" he called back through the door, "have you actually checked this room out?" Because he couldn't possibly have seen this, right? Because if Lance had seen this… honeymoon grotto-looking situation, he would have said something, right? Cracked a joke. Made some kind of flirty comment he didn't mean but that still made Keith's hormones surge and his breathing hitch and his stomach drop. Grabbed that little communicator cube and summoned…. Ummm… Gloopick? No. Galapit? No- whatever that guy's name was! Lance would have done something or said something if he had seen... Just… all of this. Right? Just… Keith had seen actual brothels that didn't look this… um… sensual and inviting.

"Yeah, of course I did," Lance answered, somehow from directly behind him- how had he gotten so close without Keith noticing? "Did you see those awesome curtain things? That whole wall is glass, but instead of putting the curtains on the windows… just look!" He pushed past Keith, half-jogging over to the far end of the room and pulling a shimmering gauzey fabric out of the column that housed the fireplace, dragging it behind him as he looped the bed. Once the fabric touched the opposite side of the headboard-fireplace-thing it… what was the opposite of flashed? Because that's what it did, it switched from shimmery and light to opaque and dark in an instant. "How cool is that?! Right?"

Lance looked like a little kid. His face was positively lit up with happiness, any trace of his earlier sleepiness completely gone. It was impossible to see that and not smile, even if Keith was still more than a little wigged out by the whole 'one giant bed' thing. Still… "The curtains weren't really my focus, Lance," he said.

"I know, Keith, I know... but they should be! I mean, look!" He pulled the curtain back and the entire thing shifted to gauzey and shimmering in an instant. Then he pushed it until it touched the column again and it blinked into darkness. Light. Dark. Light. Dark. "This is seriously cool! Ohhh… is it the one bed thing? Because if it is, you are looking at this all wrong! This curtain situation? It's not a bed anymore, it's a tent."

"A tent?" He wasn't sure how that changed anything.

"Yeah. A tent. Like camping. The mattress is just… like imagine the tent has a comfy floor. I mean, this thing is huge. I've been in rooms smaller than this mattress! The entire sleeping quarters of the Houston would fit in here easy peasy lemon squeezey."

"I guess…"

"Keith, we've slept within arm's reach since we left Earth. I already know you snore. Chill."

"I do not snore!"

"No… you're right… it's more like you growl in your sleep. It's a Galra thing. Acxa does it, too."

"She does? Wait- how do you know that?"

Lance gave him a dry look, "you're kidding right? Veronica, that's how. She used to bitch about it all the time. Now she's gotten used to it or something, I guess. Either way, this isn't any different than the rest of the trip, really."

"Yeah… fine… sure. Lemme just go get changed and stuff." He wasn't wrong, and if Keith pressed the issue it would be weird and suspicious, so he let it drop.

By the time he returned, Lance had already settled himself on the mattress. He'd even taken the time to set out a couple of pillows and blankets for Keith. The two of them were about five feet apart, Lance lying on his side and fiddling with his phone. "Hey," he said, flashing Keith a smile. "I figured you weren't much of a 'wrap up in furs' kind of guy because you keep your ship like an ice box and use, like, one sheet. So, I grabbed you a couple of the lighter blankets. Good?"

He sat, running his hand over the blanket Lance chose, "holy crap! This thing is so soft! I wanna steal it."

"You can't steal it, Keith!" Lance gasped, scandalized, "they know who we are! Geez- just ask where you can buy one. Gu'klick was falling all over himself to make us happy, he'd probably just give you one if he knew you liked it."

"Yeah… right. That's probably true." The mattress moved oddly beneath him as he shifted around, but once he was lying down with his head resting on the pillow it felt like he was floating on nothing.

"Comfy, right?" Lance hopped to his feet, holding his phone, and gingerly walked to the edge of the bed, wobbling back and forth like he was in a bouncy castle or something. Grinning like a kid (in a bouncy castle) again, he closed the gap in the curtain and the fabric went dark. Above them though, the ceiling glowed softly, a warm amber light moving gently through the ceiling like rippling water. "I love this place. I vote that every year, right after the reunion dinner we all come here for a couple of days. Like a Voltron retreat. We can all stay right here and it will be like a camp out. I bet Pidge has some awesome ghost stories. She seems like the type, doesn't she?"

"All of us? Camping out in this bed?" Keith chuckled, trying to imagine it. "Pidge would terrify Hunk- you know that, right?"

"That's okay, he can cuddle up to me. Wouldn't be the first time. Hunk and I are long time camping buddies." Using the light from his phone to see, Lance returned to his little nest of pillows and blankets, "and yeah, all of us. There's plenty of room. I think it would be nice. I know everyone is busy, but I don't know… we all went through big stuff together. We should be able to spend some time just… enjoying each other's company, you know? More than one dinner a year where we spend half an hour catching up and then the rest of the meal remembering Allura. That's important… she's important… but we were always more than JUST her… and for a while, she wasn't even a Paladin. Shiro, you, me, Hunk, and Pidge… we were a team, too. A family, really."

"Are you serious?" he asked softly, because Lance did this sometimes, he spun out little daydreams of things he'd like to do. Talked about plans they should make with the others. Little flights of fancy that he didn't really mean, but that kept his imagination engaged for a bit and made him smile. But if he was serious… if he was really thinking about making an annual trip into space, for more than just the anniversary dinner on New Altea… that was… wow.

"Yeah," he said after a few quiet doboshes, "yeah. I think I am. I think it would be great. For all of us. We should do it. Do you think the others would want to?"

"Lance," he said, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice, because he wasn't sure Lance realised just how much his idea would mean to everyone. "I think… that if you asked everyone to come camping with you at a high end resort on Thayserix and they knew you meant it, they'd be putting in for the time off before you ended the call."

"Really?"

For the life of him, Keith couldn't figure out why Lance sounded so surprised at that. "Yes, really! Lance- you get that people have been worried about you, right? That they miss you?"

"I haven't gone anywhere, Keith. I'm just... home. They all know where to find me. I just… needed some time."

"I know… we all know that. I think we just didn't realize how much time you'd need. But, yeah, I think that if you are serious, they'd all be happy to come. Not so sure about all of us sharing one giant bed, though."

"Okay, first of all… we've already established that this is a tent- not a bed. And, second of all, I've shared a bed with all of them before so I don't know why they'd complain."

"When have you ever shared a bed with Shiro?" Keith laughed, because he knew that Lance had had sleepovers with Hunk and Pidge back on the Castle of Lions.

"The night of his bachelor party," Lance answered, voice smug. "We passed out on the same fold out couch. That damn arm of his is heavy! I felt like I had Thor's Hammer on my chest. Also, he kicks."

"Oh, I know! One time, on the way back to Earth in Black, he stomped Mom right in the center of her back. She was up and had her knife to his throat in like a flash. It was… pretty intense."

"Holy crap, Keith! Your mom almost killed Shiro?!"

"She didn't almost kill him, she's got better control than that," Keith scoffed. "She did kind of trigger a flashback, though… so Shiro decided to bunk with Pidge for a bit after that."

"That's why he was sleeping in Green? I was so curious about that, but I thought maybe Pidge was having nightmares or something so I didn't bring it up."

"Well, now you know," he smiled, still buzzing with relief and bubbling with happiness at the annual camp out idea. It was like he was getting to watch Lance remember himself on this trip. He just hoped and prayed that it stuck… because Lance was too special and precious to just… fade out the way he had been.

"We'll just have to make sure that when we are all getting settled in for the night, we point Shiro's feet away from everyone else," Lance mused after another couple of doboshes of comfortable silence.

Keith couldn't help it, that bubbling happiness was just too much. Lance's matter of fact observation just struck him exactly right and he dissolved into laughter. He couldn't catch a breath, laughing so hard he wheezed when he tried to drag some air back into his lungs, which sent Lance into a spiralling giggle that grew into true laughter. He had no idea how long they laughed together, but by the time it petered out in short staccato barks and aching ribs and little snuffles of mirth between gasps of air, he was truly exhausted. He could barely keep his eyes open, even as he wiped tears away from where they clung to his lashes and streaked down his cheeks.

"Good night, Keith," Lance said softly and Keith could hear the smile and the fondness in his voice as the light from his phone blinked out.

"Good night, Lance," he replied, and he was just too tired and too happy to school his own voice, to aim for something neutral and 'friend appropriate'. He couldn't be bothered to try. Somewhere along the way Lance had somehow decided that he wasn't as important to them as he really was. All their care and caution not to push too hard, not to crowd him, to give him the time and space he seemed to need had somehow sent the message that he wasn't missed, wasn't valued all that much. Keith wasn't going to be part of that miscommunication any longer. So, he just spoke sincerely, and in that moment it wasn't scary to think that Lance might hear how much he meant to Keith in his words. "Sweet dreams, Sharpshooter."

"Yeah… you too, Samurai."

The bed was really comfortable, and the blankets were soft and warm without overheating him. Keith could feel himself sinking into sleep almost immediately. He could hear Lance's breathing start to settle out, and for once, the scent of Lance's skin- because he was just close enough that Keith was catching that fragrance with every inhale- was soothing instead of frustrating. A comforting reminder that he wasn't alone, that Lance was close and safe as he drifted off.

"Keith?" Lance's voice was soft, barely more than a whisper.

"Unnh?"

"Do you wanna know why I said yes? When you asked me to come on this trip?"

Dragging himself back from the edge of sleep, Keith yawned and rubbed at his face, "sure… if you wanna tell me…"

"Because you asked." The words came slowly. "You never asked before. You'd say 'hey you should get back to space soon', or 'if you want to see Daibazaal, let me know', or something like that. That's what everyone does… they suggest." Several times, Keith thought he was done and opened his mouth to respond, only for Lance to speak again- soft and halting. There was something… fragile… in his voice that Keith was terrified to trample on, so he stayed quiet. "This time though, you asked. Even when I pointed it out… when I said it was a big ask… you said you knew it was, and you were asking anyway. You wanted me to come. Me, specifically. That's why I did… because I know I'm wanted here. That's why I came. I thought… you might want to know that."

"Oh," he said finally, once he was absolutely sure that Lance was done talking, "yeah… I wanted to know that. Thanks… for telling me all that… and you are. Wanted here, I mean. I'm… really glad you decided to come. Really glad."

He heard Lance give that little half laugh he did sometimes when he heard something he liked, but he didn't speak again, so Keith settled back down, ready to sleep whenever his brain decided to stop turning Lance's words over and over and over like they were some kind of secret code.

Finally though, he felt himself start to drift off, and as he hovered in that hazy place between sleeping and waking he heard the start of a soft rumbling in his chest. What Lance had called 'growling'. It wasn't though, the thought was wispy, barely coherent, triggering some half-forgotten memory of hearing it before… on the space whale… from Krolia. It was purring… he remembered her explaining it… Galra purr in their sleep when they are safe with the ones they love the most.

"Heh… growling…" Lance whispered, "so you're asleep. Okay… sometimes I don't get you at all, Keith. I'm right here. I'm. Right. Here. I'm not an idiot kid anymore… I know I'm not misreading this… and I'm right here and you… you're so goddamn skittish sometimes… but I'm… Acxa said…" He sighed, "I can't… put myself any further out there, Keith… I need you to see it… see me… meet me halfway. I'm. Right. Here."

At first, Keith thought it had been a dream. One of those weird dreams that happen when you aren't quite asleep that seem so solid and certain that you aren't sure what is real at first. But, slowly, it sank in. His eyes flew open, breath freezing in his lungs. That… couldn't be right. He couldn't possibly have really heard that. Right? Right!? Dragging in a shaky breath, he rolled onto his side, because he'd somehow ended up on his back. He could just barely see Lance in the low light, snuggled deep into his blankets, his back facing Keith. His brain struggled to recount the words that had drifted through his half sleep. He needed some way to confirm that had really happened. Something that wouldn't be too awful to back up from if he had dreamt it.

"Lance?" he breathed, watching for any sign that he was awake. Lance was still. Too still. Too quiet, too. It was almost like he was… holding his breath. Keith pulled in a deep breath of his own and steeled his nerve. He lifted his pillow, and scooted closer to Lance. Five feet became two and a half. He set his pillow back on the mattress and fixed his blankets. "Okay… If I really heard what I think I heard…" his voice shook, but he pushed through, "that's… uh… that's halfway. This is me… meeting you halfway, Lance."

"Shit," Lance said, voice soft, still facing away from Keith, "I thought you were asleep."

"I… pretty much was… I… didn't know if that was real…" He was trembling, he could feel the shake rattle his arms and legs. He wanted to reach out so badly. He was so terrified to do it, though. Because… if Lance rejected him… if he was regretting what he said… Keith knew he wouldn't survive that. Not really. "I… hope… yeah, I hope it was real…" And then he was the one holding his breath… but now, Lance was moving, rolling onto his back, and then up onto his side. When he stopped, there was less than an inch between them and the fragrance that was Lance filled his nose, soothed something in him even as it stirred up long banked, aching need.

His eyes had adjusted to the dim. It wasn't perfect, but he could see well enough to make out the blush that colored Lance's cheeks. "Hi," he said, smiling awkwardly.

"Hi," Keith answered, smiling back, "halfway."

"You know that was supposed to be a metaphor, right?" Lance grumbled.

He rolled his shoulder in a half shrug, "consider it a gesture then. I see you."

"You see me." His smile grew.

"Yeah," Keith whispered, finally lifting his shaking hand to touch him. He skimmed his fingertips along his temple, tucking that unruly brown hair back behind his ear. "You're right here. It was real."

Lance's eyes drifted shut at the soft touch, "Keith…"

"I'm right here," Keith whispered back, and he didn't remember moving, didn't remember Lance moving, but someone did… or maybe they both did… maybe they met in the middle again… because then... they were kissing. Soft. Shy. Tentative and chaste- but it flooded Keith with a surge of emotion that left him gasping.

"God," Lance sighed, pressing his forehead against Keith's, "I've wanted to do that for so long."

"Me, too," he answered, "but Lance… you need to know… this isn't… it's not something casual for me. I can't… I'm not wired for that…"

"I know… Keith… I know. It's not… casual... for me, either."

"You know?" His brow furrowed, curious.

Lance chuckled, "well, I've known you a long time. Plus, you're not exactly a master of misdirection… I figured it out a while ago. I just… wasn't ready, and I wasn't willing to risk hurting you."

"But you are now? Ready, I mean." He wasn't absolutely certain that he wasn't still dreaming… because… this didn't feel like any reality he'd be lucky enough to experience.

"Yeah. I am. I'll probably freak out at some point, so… like… be prepared for that… and know it isn't about you, it's about me… moving on… but yeah. I'm ready to do this. You… God, Keith… I feel like we're tuning in in the middle of a romcom or something. Like- this looks like it is just the start… but it's not, not really. There's been this love story going on for ages, and we just… weren't paying attention or something."

"Love story," his smile grew so much it actually hurt his face. "We get a love story."

"Yeah, we do. We get a love story. A great one. Rivals, to friends, to lovers… it's a classic. Epic even."

"Still with the rivals thing?" He couldn't stop grinning, and Lance slipping his arm around his waist didn't do much to help his attempts to stop.

"Did you or did you not fly Red into the surface of a planet trying to beat me?" He shifted, closing the tiny distance between them and tucking himself up against Keith; slotting legs and knees and elbows and shoulders together effortlessly. Like they'd been specially formed to fit together perfectly. "Everyone acts like the rivalry was all in my head- and yeah, maybe I started it… but you never shied away from a chance to compete with me."

"Okay, okay… fair enough. In the beginning… I was just as competitive with you as you were with me." He rolled his eyes, because he couldn't believe they were talking about that at the moment.

"Finally! Thank-you!" He laughed, tucking his head into the curve of Keith's throat, "I like this better though."

"I do, too," he trailed his hand down Lance's back, trying to reassure himself that this was really happening. "We're really doing this?"

"Cuddling in a giant bed? Yup." Lance teased, "unless you were talking about something else…"

He glared, but there was no heat in it, "I meant this. Us. You and me… the… not casual… thing."

"Are you asking me to be your boyfriend, Keith? Because that was… kind of… ambiguous."

He groaned, "Lannnnce, stop fishing. You know what I meant."

"Okay, okay… fine. Cards on the table. I get it. If it is what you want, then yeah… I want a relationship. Actually… scratch that first part. I want a relationship. If that's not what you want, that's going to hurt and suck… a lot… and I'll respect it, but what I want is a relationship. I want our love story. I want to be your boyfriend, maybe more someday if we work."

"Then you're my boyfriend," Keith answered, his heart feeling like it might actually burst from trying to contain everything he was feeling. "I want our love story, too."

"Most people start with dating," he whispered, tipping his face so Keith could lock eyes with him, "but we've never been most people… so that works. Kiss me again, boyfriend?"

Really, how could he say no to that? It was impossible. So, he caught Lance's lips with his own and held him close and took his time kissing his boyfriend properly. Everything still felt hazy and delicate, still carried the soft focus of dreams; but Lance was solid in his arms. His lips were warm and soft against his own. His mouth was wet and eager- for all its gentleness- coaxing a soft moan out of Keith and answering it with a sigh.

When they finally pulled back from the kiss, it was after several false starts that had turned into renewed kissing. They both knew, without discussing it, that they needed to take things slow for now, let their connection breathe and relax a little bit. It had been an incredibly busy day, and they'd been exhausted ages ago, and now that a major source of stress and worry had been dealt with, sleep was becoming more demanding and less ignorable by the tick. "Stay here," Keith mumbled drowsily, "right here… in my arms… don't move… so I know, when I wake up… I know I didn't dream this."

"Wild horses couldn't drag me away," Lance promised, pillowing his head on Keith's bicep with his hand tucked up under his tank top and pressed against Keith's back and anything else he said was lost to Keith as he fell asleep.

Hidden away from the early morning light by the dark curtains Keith slept later than he could ever remember sleeping before; and when he woke, it was a slow, gentle process. He'd rolled onto his back sometime during the night, and he'd either taken Lance with him, or Lance had crawled on top of him of his own volition- and honestly, he wasn't sure which option he liked better. Either way, he woke under the very cozy weight of Lance, whose head was resting right over Keith's heartbeat. Their legs tangled together; Lance's hands tucked snugly between his back and the mattress; his own fingers laced in soft brown hair and resting on a strong shoulder; it all added up to a level of comfort Keith couldn't remember ever feeling before.

He had just a few doboshes to remind himself that this was reality. Last night hadn't been some kind of dream- Lance was still right here, in his arms. He was in no rush to change that, either. He'd spent far too long thinking this was impossible, that Lance was so far beyond his reach to do anything but bask in those few quiet moments.

Like anything that involved Lance, the quiet moments were very short. Keith hadn't had nearly enough time to enjoy them before everything tilted and shifted and morphed into something completely different, but just as precious as Lance yawned so hugely he squeaked and blinked up at Keith like a kitten. "Mmmmm… morning," he smiled, scrunching his face animatedly and nuzzling into the hand that Keith still had resting in his hair. "You got all quiet. Woke me up. Don't know why Veronica was so bitchy, that growl thing is better than a white noise machine."

He laughed softly, happiness fizzing in his veins like a tiny tickle. "If you say so. I wouldn't know- never used a white noise machine."

"I can't sleep when it's too quiet," Lance explained, "need sound- hum of the engines, people talking in the next room, music, the ocean… anything really."

"I know," Keith answered, tracing his thumb over Lance's cheek. "You've always been like that- stealing Pidge's headphones, picking the room closest to the engine, napping in the common room… on Kosmo."

"Hey now, Kosmo is a great nap buddy," he chuckled, "my boyfriend has the best space wolf."

His boyfriend. Lance grinned at him and he felt a huge smile blossom on his face, big enough to scrunch his nose and crinkle his eyes and make his cheeks ache. "Okay, it's official, Thayserix is my favorite planet," Keith whispered. "Hands down."

Lance's smile didn't really change, but somehow, it transformed- it was just as big, just as playful… but soft now… and tender and sweet and fond and enchanted… and so many more things that just kept fuelling that bubbling, fizzing happiness that had been tickling under Keith's skin since the moment he'd woken. "Yeah? Why's that?"

"You," Keith breathed, "because of you… because… it's halfway."

Lance shifted his weight, bracing it on his elbows and almost crawling over Keith's chest to bump their noses together softly. "It's my favorite planet, too," he whispered, brushing their lips together softly, still smiling, "because of you… because… it's where you finally saw me."

"I always saw you, Lance."

"No, you didn't. Not really. You stopped looking- after Allura… and I get that. I do…"

"I saw you, Lance… I just didn't trust my eyes, okay?" He threaded his fingers through that soft hair again, tugging gently, so now he was the one brushing his lips against Lance's, "I saw you. I tried to look anywhere else, like you were the sun… sometimes it hurt to look... but I always saw you."

"The sun," he echoed, and Keith nodded and then Lance was kissing him again and he felt like he was going to burst. He tasted like sleep, and Keith didn't care, because Lance felt like every happy moment Keith had ever had happening all at once, and he smelled like home, and the little sigh he made as he settled his weight back over Keith sounded like heaven. "I hate being the responsible adult," Lance said after a few quiet doboshes, "but did Kolivan get back to you yet?"

"Mmm… I should check that, shouldn't I?" he replied, settling his hands on Lance's lower back, where his sleep shirt had ridden up to bare a thin strip of skin to Keith's touch.

"Zoom, look at you go," teased Lance.

"Well, you are lying on top of me…"

"That a complaint?"

His arms tightened reflexively, and he made a noise that definitely wasn't a growl… it just… sounded a lot like one. Lance laughed, dropping his head to press a little kiss to the column of Keith's throat. "Opposite of a complaint," he sighed, little shivers racing out from where Lance's lips were touching him.

"I need to be the one to move, don't I?" Lance whispered against his skin before sighing and rolling away from him. "Look at me, being the grown up here."

He was suddenly so cold. The contrast between Lance's warm weight and its absence was almost painful. Which was ridiculous. He knew it was ridiculous, but that didn't stop him from reaching out to grab him and pull him right back into his arms.

"Keith!" Lance squawked, already laughing, "you have to-"

He caught the rest of the words with his mouth, kissing Lance with all the hunger and longing that had built up within him over the years. He felt the instant when Lance got caught up in it, shifting from being kissed to kissing him back with equal fervor in the space between heartbeats, a little strangled noise escaping into the kiss. They coiled around each other, and Keith still couldn't quite believe that this was really happening. Lance's hands found their way into his hair and clenched in the soft strands, holding him to the kiss. His own went lower, one arm locking around Lance's waist and the other grabbing one strong thigh and pulling it up, over his own hip so they slotted together perfectly. They both groaned at the change in pressure and Keith smiled when he felt a tremor roll through the man in his arms.

"Keith… God," Lance breathed, breaking the kiss to nuzzle and kiss his way down Keith's throat. Craning his head back in encouragement, Keith tried to catch his breath… he hadn't felt anything like this in… years. A few kisses with Lance and he felt like a horny teen again, all fire and need and hunger. Necking. They were necking, like a couple of high schoolers, and he was pretty sure from the scrape of teeth and rasp of morning stubble that his neck was going to be marked all to hell, but it felt too damn good to really care much about that at the moment. "Okay," Lance muttered, lifting his head to drag in a shaky lungful of air, "we… need to… umm… be… adults.. Here."

"I can think of several very adult activities-" He was silenced by a hand clapping over his mouth and a stern look from Lance.

"Shhhh! No. Don't even think about it… Keith," his expression was pleading, "the day's just starting… but we have to figure out what's going on… So," he took another shaky breath, "I'm gonna go find us some breakfast. You are going to see if Kolivan got back to you, and if he hasn't- reach out to your mom and to Coran for good measure. Deal?"

With Lance's hand still covering his mouth like that, all Keith could do was nod and let out a very muffled, "mmmhmm." He wasn't exactly a fan of what Lance was saying, but he had to admit he had a point.

"Okay… so I'm getting up and you are not going to drag me back here or catch me or any other stunt, right?" Smirking playfully, Lance made an exaggerated show of lifting his hand.

"Right," grumbled Keith, "you are on food duty, I'm on comms. Then we're taking the day to enjoy each other. Deal?"

Lance stood, stretching his back and doing absolutely nothing to hide the rather impressive tent he was sporting in his sleep pants as Keith's heated gaze roamed over him. "As long as skinny dipping is somewhere on the schedule for the day, that works for me," he answered, winking at Keith as he turned and walked away. In a blink, the heavy curtains shifted to gauze and Lance sauntered out of the room, whistling to himself.

"That was low!" Keith called after him once his brain kicked in enough to form words around the all too tempting prospect of Lance+ water + naked.

"Hey! If I've gotta be the mature grown-up here, I'm gonna make you suffer, too!"

"Mature… right… that was soooo mature," he muttered to himself, digging out his phone. There was a message from Kolivan, but it didn't really contain any answers or explanations. Just a few words, in Kolivan's typically brusque manner. 'I see the error here. A simple mistranslation. Let me see what I can do to rectify it. Will update you shortly.' Suuuuuuper helpful. Lance was going to be compleeeeetely satisfied with that answer. Although… on the upside- as long as they didn't know what was going on, they should probably avoid going anywhere public… which meant sticking to the privacy of their suites. He definitely didn't hate the idea of being tucked away with his brand new boyfriend in the lap of luxury and with only each other for company and entertainment.

"Keith!?" Lance stormed back into the room, his own phone in his hand, "let me see the message you sent. Right now!"

"What?! Sure. Fine… quiznak, calm down already…" He pulled it up and handed the phone to Lance who dropped onto the mattress beside him and poured over it with an intensity Keith had rarely seen from him. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, but Veronica is livid and my mother is in a panic, and neither of them seem to be making any sense, so something is up and there's no way it's not related to the universe's most boring parade yesterday. That's not how my life works- it's definitely not how your life works!" He chewed his lip, reading and then he paused, "okay, my Galran isn't great… how do you pronounce that word, right there?" He pointed to the screen.

"Mine's pretty crap, too, Lance," he pointed out, "that's why I used a translation program in the first place… that one is… umm… Kai-Am-Un-Dill. It means presentation."

"Kai-Am-Un… wait! Kai'imam Und'ill?"

"Yeah, I guess… some of the dialects are a bit different…"

Lance's face changed, the panic leaving his eyes and relief and humor flooding them, "oh my God… it means Presentation…"

"Yeah, that's what I said."

He laughed, shaking his head, "no, Keith. Capital P Presentation… the ritual. Not 'hey we are giving a talk at a University.' It's like how saying that the bathroom is occupied means something totally different from saying that a country is occupied."

"I… don't understand what you are saying, Lance." Well, he did, kind of, but he didn't understand how it explained anything.

"Do you want to know how I know that term?"

"Sure?"

"Acxa and Veronica are talking about it. Acxa wanted to know if Veronica wanted to take part in a Galra tradition called Kai'imam Und'ill… My sister is pissed that I… oh God this is hilarious! Keith, Acxa is going to kill you for this."

"I still don't know what you are talking about."

"Really?! Oh, that just makes it funnier. It used to have a longer name… the um… Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai, I think? The Presentation of The Beloved. Keith- you told who knows how many people that you were bringing me, 'The Bearer of Allura's Legacy' to Daibazaal to announce our betrothal."

"Our what?! Lance! I had no idea! You have to believe me!"

"Of course I believe you," he laughed, "you looked like you were going to faint from moving your pillow two feet last night- there's no way you cooked up some kind of elaborate plan to trick me into a freaking engagement… no… not an engagement… a pre-engagement? Is that a thing?"

"Why would I know if it was a thing? This is all just a misunderstanding, anyway. We can undo this. In a movement this is going to be a funny story that we tell people- like the time Hunk accidentally challenged that Prince for the throne when he offered him food."

"Oh man, that was hilarious. Poor Hunk was in such a panic." His laughter faded and he went pale, "oh shit… Keith… if my mother and sister have heard that, and there was a fucking parade for us yesterday… that means… the intergalactic media has the information!"

"Yeah… so?"

"So, it's a lot harder to undo this kind of thing once the press has gotten ahold of it."

"It can't be that hard," Keith insisted, "we'll just… issue a statement or something. Kolivan already said he was going to try to fix it."

"Well…" He sighed, "we'll just have to see what Kolivan comes up with… but I'm going on the record here as saying that I do not think this is going to be an easy fix."

"It'll be fine," Keith said, sending a silent prayer that he was right and he and Lance weren't locked into some kind of pre-engagement less than a quintant after their first kiss. "But you should smooth things over with your family… did you have time to figure out breakfast before you heard from them?"

"Mmmhmmm… room service again. Some kind of alien crepes and fresh, local, in season fruit! We can feed it to each other!"

"We can what?" he laughed, "you are really going all in on the whole boyfriend thing aren't you?"

"Listen," Lance purred, leaning down to cup Keith's face. His eyes were hooded and focused on Keith's lips and he was so close and smelled so good and sounded even better and it was getting hard to remember what they had been talking about. Keith's whole body felt like it was being pulled closer to Lance somehow. His mouth went dry and his breath stuttered. "I'm gonna be the best boyfriend you have ever had… just you wait and see…"

"Mmmhmm…. Okay…" Sure. Fine. Whatever he said… just as long as he- ahhhhh…. He felt Lance's lips settle against his own and his blood sang. Jeez- it wasn't even that heated of a kiss! Almost chaste… but everything in him just lit up and hummed from the contact. Even as Lance pulled back and smiled at him, Keith could feel tingles radiating out from every tiny point of contact between them.

"You are so agreeable this morning," he teased, "who'd have guessed a few little kisses would do so much for your mood?"

The little pleasant bubble he'd be floating in burst and he scowled, "go talk to your mother and Veronica already."

"Impatient to have my attention all on you, huh?" He teased- because he was Lance and of course he did. He hadn't changed in all the years they'd known each other so why would he now? Well, that wasn't precisely true. He had changed, in a lot of ways- good and bad- it was just that he'd always been a flirt and always would be a flirt. That particular thing was never going to change- it was too innate to who he was. He wasn't even wrong… Keith was impatient… it just hadn't really sunk in yet that… everything was different now.

"You're not?" Keith said, surprising himself with the way his own voice sounded, all husky and playful at the same time, "because you sounded pretty impatient last night… and you felt pretty impatient this morning when you were clinging to my hair and trembling when I-"

"Keith! I have to go talk to my mother right now! What are you trying to do to me?!"

"I dunno?" He shrugged, smirking, "get back at you for the skinny dipping comment?"

"But I'm the only competitive one… surrrrrrrre..." muttered Lance as he left the room again, already calling his mother even as he shook his head.

Keith checked his phone again, hoping for another update from Kolivan. No such luck. He chewed at his lip, debating his next step and then sighed. If the McClains had already heard, then he really shouldn't put off talking to Shiro. Hell, Veronica had probably already called him… she might have even yelled at him for not giving her a heads up- even though he had no idea about any of this mess.

Flopping back onto the mattress like a kid, he hit the speed dial for Shiro's personal line. Even systems away, the call connected before the end of the first ring.

"The news, Keith?!" Shiro demanded by way of greeting, "after everything we've been through, I find out about you and Lance through a news clip? How does your brain even work!? How long has this been going on? Why the hell didn't you say anything? Did you think I wouldn't be supportive? I thought we were past this secretive bullshit!"

"Oh, my God, Shiro… stop!" he groaned, rubbing at his face. "It's just a misunderstanding!"

"So… you and Lance?" Shiro trailed off expectantly.

"Well… okay- this is maybe a little complicated. We're on Thayserix."

"Yes, Keith, I know that. I saw footage of the 'beloved former Paladins and symbols of the new beginning for intergalactic relations' arrival on Thayserix and the 'procession to the romantic hideaway' you're staying in on the news while I ate my breakfast. That was… a surprise, to say the least."

"That was… not something we planned. I didn't even know that we were being filmed… but I guess… yeah, I was dumb not to think of that."

"You're focusing on the wrong things, Keith! Why didn't you tell me? I didn't even know you guys were dating! You realise I look like a complete idiot now, right?"

"There was nothing to tell!" Keith insisted, "like I said, this is all just a big misunderstanding."

"So you and Lance are not tucked up in a high end love-nest on a resort planet right now?"

"Umm… well.. I guess… technically, that would be one way to describe this place… but-"

"And you and Lance are not a thing?"

"So… about that…"

"And you are not headed to Daibazaal together?"

"No, we are… it's just…"

"I'm not seeing any misunderstandings here, Keith!"

"You're not letting me talk, Takashi," he snapped. "Lance was coming with me to Daibazaal to speak at a university. Not announce our betrothal. Presentation is a specific thing in Galra culture and I didn't know, so I used the wrong word… and people kind of… ran with it. That's all."

"That's all?"

"Yeah, that's all." He sighed, Shiro was so steady and rational when it came to work, but personal stuff involving Keith? He was a total mother hen.

"So, there's nothing going on with you and Lance?"

"Uhhhhh… well… there WASN'T when we left Earth…"

"Keith!" He couldn't tell if Shiro was exasperated, or excited, or pissed off, or what. He just sounded… frazzled. "Spill."

"Spill? What are we high schoolers?" Which- okay, to be fair, he and Lance were necking like horny teenagers not all that long ago… but still.

"You can't answer that question with 'well there wasn't when we left Earth' and just leave it at that, Keith. Not after all this time! So… explain. Is that better?"

"I asked him to come talk at the university with me. I didn't think he'd agree, but he did. I just… I wanted him to remember… you know?" He sighed, "and then we got here and everything was so weird, so we messaged Kolivan to see if he knew what was up and just stuck to the suite in the meantime. It's a realllllly niiiiice suite… and then last night- Shiro, you wouldn't believe it! He was making plans! He wants everyone to come here- together… all of us!"

"Wait- Lance was talking about going back to Thayserix?"

"Yes! It's… he's… I haven't seen him like this in years… and then… it was late and he said something and we talked and… we didn't even know what was going on- out there. But… yeah… we're… uh… together. Now. As of… sometime last night, I guess."

"Together?"

"Mmhmm." Why did talking to Shiro about this stuff always make him feel fourteen? Boyfriend. Lance was his boyfriend. It should not be difficult to say. They'd been very clear with each other. But, for the life of him, he couldn't keep from stumbling around the word when he was talking to Shiro.

"Like a… vacation fling… or…?"

"No… not a fling. We're not kids. We're together, together." Okay, that was just ridiculous! Grow up, Kogane! Taking a deep breath, he started over. "He's my boyfriend… Completely separate from all the 'presentation' stuff. It's brand new, and I'm kind of not really believing it yet… but. Yeah. Lance is my boyfriend now, and you are officially the first person I told."

"Holy shit." Keith actually heard Shiro drop into his chair- he even recognized the little squeak that told him he was in his office at home, not on the Atlas. "You and Lance. Finally. Wow… that's-"

"Yup, that's kind of where I'm at, too."

"What happened? The PG-13 version, please."

"The PG-13 version is the only version so far, Shiro, relax. Just… I don't know. We talked and then… I was almost asleep but not quite and he said some stuff and I realised that I… that… my interest wasn't as one-sided as I thought… and then he said something about meeting him in the middle… and so… I did." He laughed, "like… literally. I moved halfway between where we were sleeping. Anyway… we talked about what we wanted and stuff and we… we're on the same page. So, yeah. Lance… is my boyfriend now… and I guess, technically, my uh… pre-fiance? Is that a thing? Until we can smooth things over with… the media."

"No, that's not a thing! Are you out of your mind? Of course that's not a thing! A 'pre-fiance'? That's a boyfriend. Those are the steps: boyfriend, fiance, husband. Please!" Shiro laughed. Of course he laughed. Once Keith heard it outloud he realised just how dumb it had sounded. He'd have laughed, too. The chuckles died down and when Shiro spoke again, his voice was soft, and skeptical. "You're telling me that you and Lance, after all this time, got together because you actually talked to each other like adults? You? And Lance McClain?"

"You know what? I'm just going to hang up if you plan on being a dick for the whole conversation!"

"Sorry! Sorry. It's just… not how I figured it would go, that's all. I kind of thought one or the other of you would cave into the… umm… let's call it… tension… and then you know… when you guys crawled out of bed, you'd be an item."

"One or the other- wait. Are you saying you knew he was into me and you never said anything!? Shiro!!"

"I'm saying I have eyes, Keith! And I've known you both for a long time… and I have enough sense to stay out of your personal life. So, no… I didn't know for a fact. He never told me or anything. I wasn't even sure he knew… but, you guys have always had… a spark. Even before Voltron. It was very romcom."

He had to say 'romcom', didn't he? All of Keith's irritation dissolved, happy memories from the night before melting any annoyance he was feeling. "Lance said something similar last night. He said it felt like we were tuning in to the middle of a romcom…"

"Are you talking about meeeeeeee?" Lance asked from the doorway, "awwww… that's so cute! Who are you talking to? No! Let me guess!" He tapped his chin playfully as he came into the room, "not Kolivan- I can tell by your voice. Your mothe-no, not Krolia. So, either Acxa or Shiro… and you aren't placating… so I'm going with- Shiro! Is it Shiro?"

"Yes," he laughed, fizzing little sparks of something close to joy bubbling through him, "it's Shiro."

"Oh, cool!" Before Keith was even aware it was happening, Lance had plucked the phone from his grasp, "heyyyyyyyy Shiro! I hear we were on the news! Did you see us?"

Of course, because it was Lance, he started to pace as he talked. Keith just shook his head and let him take over the conversation.

"Please tell me that Keith explained the mix-up! He did? Oh good- that means I can focus on the important stuff! This place is amazing!" Lance flung his arm out, gesturing to the room as if Shiro could see him. Keith couldn't help but smile at his renewed enthusiasm. "We were talking last night, and I love our yearly dinners on New Altea… but… I think we should all get together and have some actual fun, too! You should see the suite we are in- it's huge. There's a kitchen that would make Hunk swoon- and I would know, I had to help him design the kitchen at his place on Earth. There's a media room with a planetarium ceiling! Pidge might cry actual tears! The pool has a waterfall, Shiro! If you order room service, it floats to you on little hovering trays! We need to all come here- the five Earthling Paladins. Just us. You guys all need to take breaks more often." Lance tossed a smile over his shoulder at Keith, his eyes sparkling. "What? No! This isn't because of that… look, I'm going to send you pictures of this place- you'll love it. There are so many places to nap, Shiro. Just so many perfect nap spots!"

Keith laughed, he couldn't help it. It had always struck him as bizarre the way that Lance and Shiro had bonded over the joys of napping, of all things. Of course Lance would use the potential for good naps as an argument to sway Shiro. He should have expected that. It was clear that Lance's conversation with Shiro wasn't winding down anytime soon, so he took the opportunity to duck into the bathroom.

When he returned, one towel wrapped around his waist and another draped over his head, Lance was just disconnecting the call. "Sorry, he had a work thing. Said to give you his love." He caught Keith's hand and tugged him down for a kiss, the smile on his face letting Keith know that he was appreciating the view.

"He works too hard," Keith whispered when the kiss broke, smiling back at Lance as he collected his phone from him, "always has."

"Mmm… I am aware. Veronica rides his ass for it."

He grimaced, digging clean clothes out of his bag, "that's an image I didn't need, Lance. Thanks for that."

"What?" He blinked, realisation of what he'd said slowly dawning in those blue eyes. The grossed out face he made as comprehension dawned made him look seventeen again and Keith couldn't resist laughing at how young and adorable he looked. "Ohhh… gross! Man, your mind is just zoooooom, straight into the gutter, isn't it?"

"Pretty sure my mind isn't ever 'straight', Lance," he teased.

"Haha," Lance rolled his eyes, "look at you, trying at being funny. It's a good thing you're so…" He trailed off, just waving a hand at Keith, his cheeks coloring.

"It's a good thing I'm so… what, Lance?" It was rare to see Lance at a loss for words, and he was suddenly very curious about how Lance had intended to finish that comment.

"Nope- not feeding your ego. Not doing it. The joke was weak and you don't deserve the compliment."

He grinned, "but it was definitely a compliment… so maybe it doesn't matter exactly what the compliment was… I'll just… fill in the blank. It's a good thing I'm so… mmmm… charming?"

"You are not charming, and you know it. You are an awkward grump with a temper!" Lance argued, "I'm charming!"

He hauled on a t-shirt, "ummm… It's a good thing I'm soooo… sexy?"

"Tha-what? Pfft… no… that's not what I was gonna say… please… Just because you are parading around in a towel? Ha!"

Keith didn't even have to see Lance to know exactly the way he was throwing his hands around and the faces he was making. He slipped his boxers into his pants and pulled them both on at once, dropping the towel once they were settled over his hips. "A good thing I'm soooooo…. Adorable?"

"Adorable is not a word I would use to describe you, Keith!"

Barefoot, pants still undone, Keith crossed the mattress-floor to Lance, resting his hands on Lance's shoulders. "That's three guesses," he whispered, "you want me to keep guessing, or are you ready to tell me?"

"I'm still trying to figure out how you just managed to get dressed in front of me without a single slipped towel," Lance answered, slipping his arms around Keith's waist and even that small touch made his heart jump and his skin tingle, "that was impressive."

"Mmm… group homes, maybe? Or lots of time in locker rooms? I dunno- I've been doing it most of my life." He shrugged, watching Lance's face, "why? Disappointed?"

"Consoling myself with the knowledge that we're skinny dipping later," Lance breathed, inching closer.

"Soooo… it's a good thing I'm so….?"

"Pretty," Lance answered, "it's a good thing you're so pretty. That's what I was going to say."

"Pretty?! Really?" That was not what he'd been expecting, at all.

"Mmhmm… seriously, have you seen your eyes? Because you have the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen… ever."

"You are such a sap," he said, the words forming on a soft, breathless laugh. Because, of all the things Lance could have said, somehow, that was the perfect choice.

"Maybe, but as of last night, I'm your sap. So, get used to it, handsome." His smile changed, cheeks flushing as the sweet, dreamy smile grew into a proud grin. Keith's pulse doubled at the thought that being with him was something that made Lance proud.

"My sap, huh? I think I can live with that." He closed the tiny distance between them, kissing him softly and soaking up the warmth of being in his arms.

"Keith," Lance groaned, stepping back, "the food's getting cold… and you are very, very distracting…"

"When did the food get here?"

"Just before you came out. Should still be hot…" He raked a hand through his hair, the soft brown strands sticking up every which way and looking far too endearing for Keith's heart to take. "You wanna watch a movie while we eat?"

"Mmmhmm… sure… movie. Okay," he nodded, reaching out to catch Lance and drag him back for one more kiss before they ate. "Breakfast and a movie. Sounds good."

Lance and naps.

They'd gotten cozy in the entertainment room- cuddled up together and feeding each other breakfast while they watched a movie, just like Lance had wanted. Then they'd gotten so caught up in each other that they'd missed the entire thing and Lance had insisted on starting it over from the beginning. Altean movies were kind of odd- they reminded Keith of the Greek plays they'd learned in school- but once Lance explained the basic structure from his spot on Keith's chest, it was easy enough to follow along. His boyfriend had gotten quieter as the movie progressed, belly laughs and boisterous comments fading into soft chuckles and murmurs. By the time the end credits were rolling, Lance was sound asleep, his head tucked up under Keith's chin, arms wrapped around him tight, and if Keith tried to move more than an inch or two, he muttered angrily and tightened his grip.

Oh well, it wasn't like Keith had anywhere he needed to be. He might as well enjoy it. Napping wasn't his thing, but it was certainly nice to be sprawled out on the comfy couch like this with Lance; soaking up his warmth and closeness, and surrounded by the scent of his skin, without feeling conflicted or guilty for enjoying it so much. He nuzzled the soft brown hair that was tickling his chin, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Lance's head. It was amazing how content he felt just lying there with Lance in his arms, some long-ignored, deep ache in his heart melting away to nothing.

His phone buzzed and he grabbed it from the tray that held the remains of their breakfast. A message from Kolivan. Shifting slightly, but still enough to make Lance mutter and squeeze him tight, he tapped the message to open it. 'There has been a slight complication regarding the miscommunication from earlier. One of the remaining splinter factions of Zarkon's military has issued a threat. Call off the impending union between the former Paladins, or face retribution for the forced unification of Galran culture and the New Alteans. We do not acknowledge or support the surrendering of any part of our culture to that of a people we defeated millennia ago. The halfbreed former Black Paladin does not speak for all Galrans, but as he is seen as a symbol of the future of the Galra by too many, it is unacceptable for him to publicly unite with someone so closely tied to New Altea in general, and to the usurper Allura in specific. We demand that the Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai be called off and a public statement be made that there will be no further political entanglement between our great Empire and the remnants of a people we conquered or we will ensure that the betrothal is never fulfilled. At this point, any attempt to correct the miscommunication will be seen as conceding to terrorists and extremists. It could very well trigger a resurgence of violence in the contested areas.

Well, shit.

This was not going to go over well with… pretty much anyone. Keith sighed, debating whether to wake Lance or put off answering Kolivan. He reread the message half a dozen times, and each time he was more sickened by the words, the hateful pride that fueled them. The Galra were better than that. Overwhelmingly, the population had embraced peace, even though it meant rationing power for a while. Gradually, as more and more of the military installations had closed and the subsequent demand for quintessence had lessened, the rationing was being phased out. Overall, the Galra were thriving, working together to heal some of the wounds that Zarkon's war and Haggar's corruption had caused. They were returning to who they were before the taint of Honerva's misguided experiments.

But there were some who had thrived too well in the war, those that had embraced the twisted vision of the Universe that Zarkon and his Commanders had crafted. Sometimes, Keith found himself wishing that they'd been able to save Lotor, that they could have found a way to heal whatever it was that had gotten so broken and distorted in him. He couldn't shake the feeling that Lotor would have been able to pull those more fanatical splinter groups into line better than he had. But then… technically, Lotor was a 'halfbreed', too, and that tended to be their favorite argument against anything that could be traced to him. He'd turned down any official power, but Voltron had been a symbol that many had rallied behind, and he'd been a very visible member of Voltron, so even when he tried to keep a low profile, people noticed. Somehow, he'd become the 'face' of the new Galra way of life, and Lance had become the 'face' of New Altea, despite being human and not even living on New Altea. He'd been chosen by Allura and that was all that mattered to the universe.

Sighing, he rubbed Lance's back, trying to wake him gently. "Lance?" he said softly, "wake up, Hot Shot… we need to talk."

"Meet you on the bridge! M'coming!" Lance blurted out as he woke, jolting up to sitting so quickly that Keith could only blink at him. Wild-eyed, Lance whipped his head back and forth, his face the image of confusion. Slowly, realization settled over his face. "Oh… right… Thayserix." He smiled, "I remember."

"Are you okay?" Keith asked, setting his phone aside for a moment. He'd been sleeping so peacefully- or, at least, it had seemed like he'd been sleeping peacefully.

"Mmhmm… just… I was dreaming about the Castle," he yawned, stretching, "thought we had to get to the Lions."

"Like a nightmare?" He couldn't keep the concern out of his voice.

Lance shook his head softly, "no, not a nightmare. Just dreamed that I was like dozing in the common room while everyone was milling around. Probably because you're here and I was talking to Shiro earlier."

"You're sure?" he coaxed, "because… if it was a nightmare, I'll listen. I… get it. We've… seen some shit that lingers."

"I promise, it wasn't a nightmare," Lance assured him, cupping his face and tracing Keith's scar with his thumb gently. "I was sleeping like a baby. Honest. Now- why'd you wake me up?"

"Oh! Right… uhh… Kolivan sent me a message. There's a problem." Sitting up fully, he grabbed his phone again, refreshing the screen and handing it to Lance. "Just… read it for yourself."

"Terrorists?" Lance said after a moment. "Are you shitting me?"

"Nope," Keith shook his head, "what was it you said about how our lives work?"

"Been your boyfriend less than a day and we're getting death threats. Maybe rom-com was the wrong genre of film. Holy crap."

"I can tell Kolivan to correct the misunderstanding if you want. I'm sure if we issue a press release it won't do-"

"Have you lost your mind? It's been less than a decade since the Empire was ripping itself apart to fill a power vacuum. Things are peaceful now, but that peace is delicate. The Blades can't afford to seem weak. You can't afford to seem weak! Not even a little bit. It could destabilize everything!"

"But that means-"

"Yeah. I guess it does. Looks like we are headed to Daibazaal to announce our betrothal. Veronica is just going to have to deal."

"This is ridiculous. I am so sorry I got you into this mess, Lance."

Lance caught his face in his hands, "hey- it's okay. There's no, like, time frame on the whole Presentation thing. We aren't locked into anything. We are actually together. We've already decided that this is something serious for us, right?"

"Yeah?" He wasn't sure where Lance was going with this.

"Right, so… it's not such a stretch to think that a serious relationship might eventually lead to us wanting to get married. So… instead of looking at this like something we are going to run out and start planning for right away… we can, between us, treat it as… like a symbol of intent. You know?"

"No?" He was trying, really… but he couldn't follow Lance's thought process at all. Probably because most of his own thought process was still trying to digest the idea that a simple mistranslation could cause such a ruckus.

Lance sighed, his eyes rolling up and his head bobbing from side to side the way it did when he was trying out different ways to phrase things. Keith had noticed that he did that all the back when they were at the Garrison together, and he'd always thought it was completely endearing, even when pretty much everything else Lance did annoyed him. "Alright. So, the Presentation is treated like… an engagement announcement, not a wedding. So… based on our conversation last night, we are together and we are both hoping that this will be… like a permanent thing, right?"

"Well, I'm not hoping that we make each other miserable and our relationship crashes and burns, no," Keith answered. This was such a strange conversation.

Lance gave him an odd look, "should I be worried that that's where your brain went? Yikes! Okay, never mind. So, if we both want this to be a long-term, permanent kind of relationship, eventually we'll probably want to get married, or like, buy a house, or like some kind of big commitment milestone thing, yeah?"

"Yeah, I guess." He nodded, "I always kind of wanted to get married and have kids someday."

"Kids?" Lance's face broke out into a huge smile, "I didn't know that! You really want kids someday? How many?"

"I don't know- a couple… I see how important your memories of growing up with your siblings are to all of you guys, and it was really lonely when my Dad died and nobody else remembered him." He shrugged, "so… two at least. Three would be cool. Four- is probably pushing it."

"Three," Lance said, tangling their fingers together, "I can work with three. Three sounds pretty awesome."

"Yeah?" Something warm and bright filled his chest, making him smile. "I… uhh… I always kind of figured I'd like… foster-adopt… maybe siblings."

"Yeah," Lance's expression softened, "that sounds like you. I like that." He leaned in close enough to kiss Keith's cheek. "Foster-adopt three siblings. I like that plan."

"Not… for a while, though," Keith said in a rush, "not while I'm still travelling so much!"

Lance laughed, "well I didn't think we'd be filling out paperwork as soon as we got Earthside!" He shook his head, "alright, getting distracted… but… actually. Okay. What we just did? Make that little someday plan? That's how we should look at the whole Presentation thing. Just, don't get caught up in all the junk with the mistranslations and the titles and symbols and crap. It's just me. It's just you. We're going to Daibazaal, we're gonna officially announce that we are together, and someday, when we are ready, we plan to make it all legal and traditional and stuff."

"How are you not freaking out right now?" Keith asked him, completely in awe of how easily Lance was taking this in stride. "You didn't even want to leave the farm!"

"I guess I'm just happy," he lifted their joined hands, pressing a kiss to Keith's knuckles, "and in the grand scheme of things, having the universe think we are planning a wedding someday doesn't really feel like a bad thing."

"And the terrorists?" He asked, stunned.

"Meh- it's a splinter cell. C'mon, we've faced down scarier shit than that before we could legally buy booze everywhere on Earth. The two of us together? We can take'em."

"You…" he breathed, pulling Lance into his arms and burying his face in the curve of his broad shoulder as he laughed. This was the Lance he'd fought beside, the Lance he'd trusted implicitly to cover him, the Lance that challenged him and grounded him and reminded him that life was more than pain and violence and loss. This was the brave, charming, smart, optimist he'd fallen in love with. "You're so amazing."

"Soooo glad you finally appreciate the Razzle-Dazzle, Mullet," Lance answered, pressing a kiss to his throat that sent shivers racing up and down Keith's spine. "Okay- you need to reply to Kolivan, and let him know we are going through with the Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai… and then we have some work to do."

"Work? What work?" He didn't want to work. He wanted to remind Lance about those plans to go skinny dipping. He wanted to drag him back to the bedroom and figure out what was in each and every one of those pretty little bottles that had been on the tray beside the bed.

"Are you serious?" Lance backed off, studying his face, "oh wow- you are. Okay. We need to go over your itinerary, and speak to the leaders of every planet on it. Then we need to figure out security protocols for each leg of the trip. We need to speak to Coran and make sure that neither of us inadvertently do something that reflects badly on New Altea. We need to learn exactly what is involved in a proper Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai. We both need to reach out to our sisters and patch things up with them, because honestly, I am way more worried about what Acxa and Veronica might do to us than I am about some racist wackjobs that think they know the one true path. Those two know where we sleep, Keith!"

"Don't you think you are blowing things a little out of proportion?" He asked, head reeling from all that stuff that would never have even crossed his mind. "You just told me to ignore all the political stuff and the symbols and crap…"

"Yeah, for you and me. In private. For everyone else, we need to play this exactly right, Keith. Like it or not, we are basically throwing together a Royal Wedding In Space… I mean, it's not a wedding but that's the closest thing we have to compare it to. We might have to invite dignitaries and shit…."

"This is turning into a huge headache already," he muttered.

"We've got this," Lance assured him, "you deal with the security concerns and coordinate with the Blades, I've got everything else."

Lance's eyes were practically dancing as he hopped up and ducked out of the room. He returned a few doboshes later with a data pad, his fingers flying over the screen. "We should probably backdate our relationship a bit for the media, huh?" He said conversationally, "it'll be suspicious if we say you planned this before we even got together. I mean, I guess we could spin it like it was some kind of grand romantic gesture if you really want…" He blinked at Keith expectantly.

"What?" Keith struggled to focus, because he was still adjusting to seeing Lance like this again after so long of him being… dimmed somehow. How could he make 'working' so attractive?

"Do you want to pretend we've been quietly together for a while, or do you want to claim that you won me over with some big declaration of love and proposed on the spot?" Lance repeated, laughing softly, "sorry, I know this isn't exactly your skillset."

"Why do we have to say anything? Can't we just stick with 'this is what we are doing and everything else is private'?"

"Keith, we need to win people over." Lance dropped onto the couch beside him again, pushing a hand through all that soft brown hair. His whole face was alight with purpose and as he spoke his eyes sparkled and his hands flew around like they used to when he'd get into debates with Hunk about nonsense. "The people who released that threat are going to start waging a media war about how awful and dangerous it is for us to do this. They are going to use me and you to try and turn people to their way of thinking. If we act suspicious and cagey, we will be helping them convince people that there is some kind of sneaky political motivation. So, we need to speak to the press, and do interviews and be charming and loveable. We've got to become everyone's favorite celebrity couple in the amount of time it takes to get to Daibazaal."

"Celebrity couple? We aren't celebrities!" Maybe if he kept insisting that he wasn't a celebrity, it would someday come true. He didn't like being so recognizable. He didn't like the headaches that came along with it. It had been years since the Lions had… gone. Sure, he was still working with the Blades on humanitarian efforts, but he couldn't figure out why people hadn't gotten bored with that yet.

"Yes, in this context, we are. So, I was thinking- we should have a cutesy couple-name. Which do you like better? Klance? Or Laith? I kinda like Laith, because it means Lion- but that might be a little too on the nose? You know, with Voltron and everything... What do you think?"

"Really, Lance? A cutesy couple name? Ugh- I hate those! Why don't we just stick our surnames together the way that people do on wedding invitations? McClain-Kogane? Kogane-McClain?"

"Kogane-McClain sound like a football player that messes up the cup-winning-kick. No." He tapped one elegant finger against his chin thoughtfully, "McKogane?"

"I… really don't care- they are all equally cutesy," he said on a frustrated sigh, "what was the other thing you asked me about? Right! The whole 'how long have we been together thing… Let's say we've been seeing each other for… what? Two years? Does that work?"

"I dunno," Lance cooed, batting his eyelashes at Keith and making his heart do a little flip flop, "you think you'd be able to convince me to cross the galaxy to announce a betrothal after two years of dating?"

"Given that we are doing exactly that after less than a day of dating, I'm going to go out on a limb and say, yeah, I could do that," smirking, Keith crossed his arms over his chest.

Lance gaped at him for an instant before reaching out to smack his shoulder, "you're terrible! I cannot believe you just said that!"

"It's the truth!" He caught Lance around the chest, pinning his arms to his sides so he couldn't smack him again. Lance lurched once, a token attempt to get away that didn't do anything but send them toppling backwards on the couch. "It hasn't even been a day," he said softly, "and you are working your ass off because of my screw up."

"Yeah, well… I've got your back, right? Always," he answered, his expression tender, "and this… it's been a long time coming, anyway."

"How long?" he asked, and immediately regretted it. He didn't need to know. He didn't want to know. He didn't want to think about wasted time. He didn't want to know how long he'd been suffering, trying to get over Lance, trying to avoid ruining their friendship, while Lance had been completely open to how Keith felt.

"I… that's complicated," Lance said quietly, "losing Allura… it fucked me up for a long time… you know that…"

"It's okay," Keith breathed, kissing Lance's forehead, "I don't even want you to answer it. We're together now. That's all I care about."

"Two years works," Lance said instead, "or we could just say we don't know. That we've been friends for years and we've been getting closer this whole time, and then somewhere along the way, we fell in love… and we don't really pay attention to when things happen."

"That feels more like the truth…" He loosened his hold on Lance and smiled as he felt Lance settle his weight against him more comfortably, his long legs and narrow hips and broad shoulders fitting against Keith's frame better than he ever would have imagined. "I like that… let's say that…"

"God, Keith," Lance sighed, "if you keep looking at me like that we are definitely going to become the universe's favorite love-birds…"

"How am I looking at you?" he laughed, "I'm just looking at you! I'm not doing anything special…"

"You and your pretty, expressive eyes… it's not fair, you know that, right?" He grumbled, "nobody should have eyes that pretty!"

"Are you serious?" Keith whispered, lifting a hand to trace his finger along Lance's eyebrow, "your eyes look like the water at Varadero Beach right before a storm and you call my eyes pretty?"

"My eyes look like what?" Lance shifted, one of his hands finding its way into Keith's hair, "when have you ever seen Varadero before a storm?"

"Years ago," he answered, still whispering, because it felt like if he spoke at full volume he'd wake up and discover that none of this was real. "Before we left Earth in the Atlas… you had us all come down for a weekend. Me and Hunk fixed up your brothers' old hover bikes and took them out for a run. We ended up at the beach, just hanging out. The water changed, and the air, too… Hunk said a storm was coming, so we headed back. But the water- it was the exact color of your eyes. It was the only time I'd ever seen that color without it being you in my face."

"You remember that?" Lance sounded awed, "you didn't remember that I existed when we rescued Shiro, but you saw the ocean before a storm and could say that it was the same color as my eyes when I wasn't even there?"

"Well, I knew you a lot better when we were in Cuba, Lance," he pointed out, his cheeks burning.

"Uh-huh… what color are Pidge's eyes?" Lance smirked.

"What? Why are you asking me that?"

"Just curious. What color are they?"

"Brown," he replied, not sure where Lance was going with this, "light brown."

"Mmmm… wait- you knew Matt before Kerberos, didn't you?" His brows furrowed, "what color are Coran's eyes?"

"Coran? Uhh… blue, I think?"

"They're purple," Lance chuckled, relaxing, "dark purple, not pale like Romelle's, or smokey like yours."

"Okay?" He trailed his fingers up and down Lance's back, reveling in the way he could just… touch him now.

"I was just checking to see if you were like poetic about eyes in general, or if it's just mine," he smirked, "but that Cuba trip… it was… a long time ago, Keith."

"Mmmhmm," he answered, "it was. It was a good trip though. Shiro got sunburnt, remember? He was such a baby about it, too!"

"Oh my God, I'd forgotten about that. He kept making that little whining noise when he'd move wrong! And Coran got drunk with my Pop-Pop and tried to teach him old Altean songs!"

"And you taught Romelle how to salsa. She still talks about that."

"She does?" His smile was fond, wistful. "Remember the sand sculpture she and Allura made with Luis' kids? Some weird Altean storybook critter. I haven't thought about that weekend in years."

Keith went quiet, waiting to see how Lance would react to being reminded of Allura, and bracing for him to pull away. Instead, Lance leaned in and kissed him gently, "that was a long time ago, Keith… and if that's the only time you've seen Varadero before a storm…"

"Doesn't matter," he whispered, "what matters is right here and right now… and making the most of this, because from the sound of it, privacy is gonna be scarce for the next while."

Unsurprisingly, skinny dipping didn't last long. Lance + water was always bad for Keith's self-control, but now that he could touch Lance without fear of rejection, that self-control didn't seem to even engage in the first place.

Giggling and sighing and moaning into kisses and caresses, they left a trail of wet footprints and water droplets from the pool to the giant bed. One by one they made their way through all the pretty bottles that had been left bedside for them- identifying their contents and purposes.

Keith's favorite was the massage oil that made Lance's beautiful skin actually glow. He'd taken his time kneading it into those strong muscles, enjoying the excuse to touch every inch of Lance's body. He was no masseuse by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't difficult to give a relaxing massage. All it took was slow, steady pressure and paying attention to how Lance reacted. By the time he was done, Lance was glowing softly, a dim, warm light radiating from him. It reminded Keith of some kind of ancient sculpture cast in gleaming brown metal or perfectly polished wood. Even his scars were beautiful. Very few were from the war- the Paladins had escaped scarring from most of their injuries thanks to access to the Altean healing pods. Almost all of the marks Keith found on Lance's skin were from civilian life- and to Keith, that was part of why they were beautiful. It was like they were little memorials to a peaceful life.

The mark on his shoulder from getting caught on a loose nail when roughhousing with his older brothers as a kid. The three little dots near his hairline on the nape of his neck where he'd scratched bug bites too much as a toddler. The pale splotch low on his hip from bumping into the side of the metal barbeque while it was still scorching hot. Others- each one a small reminder of a life well lived, where the biggest danger was your own carelessness.

Lance's favorite was some kind of pleasure enhancing mist. He'd initially thought it was a perfume or cologne of some sort and had spritzed it on his wrists and neck. Within a few moments he was squirming and giggling from even the most innocent touch. Once he'd figured out what it actually did, his blue eyes had lit up with impish curiosity and a few short doboshes later, they were both coated in the stuff. Not that Keith thought they really needed the boost- he suspected the spray was intended for couples who were well past that first intoxicating rush of passion and discovery- but he wasn't going to complain about it either. The effects lasted a few vargas and by the time they realized it had worn off, they'd both been happily sated and basking in the rosy haze of afterglow.

Keith had been ready to nap- preferably nestled in a hammock outside in the fresh air and warm sunlight, but Lance seemed to be buzzing with energy. Curled up in the crook of Keith's arms, he'd started sending out messages to gather information about what exactly was required of them now that it had been decided that they were going ahead with the presentation thingie.

Any worries about it being a huge public affair were quickly laid to rest. As it turned out, it was a serious but quiet affair that involved contemplation and some vows to be exchanged, witnessed only by each other, one representative of each family, and one representative of each 'Line'. Both Kolivan and Coran had tried to explain exactly what constituted a 'Line" but it all sailed right over Keith's head. Ultimately, they and Lance had decided that meant one trusted Galra, one trusted Human, and one trusted Altean, plus one person from each of their families.

Because of the threat of violence neither was all that keen on putting Lance's civilian family in harm's way. Plus, given that Veronica and Acxa had been discussing the possibility of performing the ritual themselves, they'd decided to invite them as the family representative for Lance and the 'trusted Galra'. Shiro would act as the trusted human, Coran as the trusted Altean, and Krolia as Keith's family.

Lance was very careful to double and triple check the translations of the traditional vows- leery of agreeing to something they didn't fully understand. Keith was astounded by the amount of work he managed to get accomplished with a few calls and some messages.

Keith's whole itinerary had been rewritten to accommodate the new purpose of their voyage. Their time on Thayserix was extended by two quintants, during which time they had a couple of media appearances and an interview.

From there they were headed to a planet Keith had never heard of- Plinkertep, or something- for a state dinner and to rendezvous with a small group of hand-picked Blades to act as a security buffer.

After that… it was still somewhat up in the air. What he did know was that his quiet little 'space road trip' to Daibazaal was now a media circus, and that there were a surprising number of people ready and willing to drop everything and travel millions upon millions of miles to help with a mess he made. No one had even really complained all that much about it, either. He was sure it was because Lance had some kind of persuasion magic, because there was no way that things would have gone that smoothly if Keith had been the one making the calls.

"You're amazing," he murmured into Lance's hair as he ducked his head to press a kiss to his boyfriend's temple.

"Mmmhmm…" Lance hummed, "we just had a whole lot of really intense new relationship sex. It'd be weird if you didn't think I was amazing right now."

Keith laughed, "well, yeah… that is true… but I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about how you are making the whole Presentation nightmare be… not a nightmare."

"That's because it isn't a nightmare," answered Lance, tipping his face up to get a better view of Keith's. "If publicly stating that we are together, and we're serious, and we hope that it leads us to marriage eventually is something that feels like a nightmare to you… you should say that now."

Keith froze. That hadn't been what he meant at all! Lance's face was closed off, almost brittle. Keith could practically taste the hurt in the air. Shit! How had he fucked that up?

"Keith?"

"No! I don't think- I mean.. That's not what-" He trailed off, trying to find the right words as worry and panic started to claw at him. "I was trying to compliment you," he finally muttered.

"By telling me that people knowing we're together and hope to spend our lives that way is a nightmare? How is that a compliment?"

"That's not the nightmare part!" he yelped, rolling them until Lance was on his back with Keith sprawled over his chest, head propped up so he could meet Lance's eyes. "All the other stuff is- the organizing and shit… The me and you stuff… that's… like… the opposite of a nightmare!"

Lance arched one expressive, elegant eyebrow at him, "you're sure?"

"Yes," he nodded for emphasis, "being with you like this could never be a nightmare, Lance. I don't like the spotlight as much as you do, so ideally, I would have liked for us to have some time before the whole galaxy found out we are together… but even that isn't a nightmare. It's just… this whole thing with the publicity and the security and all that… it's not really what you signed on for when you agreed to come with me. It's not really what I thought last night would lead to. It's just… a lot…"

Lance smiled warmly, "I'm used to dealing with a lot, Keith. My family is a lot. Hell, you are a lot! That doesn't scare me. I like being the center of attention, remember? All you have to do is show up, be gorgeous, and keep looking at me just like that… I'll handle the rest."