The journey back to Earth would take several weeks. First, they'd need to track down Matt. If Pidge came home without her brother, she didn't even want to know how her parents would react.

Then there was the matter of transportation. The coalition had few ships to spare, and certainly none with a working Teludov. They managed to procure an older model Galra cruiser, but at its top speed, it would take around six weeks to reach Earth.

The Paladins, despite this setback, were in good spirits. For the first time in what seemed like forever, they weren't actively fighting for their lives. The Galra Empire was still in shambles, especially now, with Lotor being MIA. Most of the factions were too consumed with fighting each other for power to pay any mind to the absent Voltron team.

The Paladins settled in for the long haul, every one of them giddy with thoughts of home... Well, all except for one, that is.

xxx

Keith seemed to settle back into his old routine pretty easily. He was the first up every morning, working up a sweat in the make-shift training room they'd set up on board. Keith had insisted.

He didn't talk much about his time in the Quantum Abyss. Sure, he'd rattle off a few vague stories about bonding with Krolia, but he never went into much detail. Only Krolia had the slightest idea as to why.

Two years was a long time to be in such isolation. Even for someone like Keith who was generally the loner type anyway. And while that did play into his avoidance of the subject, it wasn't the main reason.

The team got their first hint when Keith accidentally slipped up during casual dinner conversation.

"Wait, this light showed you not only the past but the future?" Allura questioned the red paladin eagerly.

Keith froze. He hadn't meant to say that. Neither he nor Krolia had mentioned their glimpses into time during their stay in the Quantum Abyss. They'd agreed it was simpler for everyone if they kept that particular experience to themselves. The last thing they needed was everyone pestering them with questions about what they saw of the future. Keith, especially, had no desire to divulge what he'd seen of his own future. He was still having a tough time dealing with it himself.

"Woah," cooed Pidge, ever intrigued by new and interesting scientific phenomenon. "What kind of stuff did you see?"

"Uh," Keith stumbled, "Nothing interesting."

Keith was avoiding everyone's gaze, but none more so than that of a certain blue-eyed paladin who was staring daggers into the side of Keith's head.

No one believed him, of course, but they could tell the subject made Keith uncomfortable and didn't push it. Not right away, anyway. There wasn't much in the way of entertainment aboard the Galra ship. No game rooms or lounges. Not surprising considering the Galra's strict no-nonsense attitude when it came to, well, everything.

It was up to them to find ways to keep themselves amused, and what could be more fun than pestering Keith about his knowledge of the future? Nothing Lance could think of. And so, that's exactly what he did.

Keith couldn't seem to escape the tall Cuban boy no matter where he went on the ship. Everywhere Keith went, Lance would be there with that absurdly attractive smile and those piercing blue eyes, begging for Keith to tell him what he was trying so hard to hide. Keith rebuffed him every time, but it was getting harder and harder to avoid the blue paladin.

When Lance cornered Keith in his quarters, Keith was about ready to snap.

"What the hell do you want from me, Lance?" Keith growled, trying to keep the desperation from his voice. He wasn't ready. He couldn't face Lance, yet. Not knowing what he knew. Not after seeing the things he'd seen in the light of that Dark Star.

Flashback

They'd been in the Quantum Abyss for about six months. Keith had grown accustomed to the random glimpses into the past he would get when the light from the Dark Star breached the back of the giant space whale they currently called home.

The first time he saw the future, it was a shock. He didn't believe it at first, but when Krolia came back from a hunt one day bleeding and barely conscious, he could hardly deny it. He patched up his mother the best he could, then went out after whatever creature had nearly killed her. He knew what he would find, and when he stumbled across the enormous spider-like monster that inhabited a cave system not a mile from their camp, he knew exactly how to take it down.

The longer they were in the Quantum Abyss, the more frequent the glimpses into the future became. Sometimes it would be the near future, a warning of impending danger. But other times, what Keith saw – well, it wasn't the near future, that was for sure. How far out, he didn't know for sure. What he did know, was that these flashes almost always had one thing in common – Lance.

Each small peek into his own future only confused Keith that much more. More often than not, what he saw was pretty mundane, boring almost. But every once in a while, Keith would get a vision that would shake him to his very core. The first time it happened, he was asleep. He wanted to believe that it was just a dream. He was lonely, that was all. But then it happened again when he was, most definitely, awake. The more it happened the harder it was to deny what he was seeing, and subsequently, what he was feeling.

Lance. Lance freaking Mcclaine. Those stupid, crystal blue eyes. That sun-kissed skin that was always silky smooth. That smile, oh that smile. It melted him. Keith watched his future-self fall deeper and deeper in love with the blue paladin. He never saw how it started. No big, earth-shattering moments. Just little things. Little moments that made his heart swell with affection for the Cuban boy he often saw nestled in his own arms. The two of them seemed to fit together like puzzle pieces.

Keith spent eighteen months in the Quantum Abyss watching himself love someone he'd never even thought of as anything more than a friend, a comrade. But after all that time, after all the tiny glimpses into his future with Lance - knowing what it felt to have Lance's skin against his own, his lips, his hands – how could Keith ever see Lance the same way as before?

He tried. When they arrived at the Castle of Lions with Romelle in tow, he tried to be indifferent. Tried to treat Lance as just another comrade, a friend. The only thing he managed to do was be an ass to the person he wanted to hurt least of all in the entire universe. He brushed Lance off when he arrived, choosing instead to focus on the mission at hand. He could see the hurt in Lance's face as he walked past him, barely sparing the blue paladin a glance. It broke him inside. But he had to remember, that this wasn't the Lance from his visions. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

One thing he'd learned about the future glimpses while he was in the Quantum Abyss was that, on occasion, they were subject to change. The future was constantly in flux. Just knowing the future could change its outcome. He'd seen it several times while in the Abyss. It had almost cost him an eye when a creature he thought he'd outmaneuvered bared down on him outside of their camp. It hadn't come from that direction in his vision. It had come from the east, not south. He'd set a trap on the eastern edge of their camp, and his scent had given it away, causing the creature to attack from a different direction.

Keith couldn't bear the thought that something he did could cause that blissful future he'd seen to disappear forever. But what could he do? For all he knew, the future could have already changed. Without the light from the Dark Star, there was no way to know.

End Flashback

Lance was taken aback by the outburst. Keith rarely got angry anymore, not unless there was a good reason. In the two years, he'd spent in the Quantum Abyss, Keith had matured a lot. Lance could see it. The hot-tempered teenager who'd left with the blade all those months ago had turned into the strong-willed leader Shiro had always insisted he could be.

Keith's transformation had been startling for Lance. When he stepped out of that shuttle, he was a completely different person. Lance could hardly keep his eyes off him. And he really tried, too. He loved Allura, and yet, the sight of this tall, grizzled man in front of him stirred something inside him that he couldn't explain. He couldn't shake it. And when Keith brushed him off so soon after arriving back, he felt undeniably... disappointed. Even a little sad.

Lance had wrestled with the warring emotions inside himself for the past couple weeks. It was clear now that Allura simply didn't feel the way about him that Lance had been so sure he felt about her. And yet, this revelation hadn't broken him the way he thought it would. In fact, he almost felt... relieved. He couldn't explain it.

And then there was Keith. The longer he was around the now twenty-year-old red paladin, the more confused and conflicted he felt. For one thing, no being had any right to be that attractive. Keith had grown out of his signature red cropped jacket. His shoulders had just grown too broad for the article of clothing to compensate. The black t-shirt he wore, which had once hung loosely around his frame, now clung to every curve, hugging each muscle in a way that made Lance very uncomfortable. Uncomfortable in the 'I need to excuse myself before things get awkward' kind of way.

Now, as Keith stood in the middle of his quarters, fuming silently, Lance couldn't help but wonder what Keith could be hiding that got him so riled up. A state which, Lance had to admit, only made the red paladin that much more attractive. The flush reaching from Keith's ears to the collar of his shirt, the way his chest rose and fell with each heavy breath, it all made Lance imagine things one really shouldn't imagine about a friend, especially one who was very angry at him.

"Jeez, man," Lance began, trying desperately to lighten the mood of the situation. "No need to get all worked up. Everybody's wondering, I'm just the only one with the balls to come in here and try to drag it out of you." Nice one, Lance. Taunt him, that'll make everything better.

Keith, predictably, didn't appreciate Lance's persistence.

"You're hiding something, something big." Lance tried again. "It's gotta be something big or you wouldn't get so worked up every time anyone brings it up."

Lance had always been observant. It was something Keith loved about him. At the moment, however, it wasn't so endearing.

"I don't want to talk about it, Lance. Why can't you just respect that?" Keith pleaded.

"Because whatever it is is clearly eating you up inside!"

Lance hadn't meant to shout. His outburst surprised them both. As did the meaning behind those words. Lance hadn't even realized it until just then, but it was true. Every time anyone tried to question Keith about the future he saw while in the Abyss he would simply brush it off. But beneath that indifferent façade, Lance could see he was hurting.

Neither paladin spoke for a moment. There was a tension behind the silence that hung between the two of them. It was almost stifling.

"I can't-" Keith began, his voice breaking slightly. "I can't tell you, Lance." He couldn't look in Lance's direction. His gaze fell to the floor, fists clenching at his sides until his knuckles turned white.

Lance moved without hesitation, without conscious thought. Before he'd even realized what he was doing, Lance was across the room, folding the older boy into a tight embrace. Keith stiffened at the contact. He hadn't touched Lance since he'd been back, and the contact made all those memories, all the visions he'd had of the two of them in the Abyss, came flooding to the forefront of his mind. It was a tidal wave of emotion that surely would have him stumbling were he not in Lance's arms.

Keith couldn't help himself. He wrapped his arms around Lance's middle, squeezing the Cuban boy perhaps a little tighter than was strictly necessary. Lance didn't mind in the least. He could feel Keith shaking in his arms, his breath shuddering against the skin of Lance's neck where Keith had buried his face.

They stayed like that for what could have been seconds, or minutes. It was hard to tell. Time was frozen around the two of them, the very air around them radiating with warmth. Neither wanted to be the first to pull away, but eventually one of them would have to move.

Lance pulled back first but didn't break the embrace. He leaned back enough so he could look at Keith, but Keith refused to match his gaze.

"What has got you so scared?" Lance questioned softly. He didn't want to spook Keith and send him reeling back into his shell. He was vulnerable now, a state he'd rarely seen him in. One wrong move and Keith would put all those walls back up and Lance would lose his chance.

Keith just shook his head, still refusing to answer. How could he tell Lance, of all people, the things he'd seen? What would he say? He'd imagined a million scenarios of how that conversation might play out, and most of them ended up with Lance storming out, disgusted. Keith just couldn't imagine how someone like Lance could ever love someone like him. It didn't matter what he'd seen. He was too scared of rejection to believe that something like that was really possible.

Lance sighed, trying desperately to think of a way to get Keith to tell him what was bothering him. It drove him nuts, seeing Keith like this. He was clearly torn up about something, but what could be so bad that he couldn't tell anyone about it?

"I can't lose you..." Keith hadn't even realized he'd said it out loud. It was almost too quiet for Lance to hear. Almost.

Lance didn't know what came over him, he just... reacted. Lance grabbed Keith's chin, a little rougher than he intended, but if he didn't do this quickly he'd lose his nerve. He forced Keith to look at him and before Keith could say a word Lance's lips were on his.

Keith's whole body was on fire. He'd felt the ghost of those lips on his a thousand times in the Abyss, but nothing could have prepared him for the real thing. Keith melted into this kiss immediately, his arms going around Lance's neck, one hand sinking into his soft brown hair.

The kiss didn't last long, only a few seconds. But to the two of them, it felt like an eternity. They pulled back, breathless, neither daring to go more than a few inches from the other, just enough to look into each other's eyes.

"Wow," Lance breathed out. His whole face felt warm, he probably looked like a tomato. He couldn't care less.

Keith couldn't seem to find his voice, opting to stare dreamily at the gorgeous man in front of him. He could feel Lance's skin, hot under his fingertips. Lance's tongue poked out to wet his lips, and Keith just couldn't take it. He rushed forward, capturing Lance's lips in his own once more. This kiss was deeper, needier. Keith had been waiting for this for so long, never having imagined that it might actually happen. Maybe he could have that future. That bliss. Maybe, just maybe, they could be happy.

Lance sunk into the kiss, gladly letting Keith take the lead. Keith ran his tongue along Lance's bottom lip. Lance responded immediately, letting their tongues dance together. A shiver wove it's way up Lance's spine as he moaned into the kiss. The sound drove Keith crazy.

Keith moved, backing Lance up until his back hit the cold wall behind him. Keith pinned him there, leaving Lance's mouth to trail kisses down his cheek, his jaw. He left a trail of wet kisses down the side of Lance's neck, stopping at the crook of his neck, biting the sensitive skin there. The action definitely had the desired effect as Lance's knees turned to jelly. The only thing holding Lance up at this point was Keith.

"Holy quiznak, where the hell did you learn to do that?" Lance panted out breathily. Keith chuckled into Lance's neck, a deep, rumbling laugh that sent shivers running all over Lance's body.

"From you, actually."

Lance was confused by this. What did he mean he learned this from him? He would have remembered if they'd done this before. No way would he have forgotten something like that.

"What do you mean?" Lance questioned after a moment. It had taken him a few seconds to collect his thoughts enough to speak with the haze Keith had put him in.

Keith stopped his ministrations. His gaze rose to meet Lance's, his eyes thoughtful. He didn't look scared anymore, Lance thought. Hell, he looked gorgeous, all flushed, black hair a mess from the hand Lance hadn't even realized he'd trailed into those soft raven locks. I could get used to seeing this.

"I guess I don't really have a choice now, do I." Keith said, a small smile resting on his lips, puffy and red from the intense make-out session they'd just been engaged in. Keith took a very confused looking Lance's hand into his own, curling his fingers into the spaces between the other boys. Just like puzzle pieces, Keith thought.

They sat on the bed as Keith laid everything bare for Lance to see. He told him everything, from the glances into their future, to the growing feelings inside Keith that, after so long, he could no longer deny.

"I – I love you, Lance," Keith said, his gaze never leaving the Cuban boy's face. Lance's eyes widened for a moment, then his face settled, an easy smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Lance had been so conflicted for weeks now, ever since Keith, grown and mature, had appeared back in his life. He hadn't been able to put a name to what he was feeling. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, even for Allura. Now he understood.

Lance threw his arms around Keith's shoulders, knocking the two of them back on the bed. Keith landed with an "umph!" Lance nuzzled his face into the crook of Keith's neck, reveling in the smell of the man before him.

"I love you, too," he whispered into Keith's shoulder, brushing his lips against the skin just above his shirt collar. Keith let out a huge breath. He wrapped his arms around Lance, holding him tightly against his chest. He never wanted to let him go. This was everything he never knew he wanted and so much more.

Keith wonders, later, if any of this would have happened if he'd never seen the future if he'd never been struck by the light of that Dark Star. But none of that matters now. He's right where he belongs, and he wouldn't change a thing.