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Chapter Text

“So how have you been enjoying your time now that you’re back?”

Keith scoffed at Shiro's question. How has he been enjoying his time not being attacked morning, noon and night? 

“It’s been terrific. Turns out not having people trying to kill you does wonders for your skin. I’ve been told I have a rather youthful glow,” Keith replied, his sarcasm clearly telling Shiro how stupid his question was. 

Keith was simply standing in the kitchen, debating on if he should eat lunch, when Shiro had walked in asking him that ridiculous question. He doesn’t even know why his brother was even asking. In the four months Keith had been back, he rarely left Shiro and Adam’s home, finding the busyness of the town too much to handle. Or rather, too annoying to handle.

Everyone he saw either wanted to make meaningless small talk or ask him about his experience on the front lines. Whichever it was, it was fucking exhausting, to say the least. Keith didn’t really have much to say about the war, just that he was glad it was over, and the alpha was growing tired of having to constantly say that outloud.

The war with the neighboring kingdom had been, at least in Keith’s opinion, a waste of time, energy, and lives. While Altea used to be ruled over by a single regime, the Galra Uprising led to the splitting of Altea into the northern and southern sectors. While the then King, Nalin, wanted to stand up and fight against the Galra, his younger sister Nadine was against bringing Altea into the conflict. When Nalin began sending his troops to defend against the Galra fleets, Nadine took other anti-war Alteans and left to a less populated part of the planet, before naming it Southern Altea. This betrayal led to the northern and southern parts of Altea to be in conflict with each other ever since.

In the 10,000 years since the Galra Uprising, the north and south parts of Altea have had moments of peace. The last real conflict had been life times ago, but the contention between the two kingdoms began to rise again once King Limrik of Northern Altea took the throne. Limrik believed that the two Altea’s should be one, but thought that violence was the only way to go about it. For years during his rule he threatened fighting and bloodshed, but diplomats worked long and hard to prevent it. Until finally, something snapped within the king, and he sent his troops out, beginning the war between the two Altean sectors. 

The war was very unpopular with both Northern and Southern Alteas. Even those that believed the countries should be unified again knew that violence was not the way to accomplish that goal. Despite the war not having any favor, Limrik attacked, and King Miguel had to respond to defend his kingdom.

War broke out quickly and Keith, who had been training to become a royal knight, was suddenly thrust into battle at 18. Luckily, Shiro had gone with him as his commanding officer. 

Shiro had been his caretaker almost as soon as he arrived in Southern Altea. After Keith’s father died, he was sent away from Daibazaal to planet after planet, trying to find someone that could fix his “destructive behavior.” That someone ended up being Shiro, a young soldier who took the Galran pup under his wing.

Keith had grown up with Shiro looking out for him, and found comfort in the other alpha being with him through battle. However, Shiro was eventually ambushed, leading to the loss of his arm. He was sent home to his fiance, Adam, to recover. However, Keith remained on the field, taking up Shiro’s position as the leader for their troop. 

He had been Shiro’s right hand for the first three years of the war, and after another 18 months of fighting under Keith’s command, the war had finally come to an end. King Limrik died, leaving his son Alfor to take over the throne. Alfor was nothing like his father, and immediately withdrew northern troops before discussing peace with King Miguel. Miguel was more than happy to comply, and Keith was finally sent home.

Since the war ended, Shiro physically healed and received a new technological arm, something that even Keith admitted to being pretty cool. He was still dealing with the trauma from the accident, but with the help of Adam and his therapist, he was getting through it. Shiro had also become the Captain of the Guards at the palace, much to his pleasure, which has also helped him to deal with all that he lived through. 

And Keith…well Keith was home, at least. It doesn’t matter that he still gets nightmares about the dying screams of men, or that he jumps at every loud noise. He was home and alive, which is really all anyone could ask for. 

Anyone other than Shiro, apparently. 

“Have you been looking into any of the jobs I’ve mentioned,” Shiro asked, ignoring the tone in Keith’s voice. Keith groaned. “Yes, I’ve looked into those jobs, but- uh they just aren't for me.” Shiro shook his head and sighed. “How do you know they aren’t for you until you try them. Maybe you’d really like one of them!” 

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah, I’m sure I’ll just love being an assistant fruit seller.”

“Okay, well maybe not that job,” Shiro responded, chuckling slightly, “although Sharolyn made it sound very exciting. I just mean…Keith you know that I love having you here. And I’m so grateful that you’re safe and home, but-”

“But you think that I need to get out of the house,” Keith answered for him, having heard this argument before. He knew Shiro was worried about him; about him getting re-acclimated to civilian living. Although Keith had been only back to Southern Altea for a few months, he had not been in battle for almost a year, but that hasn’t erased the horrors of it. Despite both kingdoms calling a ceasefire, the actual treaty had taken longer than anticipated. Keith remind away, helping to clean up the mess of the war. He was grateful for his time to relax now that he was back, but he knew that Shiro was concerned about him. Shiro had encouraged him to go out of the house more, or to even explore the galaxies, but Keith knew he wasn’t ready yet. 

Keith always tried to tell the older alpha that he was fine, and that he barely even thinks about what he did during the war, but they both know that that’s a lie. Shiro had tried to encourage him to seek professional help, vouching for how much it helped him deal with the loss of his arm and the other horrors of battle, but Keith had always refused. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust that it helped Shiro. He just didn’t think it would help him. Keith didn’t like the idea of someone poking around in his head. He had always been a very private person, and he didn’t trust many people. Perhaps that was due to his mother leaving him as a pup, or just the other shit he’s had to deal with in life. Either way, the alpha didn’t feel comfortable opening up to a total stranger about his trauma. But because of his refusal, Shiro had now made it his mission to mind his brother a job, just so that he could have something to channel all his feelings and energy into.

“Shiro, I promise that I won’t stay shut away forever,” Keith tried to argue. Shiro looked ready to protest but Keith stopped him before he could. “I will find something to do eventually, trust me. I’ve only been back for a little while and I’m still…adjusting. I just need more time to actually find a job that I’ll like. And that will put my skills to use.” Keith leaned up against the kitchen counter, moving his dark hair out of his face as he did so, hoping his words would reach Shiro.

Shiro’s eyebrows furrowed together and he nervously looked away, which made the younger alpha look at him quizzically. “What,” Keith asked, concerned about Shiro’s sudden shyness. As Shiro sheepishly turned his head back to him, Keith grew more concerned. “What did you do, Shiro?”

Shiro sighed before giving Keith a cheeky smile. “I kind of signed you up for a job.” 

Keith’s confusion suddenly turned to anger as he digested Shiro’s words. “You did what ,” Keith yelled, eyes bugging out of his head. “What do you mean you signed me up for a job? What job? And when? How?” Keith continued to stutter out questions until Shiro waved him off. “It was this morning. I was walking back from a guard meeting when I overheard the king talking to his advisor about needing someone to take over the role of a personal guard. And I thought who is a better person than you? So I spoke with the king and told him all about you and your achievements during the war and, well that was it! You start tomorrow.”

Keith couldn't do anything but stare at the man in front of him. Shiro was looking at him like this was great news; was delivering it like it was great news. But this was not great news. Not at all.

“Okay, Shiro, while I appreciate the…reference, I can’t do this job. For one, I didn’t even ask for it. And two, I can’t be a fucking personal guard! Why would you think I would be good at that? I can barely protect myself, much less another person,” the alpha growled, gesturing to the large scar on his face.

“Of course you can be a personal guard! You will be able to fight anyone that tries to attack easily. There is nobody I know that is better at hand-to-hand combat as you are. Plus you're experienced with a sword, so you’ll have no problem protecting your charge.” Shiro continued to rave. “And you need this job Keith. You need to start doing something with your life that doesn't revolve around fighting.”

“You literally just said that I will have to fight people,” Keith deadpans, trying to find ways to get out of this. 

Shiro rolled his eyes. “Okay, well, yes. Maybe you’ll have to do a little fighting. But you won’t be fighting in combat, and that’s the most important part. Besides, I don’t think your job is as much protecting the omega from others as it is protecting him from himself.”

Keith moved to grab a glass from a cabinet before filling it up with water, suddenly finding himself very lightheaded and overwhelmed. As he turned away from the older man’s stares, he asked, “This isn't me saying yes when I ask this, but who would I even be in charge of looking after?”

If it was a lower class nobleman, Keith could probably handle them. But if it was some duke or lord or something, then forget it. At least he knew it was an omega. If had been another alpha Keith would have flat out refused, not wanting to get involved in a brawl of dominance that often occurred between alphas. Keith began to sip his water, preparing himself for Shiro’s answer. However, as the words fell out of Shiro’s mouth, Keith found himself choking.

“It’s actually Prince Lance. You know, the king’s youngest.”

Keith whipped back around, staring at Shiro with a panicked expression.

“I can’t look after the prince! Are you fucking crazy?”

Shiro signed, and made a comment about Keith’s “language.” Shiro still treated him like a pup sometimes, ignoring the fact that Keith was 23 and not 13 anymore. Before Keith could even roll his eyes at the remark and absolutely refuse to become the prince’s guard, Shiro came to stand directly in front of his brother, grabbing Keith by the shoulders. 

“Listen, Prince Lance is…well he’s a bit of a trouble maker. More than a bit, actually. He’s infamous for sneaking out of the palace and being such a pain that all his guards usually quit within a few movements. The king and queen are worried about him, and need someone that can actually do their job and protect him. He needs someone that can handle him and put him in his place. I told the king that that could be you. Now, I know that this doesn’t sound like something you would normally go for, but I think it could be really good for you. And for him.”

Keith ran his fingers through his hair, his light purple skin contrasting with the dark black locks as he tried to process Shiro’s words.

He could barely even remember the prince. The last time Keith must have seen the youngest of the king’s children, the prince must have been barely 14. Gods, he wouldn’t have even presented yet. 

Thinking back, he does remember slight bits and pieces of a young Lance causing havoc throughout the town. By Shiro’s description, it seems that he hasn't changed. How was Keith supposed to protect him? Stop him from getting into trouble? He didn’t even know the man. Questions and doubts began to plague his head, but one look back at Shiro told him that arguing anymore would be pointless.

Keith sighs, giving up. “I’m going to do this whether I want to or not, aren't I?”

Shiro smiled. “Yes, you are,” he said sternly. 

Keith shook his head and let out a thick exhale. Even thinking about it seemed impossible. Becoming a guard for a prince. And not just any prince, Prince Lance, who was appearly so hard to deal with he had a new guard practically every week. Keith didn’t know if he would be able to be the one to “put him in his place” as Shiro had said, but he supposed that he had to try. For Shiro, at least. 

The knight signed again, something he was probably going to be doing a lot if what Shiro said about the prince was true.

“Fine,” he said sourly, “I guess I’m going to have to meet the prince then.”

⋆★⋆

Keith was standing in the throne room, waiting for Prince Lance to arrive. He stood in his honorary army uniform, hands clasped behind his back, as he stared awkwardly at King Miguel and Queen Nancy. He had already gone through the official job description from the king when he had first arrived, which was just a more detailed version of what Shiro had told him the night before.

“My wife and I love our son very much, Mr. Kogane, but he can be a bit…difficult. Lance has had many guards before you, but they have all quit after Lance was a little too wild. We need someone that will not let his behavior deter them. Our top priority is to keep him safe. If you become his guard, that needs to become your top priority too. He will run away from you, and he will probably use some…choice words as well. You need to be prepared for his every move to ensure his safety. Captain Shirogane spoke very highly of you,  and so we are choosing you to protect Lance. The queen and I are putting the life of our son in your hands.”

Keith had nodded to every word the king said before responding. “I promise, your majesty, I will not let Prince Lance out of my sight.” The king laughed at that. “I’m sure you will at least try to make that statement true.”

After that, Keith had gone through a few more statements that were all fancy ways of saying “I promise I won’t let your son kill himself.” 

The queen then told him about all the standard procedures he needs to know, as well as how often he can take time off.

“As his personal guard, you should meet Prince Lance at his chamber’s door in the morning, and return him at night for rest. A night shift guard will then take over until you return the next morning. You may occasionally take day’s off, but you must find suitable guards to replace your duty for your time away. Due to you being Lance’s only bodyguard, it is imperative that you remain by his side as often as you can. However, you are allowed off up to a week for your rut. You are also permitted to take time off for your mate's heat if you need to.”

Keith had blushed at that, almost telling her that he didn’t have a mate, but thought better of it. She continued to detail the protocol for when the prince was in heat, which only made Keith’s face flush harder. Luckily for him, his purple skin made it more difficult to tell, and for once in his life he was grateful.

Finally, after everything had been discussed, the king had called for Prince Lance to come into the room. Keith had held his breath, watching as the door opened to reveal-

A short, green-haired woman?

Keith and the monarchs watched as a single guard entered the room, no prince in sight. Quickly, the guard embarrassingly admitted that the prince had disappeared, and was no longer there. Figures.

So, Keith was now waiting for someone to find the prince so they could be properly introduced. Before finding the omega becomes your job , he thought bitterly. After what seemed like forever of waiting for him to show up, finally the door to the throne room opened once again. Keith heard the sound of grumbling but did not turn his attention away from the king. 

“Ah there he is. Mr. Kogane, this is my son and your new charge, Prince Lance. Lance, here is your new guard, Keith Kogane.”

At the introduction, Keith turned his head to face the newly arrived prince, expecting to be met with a face of boredom and a glare. However, as Keith focused on the prince, his breath caught in his throat as his violet eyes met deep blue ones.

Prince Lance was not what he expected.

Keith tried to focus on the things he already knew about the prince, like his short brown hair or his blue Altean markings. However, Keith couldn’t help it as his gaze shifted up and down the prince’s body. At 19, the prince had finally grown into his long legs, and stood tall while he was being assessed, although he was still a good few inches shorter than Keith. He was wearing a flowy blue shirt that brought out his eyes and markings. Keith noticed how the shirt left his neck completely bare, displaying the place where his bond mark would someday be. Keith swallowed at the thought, forcing himself to tear his eyes away from the omega’s neck to travel down the rest of his body. 

Lance was wearing tight pants that left almost nothing to the imagination, and on his wrists were golden bracelets. The alpha noticed the prince was playing with them, waiting for Keith to say something. As his eyes came back to Lance’s face, the only thing he could think of was holy shit, he’s gorgeous . 

The prince smirked, as if he knew what Keith must be thinking, and slowly brought his tongue out to lick at his lips. 

Suddenly, Keith realized that the hardest part of this job won’t be keeping Lance safe from himself. It will be keeping him safe from every dirty thing Keith wanted to do to him.

Well fuck.

Keith’s mind eventually caught up with him and he quickly bowed, grateful that his hair would cover his blush. “Your highness,” Keith said, throat feeling dry. “I am Knight Kogane. I am pleased to be of service to you.”

Keith felt as if he was on autopilot. He could barely even registar what he was saying and was suddenly very grateful for the practice Shiro had made him go through on what to say the night before. As he lifted his body back up to look at the prince again, he willed himself to calm down. 

That proved difficult when his eyes met Lance’s blue ones again. 

As he stared at the prince, a wave of sea salt mixed with something citrusy made its way into Keith’s nose, overwhelming him. He couldn’t really even register anything other than how good the smell was and how pretty the prince looked.

Keith became startled by these thoughts. This has never happened before. He had never, not at any point of his life, become so taken by someone’s appearance. 

Keith was almost afraid at the way his alpha seemed to be screaming for Lance. 

Screaming for the omega. 

Get yourself together, his mind yelled at him. He is not just an omega, he is your charge. Stay focused. You fought hundreds of soldiers with no sweat. You will not come undone because of this prince.

After what seemed like hours but couldn’t have been more than a few ticks of the two just staring at each other, the prince spoke. His voice was smooth and confident as he greeted the alpha. “Welcome, Knight Kogane. It will be a pleasure to see how long you last.” 

And with that, Lance made his way to the door, not even offering Keith another glance, and left the room.

Keith couldn’t help but stare at where the omega just stood in disbelief. What. He turned his head to find the king and queen with amused looks. King Miguel slightly laughed at Keith. “Your job begins now. I wish you luck.”

Keith took the king's words as dismissal, and followed the prince out the door. The alpha was still whirling from his interaction with Lance, and as he tried to find the prince among the halls, he could only think gods, what did I get myself into?

⋆★⋆

It takes a few minutes for Keith to find Lance, the omega having done his best to escape his new guard. Keith let out a huff of frustration, almost deciding to give up and tell the king and queen that he wouldn’t do it. But right as he made his decision to turn around, he saw Lance turning the corner of the corridor.

It didn’t appear like the prince had spotted him yet, so Keith was quick to run up to him, grabbing him by his arm so that he couldn’t run off again.

“Your highness,” Keith greeted with gritted teeth, his displeasure clear. Lance, however, looked rather proud, a cheeky smile working its way onto his face.

“Knight Kogane,” the prince responded, his arrogance pronounced in his voice and demeanor. He shook his wrist out of Keith’s hold, and straightened his clothes, brushing nonexist dirt away. “You found me a lot faster than the last one did.”

Keith paused at the comment before anger began to flare up. “The last one? You mean you do this to everyone?” Lance looked at him like he was stupid. “Of course I do, Keith ,” he said the knight’s name like it was toxic, “how else would I determine if they are worth entertaining?”

Keith looked at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion and anger. “Worth entertaining?” 

Lance nodded mockingly and said with irritation, “Yeah, obviously. If I know that they are going to quit soon I don’t need to try as hard to pretend to like them. Is your stupid mullet messing with your head? What’s so hard to understand?”

Keith could do nothing but stutter at the prince’s insult, ignoring the prince’s crazy test system. “Wha- what! I do not have a mullet!” Lance rolled his eyes. “Sure you don’t.” With that, he began to walk away, and Keith had no choice but to follow him.

“I don’t,” Keith reiterated. Lance said nothing, just continued to lead them to gods know where. Keith tried to get his anger under control, not wanting to be executed for treason or some other stupid shit that Lance could no doubt kill him for.

It was hard to think that this was the same man Keith had just been admiring. For how beautiful the omega was, he sure was a pain in the ass. Keith hadn’t even spent a full five minutes with him yet and he could already see why Lance had a new guard practically every varga.

Suddenly, Lance stopped and Keith had to do everything not to crash into him. The prince turned around to face the Galran. It was clear that he was trying to remain stoic, but Keith saw the twitch of his mouth, as if he was fighting the urge to smirk.

“I just want to discuss a few rules about your…employment.” Keith had to fight from rolling his eyes, but made a motion for Lance to continue, crossing his arms. “First off, I don’t know what you’ve heard about me. Gods knows how many rumors there are about me. And I know my parents gave you the rundown on how difficult I can be.” The prince stepped close to Keith, looking him directly in his eyes. “But I do not need someone to ‘rein me in,’ I am not a pet. I am the prince and am perfectly capable, and do not need you to tell me what to do. And secondly, don’t even for a second think that you’ll be the one to break me. You will most likely be gone within the month, so don’t get too comfortable. Do you understand, mullet?”

It must have been something in the way the prince was looking at him, or the stupid nickname, because suddenly the fact that Lance was the prince meant absolutely nothing. 

Keith continued to hold his gaze. “Well good thing my job isn’t meant to control you then, your highness ,” he said sneering. “It’s to protect you. So whether you like it or not, I’m with you. No matter how many things you do to make me miserable, you better get used to me because I’m not going anywhere.”

Chapter Text

Keith sighed as he heard Lance giggle from the other room. “Your highness, please stay still for just a moment. I have had enough of this game,” the alpha said exasperated. After being the prince’s guard for almost seven weeks, Keith was sick and tired of this game of hide and seek, something Lance did often.

Keith sighed again when all he heard was Lance giggling in response to his plea.

He opened the next closet door, but was met with the prince’s shoe collection instead of the actual Prince. Gods, who needed this many shoes.

“Please your highness, we are expected down in the throne room any minute.” 

A group of Northern Altea diplomats were arriving at the castle to discuss revisions to the latest treaty. What revisions, Keith couldn’t possibly know. The treaty had just been created. How were there already problems with it? 

Despite his absolute lack of understanding of why these diplomats were coming, that didn’t change the fact that the royal family was supposed to greet them. And as a part of the royal family, that included Lance. However, Lance being Lance, decided that playing a game of hide and seek when Keith came to escort him down to the throne room had been a perfect use of their time.

Somehow, the omega kept evading Keith’s searches, moving around the room when the knight had his back turned or his face deep in a closet. It was absolutely infuriating, and yet Lance seemed to find it the most amusing thing in the world. 

After a few moments of silence since the latest batch of Lance’s giggles, Keith began to hear the slight shuffling of feet off to his left. With quick precision, Keith lept towards the noise. He threw his arms out, finally grabbing onto the prince’s body. Lance struggled, but Keith used all his Glaran strength to keep him from loosening out of his grip.

“Finally caught you, Blue,” Keith smirked, enjoying the displeasure on Lance’s face. The prince rolled his eyes at the nickname, and huffed at Keith’s smug expression. The alpha knew that Lance hated when he called him that. Lance insisted that it was an “insult to my intellectual ability by demoting me to only being known by the color of my eyes and markings.” Which didn’t even make any sense considering how many awful names Lance called Keith only based on his physical appearance. 

Keith figured that Lance being so adamantly against the nickname just because it was Keith who said it, which is the exact reason why Keith called Lance ‘Blue’ in the first place. He loved to see the riled up look in Lance’s eyes when the name slipped from his lips as he stopped one of the prince’s schemes. It was just part of their dynamic, strange as it was.

Despite Lance’s obvious disdain for Keith at first, and Keith’s annoyance with the prince in turn, both men were now comfortable with each other, something that seemed like it would never happen.

During the first few weeks of their new arrangement, Lance would go out of his way to make Keith’s life extremely difficult. But unlike the other guards he had before, Keith didn’t let it sway him. Instead, he would just push back harder, determined to maintain his composure.

Any biting words Lance spewed would be met with biting words of Keith’s own, something that the knight has discovered excites Lance. Based on his reactions, Lance wasn’t used to people talking back to him. And Keith was more than happy to rectify that. The havoc the prince created around the castle would be met with a disappointed, but amused Keith, which actually helped encourage Lance to relax knowing that his antics were not going to make Keith quit. And when Lance would sneak out of the castle, Keith was always right behind him, complaining as he followed him.

So while Keith had initially not been thrilled about becoming the prince’s personal guard, he quickly grew to welcome the day with the omega. While there were challenges, Keith found Lance to be intriguing, and he was determined to learn more about him. 

Keith had learned a lot about the prince in the time being his guard, some of which he could probably live without knowing. He knew that Lance’s favorite color was blue (another reason for the nickname), although he hated Warriors Blue (whatever that was) with a passion. He refused to wear hats, and always had to have his bracelets on to finally feel ready. And he has a very extensive skin care routine, something which must be completed in its entirety. The one time Keith suggested Lance could skip some steps due to the prince running late for a function, he had to deal with a lecture about the importance of taking care of one’s skin for an hour and about a hundred insults about his hair.

It wasn’t just superficial stuff though. The knight learned that Lance desperately wanted to travel, and had multiple planets and solar systems that were on his list to visit. Keith was similar in that regard. While he knew that his duty was on Altea, Keith always secretly dreamed about leaving to go explore the world. Maybe go back to Daibazaal and see what it has become. Keith didn’t really know, and never thought about it seriously. At first it was to stay with Shiro, and then the war happened, so he knew he had to stay and fight. And then it was about Shiro again. He knew that now his loyalty to Southern Altea was even more finite with Lance, and thoughts of leaving didn’t come into his mind often, knowing that it was most likely just a pipe dream.

But when he heard Lance mention wanting to travel to some distant star system, his mind perked in interest. When Keith first asked about it, the Altean had gone on a long explanation about all the places he wanted to go, and finally finished by talking about his current favorite planet: Earth. It was a planet light years away, and the prince had, in Keith’s opinion, a weird obsession with it. Apparently it was “so less technologically advanced it was cute” and Lance tried to learn as much about it as he could. Currently he loved something called garlic knots, and had the castle chef Hunk make them as often as he could. The omega would also often make Keith sit through “Earthen Movie Nights,” commentating on all the strange or interesting things he found about the planet's human race.

But at least it was something that had come from outside Altean’s atmosphere. Whenever Lance would sit the alpha down and make him look at something from Earth or another planet, Keith couldn’t help but want to leave to go find those things himself. The two of them would often sit in the observatory, which was Lance’s favorite part of the castle. They would pull up the maps of different star systems, and Lance would go through and tell Keith about his favorite ones. More often than not it resulted in them getting into an argument about which planets would be better to visit or live on, but Keith didn’t really mind all that much. Any argument would be worth it to learn more about the prince.

In fact, Keith now relished learning about the prince. Through all their time spent together, and with all the stuff Keith did know about Lance. Despite his extroverted personality, Keith knew that Lance kept a lot of secrets. It was strange, knowing so much but still so little about the prince. Keith knew practically every like and dislike that Lance had as he was never shy about sharing his opinion, whether right or wrong. However, there were tons of things that he didn’t know about the omega. Lance always tried to appear in control of whatever situation he was in, so Keith knew little about his fears or insecurities. But yet, he would risk his life for him in a second.

So yeah, it was an odd dynamic.

Keith had tried to explain it to Shiro, but the alpha made Keith stop halfway through. 

“Listen, I think it's great that you like the prince. But I’m not going to pretend like I understand your weird relationship though,” he had said, shaking his head with a chuckle.

Keith had wanted to make a smart retort, but his mind was blank. His relationship with the prince was weird. They argued and bickered but also balanced each other out in a strange way. And despite the fact that Lance always tried his absolute hardest to make Keith’s day difficult, the omega also had some kind of affection for the knight. 

At least Keith thinks he does. Hopes he does. 

But now wasn’t the time to plague himself with thoughts about whether the prince actually liked him or not. Now was the time to get the prince’s ass to the throne room. 

Keith began to push Lance towards the door. “Come on your highness, it's time to meet your guests.” 

Lance began to whine, although Keith was grateful that he moved his feet along with him. That was also something about the Altean that Keith was often left confused by. As much as Lance would bitch and moan, he always did eventually do what Keith was asking him to do.

“I don’t want to go,” Lance protested as Keith began to drag him down the corridor. “The diplomats are going to be boring, just like they always are. And the room is going to be too hot and I’m going to have to stand there forever and I shouldn't even have to go. I’m the last in line for the throne. I’m never gonna have to deal with diplomats.” Lance crossed his arms, adding a huff and a growl to his last statement.

Keith rolled his eyes at Lance’s dramatics. “It's a show of good faith, that's why,” he said in an annoyed tone. “Now suck it up, stop your grumbling, and put on your perfect smile that will have every diplomat in that room charmed before they even pull out their treaty.”

Lance did not look very happy about what Keith was suggesting he do, but he did uncross his arms, which Keith counted as a win. 

That feeling didn’t last long, however. Lance almost immediately began to continue his complaining.

“I just- I just don’t want to do it.” Keith would almost laugh at how inelegant the words were if not for the sincere pout on Lance’s face. 

Keith mocked the prince’s expression, and looked down at the omega.

“Well sorry, your highness,” sarcasm dripping off his tongue, “but you have to. Do you think I necessarily want to wait and watch this meeting? No, I don’t. But I have to because I have to look after you. So please, for the love of the gods, just behave today.” 

Keith continued to drag the prince towards the throne room, grateful that he seemed to take in Keith’s words and didn’t put up any more fight. 

Eventually, they reached the door to the throne room, meeting a guard at the door.

The guard bowed. “Prince Lance. The rest of your family is inside.” 

Keith turned to Lance, urging him to go through the door. Lance simply stayed put, meeting Keith’s eyes in defiance. The two men stared at each other for a moment, the eye contact almost making the world around them fall away. 

Almost.

Lance stumbled into the throne room as Keith grabbed and pushed him into it. Lance let out a shriek. 

“Ah! Hey man! What the fu-”

A cough sounded behind them, stopping the prince from finishing his exploit as Keith and Lance turned to see the royal family staring at them.

The king looked confused, but also amused, and raised an eyebrow to his son. “Lance, what a pleasure for you to join us. The diplomats will be here any moment.” 

Keith straightened and saw Lance do the same, offering his father a smile.

”Of course, I wouldn’t dream of missing it.”

Lance’s sister, Rachel, snorted, and the prince shot her a glare. 

Keith couldn't help but smile at the exchange. Lance often complained about his siblings, although Keith knew how much fondness he had for them. Keith couldn’t go a day without hearing about some antic or quirk of one of Lance’s siblings. And as he watched Lance join his family, elbowing Rachel in the process, he knew that he was in for a long rant about the princess after the meeting.

As the diplomats arrived, Keith took his position with the other guards along the walls. 

The king and queen began to greet their guests, and Keith made eye contact with Lance. The prince looked at him with absolute boredom on his face, and Keith couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. One of the diplomats must have said something especially dull, because the royal omega rolled his eyes before they landed back on Keith.

For the next few ticks, the two stared at each other. Keith couldn’t stop himself from staring. Lance was just so- just so Lance.

Because that was something else that has come with Keith being the prince’s guard. In the weeks Keith had been his guard, his attraction towards the prince had only gotten stronger. Obviously, Keith had known that he was physically attracted to the man. He knew that the moment he laid eyes on him. But as they have gotten to know each other, Keith couldn’t deny that Lance completely and totally enraptured him.

It wasn’t just their strange push and pull dynamic that made Keith more attentive. It was the way that despite all of the bickering and aggravation that came with being Lance’s guard, Keith wanted more.

Despite the fact that Lance irritated Keith to no end, he couldn't help but be drawn to him. As twisted as it was, their arguments excited him. The way Lance pressed on all his buttons made Keith work twice as hard to press on Lance’s. All the glares, pouts, and sighs somehow made Keith smile and work harder to get an even bigger reaction the next time.

It was electrifying.

Because the prince wasn’t just beautiful or exciting. 

He was caring, funny, smart, and just wonderful all around. As much as Lance could be a pain, he made up for it with his wit and charm. He never failed to make anyone laugh, his smile always being a shining light to brighten the mood. And his big heart was something to be revered. 

Keithg initially witnessed the prince’s clear generosity when they had made their first trip down to the village together. The knight had been wary at first, knowing that he felt suffocated in the hustle and bustle of the town. But unfortunately, he wasn’t in the position to say no, and had no choice to escort Lance down.

They traveled down to the lower town, and Keith watched as the prince interacted with shopkeepers and passerbyers. The omega made sure to stop by all the carts in the market place, filling up his basket with treats and goodies. Keith had been confused at first, wondering what Lance was going to do with everything he had bought. But that confusion faded as they made their way to the village orphanage, where Lance handed out the items before playing with the children. Keith was shocked at first, but not just because of Lance’s kindness. 

When he had first arrived on Altea, he was placed in the orphanage before he began to live with Shiro. It was one of the nicer ones he had stayed at, but it still didn’t hold many pleasant memories for him. He was angry at the world during that time, and that resulted in most memories being plagued in a dark cloud. So watching Lance shine his bright smile at the children somehow gave Keith his first good experience there.

Since then, the alpha had only seen Lance’s heart more. It was admirable, how good Lance was. Lance was so incredible with kids, always knowing what to say or do to make even the toughest of pups erupt into giggles. He was incredible with everyone, really (aside from his guards). He just had a way to make you feel safe and heard when talking to him. Keith saw it often, both in the village and at the castle. 

He noticed how Lance was always the first choice babysitter for his niece and nephew, and knew it was because of how much Lance absolutely adored them. Keith also saw how Lance would almost always be the one his siblings came to for advice. Whether it was Marco asking about how to approach a cute girl, or Veronica asking for Lance’s help in calculating some math equation, the prince was there.

Keith also couldn’t help but think about how well Lance was penetrating the walls the Galran had spent so long putting up. The only other person who had been able to do that had been Shiro, and it even took him months to manage it. But somehow, Lance made Keith want to spill his mind and heart out to him. Because despite how much Lance tried to argue with him, he also always gave Keith the opportunity to talk about his own thoughts or feelings. Everytime the prince shared something about himself, he would ask something about Keith, and the knight always felt compelled to respond. It was like he couldn’t help it.

To be honest, Keith didn’t have much to tell that wasn’t intense, deep thoughts, but he tried to offer as much random trivia about himself as he could muster. But he knew that the longer he spent with Lance, the more he would want to share. The more he would want to share all the deep stuff. And that scared Keith a little.

He was scared of what it might mean. 

Because the longer Keith spent as Lance’s guard, the longer his infatuation grew. And it wasn’t just about Lance’s…personality. No, Keith had begun to become fascinated with other, more physical things about Lance.

Listen, Keith was no stranger to sexual attraction. He never had much interest in romance, but he never saw that as a reason to not have sex. It was just a way to exert some energy. While Keith was never one of those men who had a new person in their bed each week, he was still a young alpha with needs. During the war his troops would be awarded sporadic opportunities to venture into the nearest town, and Keith had always taken advantage of that to find some man to fuck. It had never meant anything, and Keith always felt a little better after releasing all his anger and worry about the war during his escapades.

So when he suddenly began to think about doing the same things to Lance, it made Keith begin to panic. Because it was no secret that the prince drove Keith up a wall. Although their banter has become more playful since the beginning of their partnership, Keith still couldn’t deny that sometimes he just wanted to make Lance shut up and listen. 

And apparently his brain had determined that he needed to sleep with him to do it.

Keith couldn’t get the images out of his head, despite his wishes. Everytime Lance did something particularly irritating or obnoxious, Keith couldn’t help but think about what it would be like if he could make him behave.

With every smartass quip from Lance, the more Keith thought about grabbing the prince by the shoulders and kissing him everywhere. On his lips, his neck, his body. Of bending the omega over and fucking all the resistence out of him the way he’s wanted to since the first time Lance snarked at him. Of having the omega, over and over again until the only thing the prince could say, think, or feel was Keith. Of hearing him whine for release again and again before Keith gave it to him, gave him everything until Lance ca-

A clang rang out in the room as a server dropped a plater, and with it, Keith’s illusion was destroyed, reality coming back to him.

Because as much as his brain supplied him with those images, it couldn’t happen. Even the thought of having Lance on his knees for him, as pretty as the picture may be, was entirely inappropriate. Lance was the prince, and Keith was meant to protect him. It didn’t matter how much Keith wanted him. It didn’t even matter that Keith knew that it may even be more than just sexual attraction that lured him into Lance’s orbit.

Here they were, standing in the throne room surrounded by Lance’s family, a prince and his knight. And that's all that they could ever be. It would be ridiculous to even entertain any other idea.

As these thoughts lingered in his head, Keith tore his gaze away from Lance’s. He began to stare straight ahead, trying to calm his racing heart and control his scent. He began to remind himself over and over that Lance would never be his omega. Not in bed, and not anywhere else.

And if Keith couldn’t stop himself from thinking of sapphire blue eyes and the sweet smell of the ocean during his rut the next week, that was only for him to know.

⋆★⋆

Keith was standing up against a wall, trying not to glare as he watched Lance dance with some lady of the court. 

They were at a ball to celebrate the queen’s birthday, and the prince had taken it upon himself to try and dance with every eligible bachelor and bachelorette that was in attendance, much to Keith’s displeasure. It wasn’t that the knight didn’t want Lance to have a good time. It was just…hard to watch him dance with someone else. Watch someone else's hand grasp his waist as they leave their scent all over him.

After being in rut for four days, and taking an extra day to recover, Keith was feeling on edge. He has never enjoyed his ruts, always knowing that the time he spent thrusting into his own fist could be used to save someone's life. And since he had gotten back, he had not lingered too much about thinking of his next one. 

So when he woke up one morning, thoughts full of knotting an omega, he was forced to take a week off from work. He had quickly told Shiro of the situation, cheeks flamed at the thought of his brother knowing what he was going to be doing in his room over the next few days, and grabbed enough food and water to last him the week. 

Then the knight had locked himself in his room where he spent the following days withering on his bed sheets, imagining himself fucking into a beautiful, snarky Altean prince without stopping. 

He hadn’t been able to get Lance out of his head throughout the entire duration of his rut. The omega’s name constantly slipped from his lips in breathy moans and panted grunts. No matter how much the rational side of Keith’s brand recognized that it was wrong, his alpha couldn’t stop himself from crying out for his mate.

No, not your mate , his brain tried to remind him. He’s not yours.  

Of course, Keith knew that, and couldn't stop himself from repeating that every hour of the day. He didn’t even actually want to become Lance’s mate. His alpha was just desperate for the omega’s body, and that led to more…intimate imagery. But no matter how much Keith tried to convince himself of this fact, that didn’t stop him from still wanting the prince’s attention on him instead of anyone else on that dance floor. 

It seems that Lance was somehow reading his mind because as he twirled around, his eyes locked onto Keith’s. 

Even with the distance between them, Keith could see the amusement in the prince’s expression. He responded with a tilt of his head, silently warning Lance not to be too difficult tonight. Lance raised his eyebrows and giggled in response before turning his attention back to his dance partner and grabbing two drinks from a nearby waiter. Keith sighed at the omega’s defiance, but couldn’t help but smile to himself.  

Lance is going to be the death of me , he thought.

The knight watched as Lance finished off his glass, his fourth one that night, before reaching for another one, now having the attention of an older alpha who was known to be quite forward in his advances. 

Keith pushed himself off the wall, ready to drag Lance away from the man and the drinks, when suddenly a yellow body obstructed his path.

“Ah hello there, I have been looking for you,” the guest said. 

Keith took in the man standing in front of him, scanning for any signs of threats. He was a beta, so the only smell radiating from him was from the cigar in his left hand, dropping soot on the ground as he swirled around the glass of wine in his other hand. 

He didn’t seem like he was about to attack so Keith relaxed slightly, although he still remained alert.

“I wanted to introduce myself. I am Quinlan Havestfield, the duke of the planet Poryak.”

Keith was slightly confused at this man's eagerness to meet him, especially when in the presence of so many high ranking officials. Nevertheless, he took the duke’s outstretched hand and shook it. 

“Keith Kogane.”

The yellow beta laughed. “Yes I know who you are. You’re the newest personal guard to the youngest prince, correct?”

Keith nodded his head.

“Yes I am,” he said wearily. He didn’t like it when people took to displaying his role so loudly, especially when Lance wasn’t within arms reach. 

Keith tried to look around the duke to find Lance again in the crowd, but the man moved his body along with Keith’s head. 

“I was hoping to talk to you tonight about a job proposition,” the duke said, interrupting Keith’s search. 

The knight responded bluntly. “I have a job. You just said it to me.” 

The duke chuckled. “Yes, I know you have a job now, but I meant for after.” 

Keith looked at the man, confused. “After?”

The man chuckled again. “Yes, after. Everyone knows that the prince’s guards don’t last any more than a few months. After all, I’ve heard the little omega is quite a lot to deal with. Always running around town or running his mouth, ah yes he is quite the scoundrel.”

The duke smiled like he had said a joke before continuing. “So I figured that it was only a matter of time before you quit as well, and wanted to give you an offer before anyone else could scoop you up. Many of us have heard about your trumphis during the war here on Altea, and how well you’ve been able to handle the prince so far. I have a granddaughter, you see, who has just presented as an omega. This means that she will be needing a bodyguard of her own, and I thought that you would be perfect for the job! She’s really a lovely girl and…”

Keith began to zone out on the words the duke was saying, and began trying to find Lance again, not liking having had his eyes off him for so long. To be honest, Keith was having a hard time not pushing the duke out of the way to stop his yammering and to find his prince among the dance floor. Just who was this man to speak about Lance and Keith’s position has his guard? Sure, Lance could be difficult, but he could also be amazing and sweet and beautiful and...and gods Keith needed to get a grip. 

Keith finally found the omega resting by the bar table, talking to Hunk and Pidge, and the knight let his body relax. Lance was okay, and he wasn’t getting into any trouble. 

With this news, Keith turned his attention back to the duke, finding the man still prattling on about this job opportunity. He didn’t seem like he was going to be stopping any time soon, so Keith gave his best try at looking regretful as he said, “Oh I’m sorry, but I think the prince is calling me over. I appreciate the offer, but I cannot take it at this time. Goodbye.” 

Keith left before the duke could say anything else, and he headed directly over to where Lance was getting another drink. 

“Prince Lance, please do not drink yourself away,” Keith said playfully as he settled next to Lance at the bar. “I don’t want to drag your ass back to your rooms tonight.” 

He had meant the comment to be humorous, but the glare Lance settled on him was anything but. The alpha looked at him, confusion and concern clear in his face and voice. “Hey, what’s the matter, Blue?” 

Lance did nothing but huff at him before downing his drink and reaching for another one. “Nothing,” Lance said, tone indicating that it was anything but. “I have dancing to do.” And with that, Lance offered one more glare at Keith before sauntering to the dance floor, falling into the first free partner he could find.

Keith watched him for a moment before turning to face Hunk, who was preparing a plate of food to be served. “What was that all about?” Hunk looked up at Keith, face full of nervousness. 

“Look man, I don’t want to get involved in your and the prince’s weird relationship. You know how Lance can be, just give him some time to cool off.” 

Keith huffed at the beta’s words. “I don’t even know what he needs to cool off from. Did something happen? Or did I do something?” Keith needed to know what was going on with the prince to invoke this distant behavior. 

Hunk just sighed. “I’m not getting in the middle of this,” the chef said before turning away from Keith to focus on the food in front of him. 

Keith moved his head to look at Pidge for any guidance, but the scientist had already walked away, moving around the room to talk about new tech and what not.

Keith turned back to the dance floor to see Lance now engaging two larger green Unilu in conversation, with each of their four hands touching Lance in some way. Lance looked away for a moment to look up at Keith, before taking a long sip of his glass. He emptied it and called for another, all while leaning into one of his companions and focusing his attention back to them.

Keith scowled, before ordering himself his first and only drink for the night. 

A server handed him his drink, ignoring the fact that Keith probably shouldn’t be drinking at all considering he was on duty. But if he was going to deal with this Lance the rest of the night, he needed some liquid courage.

Keith quickly sipped it, toasting to the hope that Lance’s attitude would disappear by the end of the night.

⋆★⋆

Lance’s attitude did not disappear by the end of the night. If anything, it got worse.

For the rest of the party, the omega continued to throw dirty glances at Keith in between his dancing and drinking. Keith had tried to ask Lance what was wrong, but after the fifth time of either being ignored or having his foot stepped on, he gave up, resigning himself to keep a watchful eye on the prince from the wall. 

Thankfully, the party finally began to come to an end once the king and queen retired, with guestings slowly taking their leave. 

Keith left his spot on the wall for the second time that night, making a direct line towards the prince. When he was halfway across the ball room, Lance noticed the approaching knight. The Altean began to make his escape, trying his best to move in between the party guests, but Keith had had enough of his antics. 

With skillful precision, Keith weaved in between guests, crossing the remaining distance and grabbing onto Lance’s arms. The prince tried to shake him off, but Keith wasn’t budging. 

“It’s time to go, your highness,” Keith said sternly. 

Lance still struggled against Keith’s hold as he whined, “Go back to your wall, mullet. I’m not ready to leave yet.“

Under normal circumstances, Keith may have been more open to letting Lance stay longer. But Lance had been difficult all evening, and Keith was at his wits end.

Through gritted teeth, Keith argued, “No, it's time to go. Now stop being a brat and walk.” The knight began to drag Lance towards the exit, ignoring the prince’s stutters of objection.

Lance must have eventually noticed that there was no room for debate in Keith’s tone and stopped struggling, although he did continue to mutter his disapproval of the word brat . Keith began to drag Lance across the room and towards the ballroom’s exit. 

The quickly entered the empty hallway, and began to walk in silence towards Lance’s chambers, Keith still gripping the prince’s arm.

After a few moments of silence, Lance began to laugh. Keith turned to glare at him. 

“What are you finding so amusing, your highness?”

His question got no verbal response, just more giggling from the prince. Keith took a better look at the prince, noticing his flushed cheeks and slight stumble. He rolled his eyes. 

Yeah , he thought, Lance was drunk out of his mind.

The giggling continued as they made their way down the hall to the door of Lance’s chambers, although they softened as they went. Finally, the pair made it to the prince’s room. Keith moved Lance so that they were facing each other, the latter blinking up slowly as he continued to giggle.

The alpha knew he should turn away now. Leave Lance to enter his room and have his nightly guards take over but…but Lance was laughing at Keith, drunk, and looking at him like he had a million things to say.

Under normal circumstances, Keith would actually reside in a separate room attached to the prince’s suit, allowing him full protective access every moment of the day. But Lance, being Lance, had absolutely refused to allow Keith to do this, and at the time Keith was more than happy to agree. 

However, as he took in Lance’s drunken state, Keith wanted nothing more than to be able to stay with him.

So as much as Keith knew that he should leave, he couldn’t and wanted, no need, to understand what was going through the omega’s head.

“So Blue, are you finally ready to tell me what you find so funny?”

At his question, Lance finally began to quiet down. He looked down at his feet for a moment, before finally raising his eyes again to meet Keith’s. He looked hesitant, but he eventually opened his mouth to answer.

“I just…I was just thinking about how- how,” Lance stuttered.

“How?” Keith said, trying to get Lance to finally open up and reveal his strange behavior all night.

Lance looked frustrated at the interruption, but continued anyway. “Just thinking about how this is finally it.”

Keith’s eyebrows furrowed. “What’s finally it?”

Lance looked slightly surprised at the question and huffed his response. “Us, idiot. Or you…protecting me, I mean. I knew that it would happen eventually, and I really do applaud you for lasting so long. Two months is no easy feet and-”

“What are you talking about,” Keith interrupted, confused by Lance’s ramble. What did he mean “the end of them?” Was Lance firing him? His alpha growled at the thought.

Lance seemed just as confused by Keith’s question. He looked at the knight’s face, trying to find any signs of him pretending not to know, but finding nothing but pure bewilderment.

“You’re finally leaving me. Like all of the others,” Lance said with a slight laugh, words slurring together at the end.

Keith’s brows furrowed even further, if that was even possible, as he looked confusingly at Lance. “What do you mean,” he asked, still trying to understand what Lance was trying to say.

Lance suddenly seemed very uncomfortable, as well as angry by the fact that Keith didn’t seem to understand what he was trying to tell him.

“Listen Keith, I know that you are quitting this job. And it's really not a big deal so you don't have to lie about it or keep pretending or anything. It was only a matter of time.” 

Keith’s eyes widened at Lance’s words. Quitting? Where had Lance gotten that idea from? Before he could ask, Lance continued ranting.

“All of the guards end up leaving eventually. It's a pattern, it's expected. They all reach a point where they realize that I’m too much to handle. Either I’m too annoying or too energetic. Or they just can’t handle the fact that I want to leave these castle walls. Whatever reason you have, I promise that I’ve heard it before. You really don’t have to sugar coat it for me.” 

Keith’s thoughts were going a mile a minute in his head. Why did Lance think that he was leaving him? Why did Lance think he was ever going to leave him? Sure, Keith had his moments of being exasperated with the prince, but never enough to quit. 

Guilt filled him as he thought about all the times he had told Lance he was being annoying. The times he had scolded him for trying to leave the castle. All the times Keith had thought about leaving Altea, and Lance, behind to travel the universe

But Keith never, through any of those moments, even thought about quitting this job. Not seriously, at least. He couldn’t, really. The omega had wormed his way into Keith’s heart and mind. 

“Listen to me, Blue,” Keith started, hoping the nickname would calm the younger man down as he brought his hand to Lance’s face, making their eyes meet. “I am not leaving you. I am not quitting. Not today, and I’m planning on not ever. Where would you even get that idea?”

Lance tried to avoid eye contact, still not believing Keith, before he answered quietly. “Pidge heard you talking to that duke. About his granddaughter.”

The conversation from the party suddenly came back to Keith and he sighed in realization.

“Oh, baby, no. No, that's not…you don’t understand.” Keith barely even registered that he just called the prince baby , more focused on trying to clear the vulnerable expression from Lance’s face. “The duke was talking about me becoming a guard for his granddaughter, but I told him no. Told him that I already had a wonderful job here, looking after you, and I didn’t need any other offers. To be honest I was barely even listening to his proposal because I was too focused on trying to find you.”

Lance still looked a little skeptical, although his eyes seemed to be pleading for Keith to be telling the truth. Keith sighed again before repositioning his hand, caressing Lance’s face fully while bringing his other hand up on Lance’s shoulder, making soothing up and down motions to try and calm the prince down. 

“I promise you, I am not going to leave.”

The omega sniffled slightly, seeming to be on the verge of tears. “That’s what all the other guards said,” he whined. “They all-“ hiccup “they all said that they were going to be the one to last. And all of them left.”

Keith didn’t know what to make of this, of Lance’s reaction. He knew how many guards Lance had had in the past. Being in the castle daily had led to Keith picking up on staff gossip, even if he never participated in it himself. He now was very familiar with the various rumors that surrounded why the prince had had so many personal guards. Most of them resolved around Lance just being too wild, but they ranged in specific reasons why. Some people believed that Lance was just too high energy. Others thought that he did particular, purposeful things to make his guards quit. This idea would necessarily be within of the range of possibilities, but most include information about Lance having deadly magic powers, so Keith took them with a grain of salt.

No matter what the true reasons were, Keith never thought that the prince was actually upset about his guards quitting. He had always figured that Lance always tried to make them quit, not wanting to be guarded at all. Now, hearing Lance drunkenly blubber about how worried he is that Keith will leave too, makes the knight reevaluate everything.

Keith takes a deep breath and leans in closer to Lance, fighting the urge to wrap him up in his arms completely.

“Listen to me, I’m not like the other guards. And I don’t want to be. Your other guards sound like they were shit, to be honest, and I’m not planning on that being me.” 

Lance let out what seems to be an involuntary snort, but didn’t say anything. Keith took that moment to finish his thoughts, pure honesty wrapping itself around the words.

“So I can say with certainty that I won’t be leaving this position or you anytime soon. I like the job. And believe it or not, I like you too. My alpha likes you and wants to protect you.”

Lance started a Keith for a moment, before speaking again with a slight hiccup. “Even- even when I’m a brat and step on your feet?” 

Keith laughed despite himself. “Yes, even then. I promise, there’s nothing you could do to make me go away. You’re stuck with me, Blue.”

Keith smirked at Lance, watching as the altean’s unsure expression transformed into one that almost seemed pleased. Lance opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by another hiccup. The noise seemed to remind Keith how drunk the prince was, and how he really should be in his room instead of standing outside it in the arms of his knight.

“Lance, I think it’s time for you to go to bed,” Keith said, dropping the omega’s princely title. It didn’t seem appropriate to use in such a vulnerable moment. Lance looked hesitant, but eventually nodded in agreement. 

“Yes, umm. Yes I should.” Lance blushed, likely embarrassed by his lack of words. Keith didn’t mind though, finding this side of Lance just as captivating as he did his usual, high energy self. Lance began to untangle himself from Keith’s hold before reaching for his chambers door.

Keith watched as Lance moved away from him. He must really be pathetic, because he found himself missing the warmth of Lance’s skin already. But it was late, and Lance had had an emotional night, it would seem. 

Keith stepped away from the prince, watching as he opened up his door and began to step inside. Just before he fully made his way into his room, Lance turned back around to face the knight.

“So I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Keith hated how vulnerable Lance still sounded, but couldn’t do anything but try to reassure him. 

“See you tomorrow, your highness,” Keith said, adding a little bow to his words. Lance smiled, and gave Keith a soft laugh before entering his room.

Keith stood there smiling stupidly at Lance’s door before he finally began making his way back to Shiro and Adam’s place for the night. As he thought about how upset Lance was at the prospect of Keith quitting, he realized that Lance must like Keith being his guard as much as the knight did. This reassured Keith, who sometimes worried that Lance was simply putting up with him because of his parents’ wishes. Although he wished the realization didn’t come at the price of Lance’s insecurities, Keith couldn’t help but feel happy to know that Lance cared as much as Keith did.

That night, Keith went to bed with visions of tan skin and soft smiles.

⋆★⋆

Despite Keith’s best attempts, they didn’t talk about what had occurred that night the next morning. 

Keith had wanted to make sure that Lance was okay after his drunken ramble and unaware confession of affection, but Lance seemed to change the subject everytime he even thought Keith was going to bring it up. This irritated Keith because he wanted to confirm that sober Lance actually felt as attached to him as drunk Lance did. He also wanted the chance to apologize for his own behavior. Keith called Lance baby for fucks sakes. Keith didn’t even think that he was the type of alpha to call his omega pet names, much less the royal omega prince. But apparently his mind had different ideas, and the word seemed to be penetrating his every thought in concern with Lance.

Keith knew that those thoughts and ideas wouldn’t disappear anytime soon, but that didn’t mean that he shouldn’t apologize to Lance in the meanwhile. Afterall, Lance didn’t ask to be subjected to Keith's unusual longing. And after his odd behavior when talking about his past, Lance needed someone who could be steady, not growing feelings for him. However, Keith never got a chance to even discuss it with the prince. He couldn’t even say the word “party” without launching Lance into a 30 minute ramble about something completely unrelated, blocking any room for discussion.

So they didn’t talk about it that day. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. In fact, the pair never talked about it in the following weeks, with Keith eventually giving up trying to get Lance to talk about anything to do with what had happened. 

Instead, they continued to keep up their banter as Lance consistently was a brat that Keith had to deal with. Sneaking out of the castle, running through the village, and being an overall pain in the ass seemed to become Lance’s only activities. Any moments of calm that Keith would normally receive seemed to go out the window.

Keith didn’t understand it. How had Lance confessing that he actually liked Keith led to more defiance? Lance should have been trying to make Keith’s job easier, if anything. But alas, the prince never did anything to make someone’s life easier.

Currently, Keith was chasing after Lance as they made their way through the castle corridors. Keith had been hoping that today would be easier, but from the moment he met with the prince that morning, he knew that that wouldn’t be the case. Lance seemed to be bouncing off the walls, chattering on and on during breakfast. By the time the afternoon hit, Keith had been dealing with such a wound up prince that he was almost grateful when Lance made his suggestion to leave the palace and explore.

“Prince Lance, please slow down. I agreed to go somewhere but I need to actually see you to do that,” Keith called out. 

He heard Lance laugh, but thankfully the prince did stop for a moment, letting the knight catch up to him. 

Keith gave him an appreciative smile, which was met with a smirk.

“You happy now,” Lance asked, his voice filled with attitude. Keith tilted his head at him and threw him a glare. “Yes, actually. I am. Thank you.” 

Lance rolled his eyes, but laughed, and took Keith’s hand. Before Keith could start internally panicking or question why, Lance began to drag him across the hall. The knight could do nothing but make his feet follow the prince, helpless to his pull.

“And am I allowed to know where we are going,” Keith asked. Lance shook his head, turning around to meet Keith’s gaze. “Nu uh, that would totally ruin the surprise, mullet.” 

Keith’s eyes narrowed. “Well I don’t like surprises,” he grumbled. 

Lance gave him a mocking pout. “Aw, does the big Galra alpha not feel safe following the beautiful, gorgeous, funny, spectacular omega prince?”

Keith continued to glare at Lance. “Wow, you really laid on the compliments to yourself there, Blue.” 

Lance smirked. “I only tell the truth. It would be a disservice of me as your prince not to remind you how incredibly lucky you are to be in my presence.” 

Lance meant it as a joke, but Keith couldn’t help but agree with him. He really was lucky to be here with Lance, even if he was just his guard. How many other people have been in Keith’s place and didn’t even realize how blessed they were. To be able to protect the amazing omega that was the prince. 

Lance must have noticed that Keith’s thoughts were moving away from their current discussion because he gave the knight an odd look before turning to face forward again. Keith shook his head slightly, trying to clear these thoughts and feelings, and offered Lance a quick, lame response of agreement. 

The pair walked in silence for the next few doboshes, the air between them suddenly full of tension. Not a bad tension, per say, just…tension. 

Keith knew that for him, it was because all he could think about was whispering the same praises Lance gave himself all over his smooth caramel skin. But for Lance, Keith didn’t know. 

Could the prince tell that Keith wanted more than just to be his guard? Wanted him ? And that was why he was so silent now. 

The knight wasn’t sure if he would ever want Lance to know. He couldn’t see it ending well for him, and would rather pine for Lance as the position of his guard than from afar. At least now, Keith could channel all his…feelings into protecting Lance. Into making sure that he is safe. If Lance were to discover that his feelings surpassed the weird friendship they created, that would all go away. 

And Keith didn’t know if he could handle that. 

But it was hard to not just give in and fuck Lance with no remorse. It was like his alpha was screaming at him to just shut Lance up with a kiss and never look back. To finally get him on his knees, and fill him with so much pleasure he couldn’t even think about insulting Keith. And Keith knew that he would look so lovely like that, visions from his rut coming back to fill up his mind. Everything about Lance, from his body to his voice filled Keith’s mind.

And his smell. Gods his smell. The knight was embarrassed to admit how much the sweet aroma of sea salt, guava, and starfruit invaded his senses every time he was near Lance. 

Keith’s mind began to drift to fantasies as they often did around Lance. Maybe it was just some long lasting effects of Keith’s rut, or maybe he was just naturally this horny, but either way vision of lustful nights began to swim in his mind. The thought of them, along with Lance’s sweet smell made Keith want to take Lance here and now.

To kiss him so deeply Lance’s legs weakened, before he gave up complete control to Keith. To set Lance down and worship his entire body, whispering every praise and dirty word into the prince’s skin. Hearing the omega whine for him before becoming so impatient he begs to have Keith inside him. 

And Keith would give in, because he could never deny Lance anything. 

He would start slow, before giving in to the prince’s requests and fucking Lance so hard tears would escape his piercing eyes. He would continue to whisper every word that came to mind, revealing all parts of his soul to the prince. Before eventually, they would both reach their climax as Keith pushes in for a final time, knot locking the two together. Keith would thrust his face into Lance’s neck, biting down on the tan, smooth skin that surrounded the prince’s bond mark. He then would make his way to the prince’s spot, mouthing at it, but not sinking his teeth in. To make Lance shudder in pleasure at the thought of being bonded.

To have Lance, completely and totally to his mercy.

At this imagery, Keith began to grow hot under his clothes. His hand was still clasped in Lance’s as the omega continued to take them wherever he was taking them, and Keith was beginning to lose control. He almost felt as if he could smell Lance’s scent, strong and completely overcoming.

That realization made Keith pause, almost causing Lance to trip back at the sudden stop. Keith shouldn’t be able to smell Lance’s scent, at least not as strong as he was.

He knew that the omega didn’t use strong scent blockers. Some people would only use blockers that masked their entire scent, but Lance was not one of those people. While Keith didn’t like to use any form of blockers, finding that they interfered with his senses so much they affected his ability in battle, Lance preferred to use ones that simply weakened his scent .

“My scent is delightful,” Lance had said the one time Keith asked. “Why would I want to hide it completely?” 

Due to Keith’s…appreciation of Lance, he knew that he was more intune with his scent. But under normal circumstances his smell was still usually just undertones. Now, however, the ocean smell was completely overwhelming. And matched with Lance’s erratic behavior and his now burning skin that Keith could feel through his palm, it could probably only mean one thing.

“Your highness,” Keith said causesly, “I think you’re going into heat.”

Lance turned to look at him, confusion clear on his face. “What? What do you mean?” 

Now that Keith was really looking at him, he knew that it was true. The slight sheen to his skin and his hooded eyes being just one indicator. And combined with the prince’s smell, there was no doubt. 

“You’re going into heat.” At another evaluation of Lance’s appearance, Keith recalibrated. ”You are in heat, Prince Lance. We need to get you back to your room.” 

Keith untangled his hand from the prince’s in order to grip both of his shoulders. Lance looked up at him with alarm in his eyes.

“What, no. No no no no no. I can’t be in heat.” His words began to slur together slightly, panicking beginning to rise in his voice. “I’m not- I’m not supposed to have it for another three weeks.” 

“Well it's come early because you're definitely entering it. Something must have triggered it. You’re burning up.” Keith could feel the heat radiating off of Lance’s skin as he began to maneuver the prince back the way they came. Even in his growing sluggish state, Lance still tried to put up a fight.

“Wait no, we were going somewhere. I was going to,” he took in a shallow breath, “I was going to show you my favorite part of the forest. This little…mh. This little clearing. I was gonna-” 

Keith interrupted him. “You can show it to me next week, I promise. For right now we need to get you to your room. To your nest,” he emphasized.

The situation seemed to finally catch up to Lance. At the word “nest,” his whole body seemed to slump and he hummed approvingly. 

“Mmm yeah, okay. That does sound good.”

Keith nodded and began to navigate them through the halls, taking them back towards the prince’s room. Lance’s scent was getting stronger and stronger, and Keith was beginning to have a hard time remembering the protocols the queen had told him for this exact situation. 

He would never take advantage of any omega, especially not Lance, but Keith couldn’t deny how good Lance smelled. What he wouldn’t give to be his alpha and to be able to take care of him. However, he knew that it was impossible, and the most important thing was to get Lance back to his room.

On their way, Lance still insisted that he wasn’t going into heat. He complained about how he was probably just growing hotter because of how crazy the temperature was in the castle. As soon as he relaxed for a moment and maybe lay down in his bed and maybe take his clothes off because they were becoming really itchy and maybe touch himself and maybe-

“Fuck, I think you’re right,” Lance groaned. “And I hate when you’re right. I’m going into heat.”

If it was under normal circumstances, Keith would have rolled his eyes at Lance’s subtle insult. If it was normal circumstances, Keith would have laughed anyway. But this was not normal circumstances. This was Keith trying desperately to get Lance out of the open hallway while the omega became more and more heat-brained.

After too many minutes of Keith trying to discreetly move Lance back to his room, they reached Lance’s door. Since Lance had accepted the fact that he was in heat, it was as if the cycle took over him. He felt weak in Keith’s arms, and Keith could smell the slick that was beginning to drip from his hole. The knight tried to ignore how delectable Lance smelled, but it was hard when the prince was practically hanging off his body.

“Prince Lance, we’re here. You need to get inside and I'll alert your family.” Keith said it with rushed urgency, hoping to snap Lance out of the trance that he seemed to be entering. But Lance just shook his head and began to whine, eyes growing wide and glazy.

“No, no! I can’t- I need- I-” 

Keith moved his hands up to cradle Lance’s face, losing all semblance of trying to remain professional. The prince was acting so much like he was when he was drunk, but Keith knew that this was a whole different kind of intoxication.

“What is it? What do you need, Lance?” Keith began to look around as he asked, making sure that there was no other alpha in sight that could be affected by Lance’s heat. When he determined that they were the only ones there, the knight turned back to look at Lance. 

“Will you- mmh.” Lance shifted uncomfortably. “Will you please help me? Please Keith, I need your help. You smell so good…please.” 

Keith felt like the gods must truly be testing him because why else would there be the most perfect omega standing in front of him, leaking and begging for him to help him in his heat. The Galran closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to get himself under control. When he opened up his eyes again, he saw the most pleading expression he thinks he has ever seen.

Lance looked up at him like he was everything; like he could give him everything. 

“Please Keith,” Lance pleaded.

Keith felt his resolve begin to crumble. “Lance…” 

“Please.”

Keith looked away for a moment, trying to plan his next move. After a moment, he gave in.

“Okay, okay. I’ll help you into your room. But then I have to go Lance, okay. If I come to help you into bed then you have to promise to let me go.” 

Lance nodded quickly. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just please Keith.”

With no more hesitation, Keith opened the door and shuffled Lance into his chambers. Keith had never been inside before, and tried to take it in while still moving Lance towards his grand, four-poster bed. The walls were a deep shade of blue, and there were planets and galaxies painted all along it, stars flickered throughout. It was beautiful. 

Keith wanted to stop and appreciate it more, but he had to give his full attention to the trembling omega in his arms. He moved Lance closer to his bed, hesitating for just a moment. Keith knew that putting Lance into his bed clothed was pointless, but the only other options were to undress himself Lance so he could get prepared, and that was something that Keith could absolutely not do. He looked at the prince’s bed, noticing the blankets and clothing strewn around it. Keith recognized it as the omega’s nest, and guilt flooded through him. He knew that he would have to see it, but he still felt like he was betraying Lance by doing so. Nests could be something immensely private, and he felt like he was violating Lance due to the prince unknowingly showing him. With shame entering his expression, Keith turned back to the Altean.

“Lance, I don’t want to enter your nest, so I need you to get yourself into your bed, okay?” 

Lance let out a noise of protest. Keith looked at him, finding it harder and harder to stop himself from giving into every urge his alpha was screaming at him to indulge in. 

“What? What is it, baby?” Keith didn’t even know why he said it. His track record for calling Lance pet names while the prince was incapacitated was two for two, and Keith knew that he would have to analyze that fact later when he was alone in his room.

Lance shivered at the pet name, then looked up at the knight from under his lashes. 

“Alpha,” he whispered. “I need you. I want you. I want you to fuck me, please.”

Keith felt like his heart both stopped and exploded at the same time. He knew Lance didn’t know what he was saying and would say this to any alpha in his current condition, but that didn’t stop the knight from internally groaning at his words. Keith felt as if he heard Lance say he needed him one more time he might just combust on the spot. He shook his head, both for his and Lance’s benefit.

“I can’t, Blue. I can’t stay.” 

Lance whined again and tears began to form in his eyes.

“Why- Why not? What’s wrong with me? Why don’t you want me, alpha?”

“Nothing is wrong with you, sweetheart. Nothing. I just…you wouldn’t be saying this if you weren't in heat. I can’t do anything other than help you get into bed, Lance.” 

It would seem that the prince did not like this answer, because his whining only got louder. Keith also began to notice how his scent was beginning to sour. Lance was working himself up too much. With the surprise heat, and the “rejection” from the knight, Keith knew that Lance was entering an erratic state. There was a possibility that the Altean could drop, and with him also entering heat, that could be life threatening.

Keith needed to do something, quick.

The next few moments were spent with Keith racking his brain for everything that could be done, before he finally just acted on instinct. The knight didn’t even know why he did what he did next, knowing that he would have to apologize for it later. He just needed Lance to calm down, and this was the only way he could think to do it without using his alpha voice.

Keith began to scent the omega, his face buried up against Lance’s neck.

At first Lance barely seemed to notice, to wound up in his own mind and body. But soon, the omega began to calm down, his scent returning back to normal. Er, well normal for a heat. His breathing settled, and his whines began to quiet as Keith’s strong, fiery scent washed over him.

“Alpha,” he whispered again, although it was no longer as desperate as his cries from before.

Keith just continued to scent him, releasing as many calming pheromones as he could.

“There we go, baby. There we go.” 

Keith figured he had broken a lot of rules, so he might as well follow through on them. Hopefully, Lance wouldn’t even remember any of this, and Keith could save himself from the embarrassment. Keith rubbed his nose along Lance’s jaw, trailing down from his ear to his collarbone. Both the alpha and omega sighed, bodies leaning into each other.

Keith continued his ministrations for another few ticks, before he began to shuffle Lance towards his bed again. This time, the prince didn’t offer any resistance, even when Keith pulled away from him once he was laying down. As Keith backed away from him, he could fully smell the mingling of their scents. Keith’s maschile scent of fire and metal combined with Lance’s to create something that is odd, but uniquely them. 

Keith couldn’t let it fog his head, knowing that he had to leave. He tried not to think about where Lance’s smell was the strongest, pointedly ignoring where he knew the prince’s slick would be leaking out of him. Instead, Keith focused on the omega’s face. He was flushed all over, and still looked like he objected to Keith leaving, but he made no more noises of disapproval. Keith hoped that his scent would keep the omega calm and satisfied for the moment, allowing Keith to leave the room without another problem.

Keith began to make his way to the door, the need to leave growing stronger as the smell of arousal and slick intensified. Just as he reached the door, however, he heard a small voice whisper across to him.

“Thank you, alpha.”

Keith sucked in a breath, gripping the knob of the door hard to keep himself from turning back around.

Quietly, the knight responded.

“You’re welcome, Lance.”

And with that, Keith slipped out the door.

⋆★⋆

That night, when Keith had returned home after telling the queen about Lance’s heat, he was confronted by Shiro.

“Why do you smell of an omega,” the older Galran asked, clearly concerned and possibly angry at Keith for what the reasons why could be.

Keith sighed, and told Shiro how Lance had entered a premature heat, and Keith had simply helped him return back to his chambers, nothing more. Shiro didn’t seem internally convinced though.

“You promise nothing else happened? Nothing at all,” Shiro asked, eyebrows raised.

Keith may have left out the parts about Lance begging him to fuck him and the knight then scenting him, but he felt as if Shiro didn’t need to know all that. Besides, the knight knew that Shiro wasn’t asking about any of that. He was asking if Keith had helped Lance with his heat.

“No, of course not,” Keith responded, offended Shiro would think that he would ever do that to an unwilling omega. 

Shiro noticed his offense, and back tracked, explaining that he knew Keith wasn’t like that but that when it came to the prince, his rules were sometimes broken.

“I just mean,” Shiro explained, “that you have a soft spot for the prince. I know you do. It’s why you've stayed his guard for so long, despite how difficult I know he can be. And if he was uncomfortable or in pain due to his heat, it wouldn’t surprise me if you tried to help him, that's all.”

Keith’s eyes darted around the room uncomfortably, continuing to deny even the implication that he would ever want to do that with Lance, even out of heat/rut.

He didn’t know if Shiro believed him, and considering the knight was lying through his teeth it wouldn’t surprise him. But thankfully, Shiro let it go, and left the room to greet Adam, who had just returned from staying late for his teaching job.

As soon as the man was out of the room, Keith slumped against the wall. The events of the day began to catch up with him, and any lasting restraint faded away.

Images of Lance whining for him began to fill his mind, his alpha growing restless at the fact that he wasn’t with his omega during his heat. Keith tried his best to push them away, but they persisted. The only thing he could think of was Lance Lance Lance.

Gods, what was Keith going to do?

⋆★⋆

The time without Lance was torturous. Because his only duty was to protect Lance, Keith was given the week off by the queen, who told him that he would come back when the omega had recovered. Most people would be elated at the sudden free week, but Keith was too caught up in Lance to see this as a good thing.

All he could do was think about how Lance acted in his heat. How he had begged and whined for Keith, and how he had let him scent him.

It was heaven and hell at the same time.

And for Keith, knowing that the prince could be withering at the very moment, crying and calling out for Keith to give him his release, was just too much. Keith could barely keep it together, his nerves and wanting too high strung as he thought about the omega.

Eventually, after what seemed like forever, Keith was alerted that Lance had come out of heat. The alpha probably had let out a sigh of relief, not liking how much time he spent away from the prince.

Now, as Keith walked through the garden, he tried to calm his racing heart. Lance had asked to meet him in the royal garden instead of his room, probably out of embarrassment, and Keith could do nothing but comply. 

The man scanned the colorful hues of the flowers before his eyes locked onto the prince’s brown hair. As he approached him, the soft crunch of leaves and flowers made Lance spin around to face him.

Time seemed to stop for a moment as they both took each other in.

Lance’s cheeks flushed, and he looked down at his shoes for a moment before gaining his composure again and addressed the knight.

“Keith.”

Lance seemed nervous, fingers playing with his bracelets the same way he had when they first met. Keith wanted to reassure him, to tell him that everything was fine between them, but he was too nervous himself to do that authentically.

“Prince Lance,” he greeted back, bowing his head. Lance laughed and Keith’s head whipped up at the noise.

“I think that after everything that has transpired over the past two weeks you could just call me by my first name.”

He chuckled as he said it, but the knight could see the nervousness in his eyes. Like he was afraid of rejection. Keith couldn’t even fathom the thought.

“Of course…Lance.” He added his own smirk to it, trying to diffuse some of the tension, although he barely succeeded. 

The two men stared at each other for a moment, neither saying a word. The only sounds were the chirping of the birds and the wish of the cool breeze sweeping by them, rustling their hair and clothes. Finally, after what seemed like years, Lance spoke again.

“I uh…I wanted to thank you. For what you did. During my heat.” Lance blushed again as he said it, eyes shifting towards the flowers that encased them.

Keith was almost startled by the thanks. He had pictured many things that Lance would say to him when they saw each other again, but a thank you was in very few of his scenarios. Yelling about Keith scenting him and firing him, yes, but never an apology. 

“No, you don’t have to thank me. I was just doing my duty,” Keith was quick to say. If his duty was lusting after the prince, that is.

Lance turned back to him. “No, it was more than your duty. I- I wasn’t in my right mind and I know I asked certain…,” Lances flush got even deeper than Keith thought possible, “certain things of you. But you never gave in. I know that I was lucky to be with you and not another alpha. Not everyone would have walked away.”

Keith’s heart broke a little at that statement, knowing that it was true. Although omega violence had been something most planets were working towards diminishing, it was a troubling feat. There were alphas, and even some betas, that thought they were above omegas. Why, Keith didn’t know. Some of the strongest, smartest, and hardest working people he had met were omegas, the prince in front of him included. It didn’t matter what someones secondary gender was, everyone had the same potential.

But just Keith’s opinion, and the billions of others that thought the same, couldn’t stop omega’s from being attacked or killed simply because an alpha couldn’t control themselves. Keith knew about omega’s that would get raped during their heat. It was hard to prove though because most abusers argue that the omega was wanting it, which could technically be true under the influence of heat. However that obviously wasn’t proper consent, and there were people all over the galaxy working to advocate for it.

Hearing Lance thank him for not abusing his power was disheartening. Keith would never do something like that, ever, and to think about anyone else hurting Lance was more than angering.

“Don’t thank me. I mean it Lance. I did what anyone else should do. I won’t have you thanking me for common decency,” Keith argued.

Lance pursed his lips in a small pout. “Yeah, anyone should do it. But that doesn’t mean they would. I’ve had other guards Keith, quite a lot of them, and none of them would have done what you did.”

That statement made Keith pause. Had some of Lance’s previous guards tried something when the prince was in heat before? The thought made him sick. “Lance,” he started, voice now showing concern. 

Lance seemed to panic at the knight’s tone, noticeably becoming uncomfortable at the thought of talking about what may or may not have happened with his previous guards. Before Keith could even try to ask, Lance quickly turned back to his previous statements of remorse. He stuttered out multiple more versions of “I’m sorry” before Keith interrupted him.

“Listen to me,” Keith said sternly, almost shocked he even had to argue this. “You have nothing to apologize for. You were going into heat, three weeks earlier than you were prepared for. You were just acting off of what your omega was telling you you needed. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I entered your room and saw your nest. I also scented you, which I never should have done without your permission.”

Lance quickly opened his mouth to object. “But you were just trying to help. If it wasn’t for you then…I don’t know what would have happened.” The last words were said with clear vulnerability and Keith’s eyes softened.

“Then let's just agree that neither of us have to be sorry, alright. We both were just acting on instinct.”

Lance still seemed like he wanted to say more, to continue to argue, but he let his shoulders drop and nodded. “Okay.”

Keith smiled. “Okay.”

They stared at each other for a few more ticks, smiles on both of their faces, before the moment was shattered by screaming coming towards them. 

Keith quickly put himself on high alert, whipping out his blade and stepping closer to the prince. He scanned the garden for a threat, and almost didn’t notice the way Lance tried to get his attention, wide eyed and…laughing?

“Wait no Keith, everything is fine. It's just Silvio and Nadia. I told them I would play with them today out here. Please put your sword away.” Lance was obviously desperate for the knight to stand down, but he couldn’t hide his amusement at the older man jumping to protect him from his seven-year older nephew and five-year old niece. 

Keith embarrassingly put his sword away just as the two screaming children made it to where they were standing. Now that they were closer, he could tell that the two pups were screaming in joy as they said wrapped their arms around Lance’s legs.

“Uncle Lance! Uncle Lance!”

Lance bent down to talk to them, hugging them and asking them what they wanted to do for the day. Keith couldn’t help but smile at the display, watching as Silvio and Nadia began to pull Lance away. The knight followed them silently, joining the kids’ governance who was also watching the three Alteans in amusement.

Keith knew that he and Lance still had more to say to each other. Although the subject of the prince’s heat seemed to be wrapped up, the knight knew that there were still unspoken words between them. Especially on his side. 

But for now, he tried to just enjoy the moment, taking in the cool breeze and the scene of Lance and his family.

Chapter Text

Keith and Lance were walking through town, waving at the market sellers and townspeople. Keith made sure to stand close to Lance, careful to not lose him in the crowd. It had only been four days since Lance had come out of heat, and Keith didn’t like that they were walking around the village so soon, knowing that the prince’s scent was still stronger than normal. But Keith didn’t have any say in the matter. In fact, when the alpha had suggested perhaps staying inside the castle for just a few more days Lance had snapped at him and told him to keep his “emo mouth shut.” Keith didn’t even know what an ‘emo’ was, but he knew that it couldn’t be good.

As such, the pair were walking around the town while Lance enjoyed talking to the villagers. With their frequent visits to the lower town, Keith had gotten more comfortable being around the chaotic atmosphere that existed there. But it still put him on edge, and he made sure that he was staying alert to every screech and squawk that was happening around them.

The prince wasn’t scheduled to go to the orphanage today, although Keith knew that he would most likely make a special surprise appearance. But because of this, they weren't on any tight schedule, allowing them to lazily make their way around town.

“Oh Keith, there's Muriel,” Lance said excitedly, heading over to the women's jewelry cart, Keith following behind him. Muriel was one of the prince’s favorite sellers in the marketplace. The beta always had unique pieces of jewelry on display, and Lance rarely left town without at least one of her creations in his bag.

“Good morning, your highness,” Muriel greeted. “And good morning to you too Keith.”

Keith nodded his head in hello and watched as Lance began to chat with the woman, asking about her new items and how her grandkids were doing. Keith felt a soft smile begin to creep on his face. He always loved to watch Lance be completely in his element. The prince was a huge extrovert, and Keith knew he loved when he had the opportunity to talk to people. 

Keith lost himself for a moment, focusing solely on Lance as he grinned brightly at something Muriel said. However, the knight noticed something, or rather someone, moving erratically in the corner of his eye. 

“If it isn’t Prince Lance ,” a man said from behind them, voice dripping with disdain. Keith turned to see a ragged looking alpha staring at them, bottle of beer in his hand, and eyes looking wild. Keith straighted and stepped protectively in front of Lance, if only slightly as to not provoke the strange man.

Despite the Altean seemingly coming out of nowhere, Lance let out a gasp of recognition. 

“Ulysses?”

Keith didn’t take his eyes off of the man - Ulysses - but quickly asked Lance how he knew this man. Lance answered him hesitantly, as if he was still unsure.

“He was-”

“His old guard,” Ulysses interrupted, words slightly slurred. “I was his guard. Or one of them at least. Gods know he's had too many to count.”

Keith tried to contain his shock, not wanting to give Ulysses any weakness to exploit. But this man had been one of Lance’s guards?

It seemed as if the frazzled alpha was reading Keith’s mind, because he let out a bitter laugh before speaking again.

“Yeah I was the prince’s guard, before the little slut fired me. I was sacked, right out of the blue, with no remorse. Not that I wanted to stay much longer, not with how much of a bitch he is. I mean, I’m sure you know all about that,” the man looked pointedly at Keith, who was trying to look for a safe point to remove the man without getting Lance caught in the cross hairs. He was growing increasingly more angry after every word that left the drunk man’s mouth, but he couldn’t lose control.

“Go home, Ulysses,” Muriel said, arms now wrapped protectively around a solemn Lance.

Ulysses laughed again and took a swig of his bottle. “You know, I’ve often wondered about why I was fired. I was a perfectly good guard, always looking out for the prince no matter how much of a brat he was.” 

“Oh I’m sure you were,” Keith spoke this time, sarcasm evident. “Now leave us be and crawl back to whatever bar you came from.” He wanted to kill the man for what he was saying, but knew that if he threw the first punch Lance could end up getting hurt.

The man sneered and took another drink. “But it all makes sense now,” he said, stepping closer to where Lance and Keith stood. “I bet you love having a new guard practically every week. Some new alpha to whore yourself out to-”

Ulysses began to stumble towards Lance, hands outstretched, and Keith didn’t even let the man finish his sentence before lunging at him. Keith quickly threw the other alpha’s beer bottle to the ground and twisted his arms behind him, putting him into a lock hold.

“Don’t you even think about touching him,” Keith gritted out. “Don’t ever go near him. You understand me.” Much to his displeasure, Ulysses chuckled.

“So, the little cunt is wetting your knot- aagh!”

Keith pushed Ulysses onto the ground, not caring about the crack of the drunk’s man’s bones as he pressed him deep into the pavement. He held onto Ulysses’s limbs, trying to cause him the most pain as possible. It was almost like Keith entered a trance, losing himself to everything except hurting the man under him. 

He hadn’t felt this way since the war. The pure anger and adrenaline that coursed through his bones, urging him to hurt. The need to protect and fight and cause pain rushing through him. To make sure that this man could never touch Lance, never hurt his omega. Wanting to ignore his pleas for mercy, and making him bleed bleed bleed ble-

“Keith.”

Lance’s voice rang out, penetrating the static in Keith’s brain. The cries of pain coming from Ulysses entered Keith’s mind, and he quickly let go of him, standing up.

Ulysses remained on the ground, different points of his body gushing blood. Gods, what did Keith do?

He barely registered the village guards entering the scene and picking Ulysses up, taking him away. Instead, Keith whipped around to face the very man that stopped him.

Lance didn’t look scared like Keith had originally feared, but that didn’t mean that he was happy. The prince was looking at him, concern and disappointment clearly etched on his face. 

Keith was panicking. He hadn’t felt like that since he had last been in battle, and he hoped to never feel it again. He had always been a more violent person, anger issues only getting worse once he presented as an alpha. But during the war, despite his need to be aggressive, he had somehow gotten it more under control. That wasn’t to mean that he didn’t have his moments, but he stopped lashing out the way he used to in his youth.

Until now.

And it wasn’t just the violence that put Keith on edge. It was the fact that he would do it again. He would do it all over again. He would kill Ulysses if that meant that Lance would be safe.

And that was terrifying. 

He referred to Lance as his omega for fuck sakes. That wasn’t supposed to happen. 

For someone who had never been a romantic, especially during the war, Keith was suddenly bombarded with images of him and the omega. It displaced him, and made him feel very out of his element.

Other than a random hook up here or there, the alpha had never really experienced any type of romantic actions in his life. He always scoffed growing up as his peers raved about their crush and fantasized about their future mates. Even after living with Shiro and Adam, and witnessing how pure their love was, Keith never saw having a mate being in the cards for him. 

Never wanted it to be.

Even with Lance, up until now he hadn’t thought about romance much. Most of his attraction to the omega was purely sexual, if what happened during their respective ruts and heats had anything to say. It didn’t matter that Keith’s belly warmed when Lance looked at him or laughed at something he said. It didn’t matter that Keith spent endless nights thinking about kissing compliments into the prince’s skin. And it certainly didn’t matter that Keith’s alpha called out for his omega; for Lance. That was all- that was all just a side effect of Keith’s attraction, he was sure.

Except after what just happened, Keith realized that maybe he didn’t just want to fuck Lance. Maybe all those other signs and actions were trying to tell him that Lance was more to him than he originally thought. The protective Keith felt for him was maybe more than just because it was his job as Lance guard. Maybe Keith wanted it to be his job as his mate.

He knew that it wasn’t an appropriate time, but that didn’t stop the sudden visions of them bonded that ran through his mind. He couldn’t stop himself from imagining what it would be like to be Lance’s mate. To be able to shower him with every affectionate word he only ever found himself thinking with Lance. To call him baby and sweetheart and Blue without crossing a boundary. To let Lance bypass all his walls and be purely honest with all of his dreams and fears. 

Because as he looked into Lance’s eyes now, the deep blues full of worry and hesitation, he couldn’t help but think I wish I could keep you forever.  

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fu-

“Keith,” Lance said more urgently, snapping the alpha out of his panicked state once again, everything coming back to him.

Right. Someone had just tried to attack Lance in the square. And Keith had attacked him. And he may have actual emotional feelings for Lance.

Fuck.

Keith tried to shake himself out of it, determining that this was something that he could manage once he was in the privacy of his own room. For right now, he had to get Lance out of there.

“Come- come on,” Keith said, voice shaking slightly. He reached behind Lance, putting his hand on the small of the prince’s back to shuffle him out of the market. Lance whispered a few goodbyes to Muriel, before allowing Keith to lead him away.

The knight tried to ignore the stares of the townspeople as they walked, focusing only on getting Lance back to the castle.

The two men were silent on their walk back. The only noise between them was the crunch of their feet on the road and the sound of Lance’s bracelets jingling. Keith was freaking out, his mind racing with every memory of him and Lance together. And with everything that had just happened in town. He felt angry. Angry at Ulysses for what he said about Lance, and angry at himself for not stopping it sooner. Keith was feeling far too close to how he felt during the war, and he hated it. He felt dirty, the memories of all the soldiers he had killed coming back to him. Despite how often they appeared in his nightmares, Keith tried to keep the thoughts of battle out of his mind during the day. But now they began to enclose him, suffocating him and pulling him in every direction.

Keith was so caught up in his rambling thoughts that he didn’t even notice that they had reached the palace. He almost ran into Lance, who had stopped his walking to just stare at the castle doors. The prince didn’t say anything, just stared, and Keith’s nerves shot up more. As much as Keith wanted to shy away to make sense of the mess that was his feelings right now, he knew that he had to apologize to Lance first.

Keith turned to Lance, searching for the reason why Lance was standing there silent without having to actually ask, but finding nothing but turmoil in his expression. After a few more moments of silence and no indication from Lance, Keith knew he had to speak. He ignored the way his voice seemed to get stuck in his throat, and pushed past it.

“Listen Lance, I’m sorry for what just happened. I didn’t mean- I didn’t mean to just snap like that. I don’t know what came over me. I just knew that I had to protect you and suddenly I was just throwing him to the ground. I promise I never wanted to make you feel like you were in danger. I’m sorry if I freaked you out, or if you’re now scared of me, or-”

“I’m not scared of you,” Lance interrupted, facing turning to meet Keith.

“You’re not,” Keith asked skeptically. It's not that he wanted Lance to be freighted by his violence, obviously, especially after the alpha’s realization of feelings, but he was surprised. As hard as it was for him to admit it, Keith was a bit scared of himself. Of what he could do. How could Lance not even be slightly afraid?

Lance answered like it was a no brainer though. “No, of course not. I mean, I obviously didn’t like how…out of it you seemed. But I knew that you were just protecting me. Thank you.”

Keith felt a swoop in his stomach, heart warming at the prince’s words. Somehow he always knew what to say. The words calmed Keith, and he tried to repeat them to himself. He was just protecting Lance. He did what he had to do. His alpha rumbled at the words, seeming pleased with the indication. And although they did make Keith feel better, they also left him confused. 

“Then why are you looking so upset?”

Lance sighed, turning away slightly. “I just- I think I want to tell you certain things. Need to tell you certain things, especially after what you just heard and how you reacted. But it's things that I've never really told anyone before. Things I’ve never wanted to tell anyone, but I want to tell you. And that terrifies me. It really fucking terrifies me,” the prince admits.

Keith never would have guessed that that was what was making Lance act weird. He wanted to try and reassure Lance, but he still was feeling weird and embarrassed after his outburst. But the longer Lance remained quiet, the more Keith knew he had to offer himself up first.

“I want to too. To tell you things,” he elaborated at the prince’s confused look. “Things that…that I’ve never said out loud to anyone. I want you to know them. To know me.”

His voice sounded raw, the honest flooding out of him. Everything he had tried to suppress, everything regarding his feelings for Lance, was rising to the surface. It was like everything that had happened within the last 15 minutes was the final catalyst, and it was boiling up and exiting through his voice. 

Because Keith was pretty fucking terrified too. Terrified about opening himself up to Lance and being rejected. Of Lance hating him for his outburst and every other habit he’s retained from the war.

Of actually wanting Lance’s heart and not just his body. Wanting to be not only his knight, but his lover. His alpha. His mate.

Lance turned to him, eyes searching over Keith’s face. He didn’t say anything in regards to Keith’s confession, only looked at the alpha. He must find whatever he is searching for, because his whole body seems to slump, nerves seeming to disappear as he takes in the look on the knight’s face.

“Is it okay if we go somewhere then? Somewhere private? To- to talk?” The prince still seems nervous, as if Keith would ever dream about saying no to him.

“Of course, Lance,” the alpha responds, voice now soft but still no less vulnerable. “Lead the way.”

⋆★⋆

They were both silent as Lance led them deep into the forest, neither knowing what to say. It was alarming to have Lance be this quiet, but Keith could hardly blame him. Despite the prince promising that he wasn’t upset with Keith, the older man knew that that couldn’t be 100 percent true. Lance had witnessed something that Keith himself was terrified of, so the knight knew that he must be trying to process it.

He also knew that he must be processing their confessions, because Keith knew he was. Because Lance wanted to tell him his secrets; the secrets Keith had been after for so long. What was even harder to understand was how Keith wanted to return the favor. He wanted to tell Lance everything. Wanted to tear down every wall that surrounded his heart to offer the prince a clear path to walk in. Although, maybe Lance had already done that.

Because as Keith walked next to him, he knew that everything he had thought right after his breakdown had been true. It was like a switch had been flipped, and everything he had been trying to tell himself he didn’t want was pouring into his mind. He wanted Lance, every part of him. He didn’t know if it was love, not yet, but he knew that he and his alpha were completely devoted to the omega. He wanted to kiss him and hold him and whisper sweet nothings against his brow. Even now, when he was so unsure of where they stood, he wanted to reach out and grab Lance’s hand. Wanted to feel his soft hand against his rough one, and never let go.

Fuck what was he going to do.

All he wanted at the moment, other than to kiss Lance senselly, was to lock himself in his room and try to digest this revelation. He needed to try and process what his feelings meant, and how it was going to affect his job. While the king never explicitly said it, he was sure Keith wanting to bond Lance went against his contract. It had been worrisome enough when all Keith wanted to do was sleep with the prince, something that could be either ignored or put out of his system while alone in his bed. But real, emotional feelings was- fuck it was too much.

Keith’s head was reeling, so much so he didn’t notice that Lance had come to a stop until he almost crashed into the prince’s back. He luckily caught himself, and made sure to take an extra few steps back to put distance between him and the omega. As he did so, he took in their surroundings. 

They were in a little clearing, trees towering over them to create the semblance of privacy. Keith took in the flush green grass that was spread around the clearing, wildflowers blooming within it. Rocks and stones were littered throughout, and a huge tree stood at the center of it all. Its orange and red covered branches hung low, offering the perfect centerpiece for the scene. It was gorgeous; a perfect little place to relax and enjoy nature. 

Keith hated how he hesitated to tell that to Lance, but he did. Neither of them had spoken the whole way to the forest, and anxiety filled his gut at the thought of breaking the tentative silence that enraptured them. But one look at Lance made the knight realize that if he didn’t extend the olive branch, they may be stuck in this place forever.

“Lance,” Keith said quietly, “this place is beautiful.” Keith couldn’t help but look over at Lance as he said the last word, voice dropping into a shy sigh. 

“I know,” Lance responded, voice also quiet as he looked around, “My family used to come here all the time.” Keith was hoping that the prince would say more, but he offered up nothing more.

It shouldn’t make Keith feel worse but it did. Lance had been silent the whole way there, not offering any of his usually excited commentary, although Keith didn’t blame him. Lance was almost never silent. It was only when he was deep in thought that his motor mouth seemed to slow down. And after everything that had just happened, Keith’s head was reeling too.

“I can see why you wanted to come here,” Keith said, hoping to spur the prince into opening himself up. 

Much to Keith’s disappointment, however, the prince remained silent. Keith watched him as he fiddled with his bracelets, and looked anywhere but Keith.

Keith reached out to grab his wrist in order to stop his fidgeting, but stopped before his skin touched the prince’s. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to touch Lance, and he didn’t want to overstep his boundary. While he had no problem touching him in the past, and he knew that Lance wasn’t scared of Keith after his outburst of aggression, the tension between them was impossible to ignore. And with the prince’s silence, he didn’t want to do anything that may make him more uncomfortable than he already appeared to be.

Lance must have noticed Keith’s hesitation, because his flat expression began to fall apart. He let out a shaky exhale, and looked up at Keith, eyes wide and glassy. Keith was ready to comfort him, to offer him any reprieve for whatever he may be feeling, but the omega spoke before he could.

“Listen Keith, I- I want to tell you everything. I want to tell you why I have such a reckless reputation, why I’ve had so many guards. Why I was so upset about it at my mama’s party.”

Keith was listening attentively, his body leaned closer to Lance’s automatically, like the alpha couldn’t help but be right next to the prince. His heart grew fonder as Lance listed the things he wanted to tell Keith. To trust Keith with. But as much as he wanted to know all those things about Lance, everything that Ulysses had said passed through his mind.

“Is that about what that asshole said,” Keith said cautiously, “because you know that I don’t believe anything that he said. You don’t have to share anything you don’t want to to try and defend yourself.”

A fire erupted in Lance’s eyes at the mention of Ulysses. He suddenly turned his body so it faced Keith, and began to flail his arms. “It’s not just about him. It’s about everyone! It’s about him, my other guards, the staff, my parents. Everyone!” Keith could only stare as he continued to rant. “I know what they all say about me. I know all the rumors about how difficult of a person I am and how there must be something wrong with me because of it. And I can’t even defend myself because most of them are true. I am really difficult and tough and annoying and that’s why everyone hates me and-”

“Hey, that is not true,” Keith interrupted. He couldn’t believe that Lance actually believed this about himself. It made the knight want to personally scream at everyone that ever gave him the ideas, the anger that he felt at Ulysses rising and doubling after every word the prince said. “Nobody hates you, okay.” It looked like Lance wanted to respond but Keith spoke before he could.

“Listen to me,” he said, voice strong and smooth. “You are amazing, Lance. You are. You are not difficult or tough. And even though you can be a little annoying at times, it’s just one of the things that makes you who you are. And I personally like that person, and so do so many other people.”

Lance was looking up at Keith with a mix of unbelief and awe, turning his body away slightly as if he didn’t believe anything the knight was saying. “You don’t have to lie to make me feel better. I know what you must think of me.”

Keith hated that the omega was even a bit surprised at what Keith was saying, and that pushed him to ignore whatever tension was clouding them. Keith moved so his body was directly in front of Lance, forcing the prince to look at him and hear everything he had wanted to tell him for months.

“Lance, how do you not understand how much I admire you,” he said earnestly, gazing into Lance’s eyes. “You might not think it’s much, but I couldn’t do half of what you do. You’re one of the most extroverted people I know, and that gives you so much kindness and determination. I am always so in awe of how you can talk to literally anyone, getting even the coldest of council members to talk to you with a smile. And the way you are with children is indescribable. Silvio and Nadia adore you, and so does every pup you come across. I never know what to say when a kid comes up to us, but you always are able to immediately spark up a conversation. It's incredible. You’re incredible, Blue.”

Keith took a breath, trying to find his bearings to emphasize how important the lovely omega in front of him is. 

“And that is just the tip of the superficial surface. You are extraordinary in everything that you do. In everything you believe in or dream of. So I don’t want to hear about you thinking that you’re anything less than amazing. Especially not because of some stupid assholes who were too stupid to know that they had the best job in the entire galaxy in being by your side.

Lance’s face softened during Keith’s rant, eyes big and glassy. Keith looked down at him, his own face completely enraptured in emotion.

Suddenly, the fact that Keith could be falling in love with Lance didn’t seem so impossible.

“You- you really believe all that,” Lance asked wonderly, voice small but powerful. Keith nodded his head and answered warmly, “Every bit of it.”

Lance didn’t respond verbally, but Keith knew that he accepted the compliments by the blush that poured over his face. They stood there silent for a few moments, both of them thinking about everything that Keith had just admitted. As they stared at each other, Lance eventually spoke.

“Thank you for saying all of that,” he whispered, looking down at his feet as he played with his bracelets. “I’m still not sure if I believe everything you said but,” he looked back up to meet Keith’s eyes, “I believe that you believe that. And that’s all that matters.”

Lance brought his hands up to interwin them with Keith’s, fulfilling the alpha’s earlier want to touch him. Their fingers interlocked, and it sent shivers down Keith’s spine. As he leaned into the warm heat of Lance’s hands, the prince spoke again.

“And that’s exactly why I want to tell you about my guards. Because even though I did, you have never given me a reason to doubt your devotion to your duty. To me. I trust you with my life Keith, and I want to trust you with this too.”

Lance was looking at him with such complete openness and faith that Keith couldn’t stop the comforting rumble that he let out, his alpha desperate to connect to the omega in front of him. Lance shivered at the vibrations, and Keith squeezed his hands as he answered.

“Then I want to hear anything and everything, Blue. I want to hear anything you’re willing to tell me.”

⋆★⋆

It was minutes after Keith’s agreement to hear about Lance’s past before the prince finally began. Keith waited patiently, watching as Lance began to stare farther into the clearing. The alpha knew that this wouldn’t be easy for Lance, so he didn’t ask any questions as the prince began to lead them to where he was looking, hands remaining clasped together.

They ventured farther into the clearing before stopping at a particularly rocky section. As they came to a stop, Lance tilted his gaze down to an upright stone, center among the bigger ones behind it. Keith looked down too, and examined it. The stone was decorated in leaves and flowers, forming a frame around the rock’s edge. It almost looked like-

“Lance,” Keith said hesitantly, “is this a grave ?” 

Lance nodded. “This is where the story begins.” They both raise their heads up to look at each other, almost in sync. “Are you sure you still want to know,” the prince asked. 

Keith stared into Lance’s eyes, which were completely open and vulnerable. 

“Of course.”

That was all Keith needed to say for Lance to nod his head. He lowered himself down to the ground, dragging Keith with him by their locked hands. They sat down next to each other in front the makeshift headstone, bodies shifting to face one another. They both were silent for a moment before Lance took in a deep breath. 

“Okay, well. I guess I’ll start before the grave actually,” Lance let out a nervous laugh, and began to sit down in front of the stone, dragging Keith along with him. They settled on the soft grass, bodies half facing the rocks and half facing each other. Keith ran his thumb across Lance’s hand, trying to give the omega comfort. The knight could smell the slight distress that was wafting off Lance, and wanted to do his best to relax him.

Much to the alpha’s pleasure, Lance did seem to calm down as a result of Keith’s efforts. The prince took in another breath, and began to fully tell his story.

“Like I said before, my family and I used to come to this part of the forest a lot when I was younger. Because it's so secluded, it was the perfect place for us to relax without having to worry about public appearance or people looking to get a glimpse of the royal family.” Lance paused to take another breath before letting out a sigh. “But as my siblings got older, and King Limrik’s threats of war got more serious, our visits grew less and less frequent. Eventually the war broke out, and my parents forbid me from leaving the castle, unless under severe supervision. But you know me,” Lance let out another shaky laugh and looked over to Keith, “I never listen to anyone.”

Keith could already tell where this was going, and his stomach filled with dread. 

“So one night I snuck out and came here. It was stupid, I know it was,” Lance defended, not wanting to receive any judgment from Keith, “but I didn’t care. The war was only a few weeks in, and I guess I didn’t realize how serious it was. All I knew was that I hadn’t been out of the castle walls in what felt like forever, and I wanted to escape. So, I climbed out my bedroom window, and began to make my way into the forest. I thought I was being so slick, but I didn’t even make it out of the grounds before a guard caught up to me.”

Lance turned his attention back down to the marker, voice growing sad. “The guard’s name was Michelle, and she had been a part of the royal guard for as long as I could remember. She had seen all of my siblings grow up, and was always making sure to look out for us in a way that surpassed her job description.” Lance smiled and continued softly. “She was similar to you in that way.” 

The prince tore his eyes away from the stone to look back at Keith who was watching Lance’s every move as he hung onto his every word. “She sounds lovely,” Keith said, his voice matching Lance’s volume. Lance nodded his head, his smile growing sadder. “She was,” he confirmed. Keith noticed the way his demeanor dropped and tried to reassure the omega. “Are you sure you want to continue,” he asked, worried that he could intentionally be pushing Lance too far. Lance hesitated for a moment, and Keith thought that he would take Keith up on his offer to stop. 

But the prince shook his head. “No, I want to keep going. I just- I just might get a little…emotional. Is that okay?” 

Keith hated that Lance even had to ask that question, and quickly reassured him that it was more than okay. Lance blushed slightly at the alpha’s comfort, but quickly grew serious again as he continued.

“Okay, well basically Michelle caught me, and discouraged me from leaving. I should have listened to her. I wish I did but- I was just so sure that everything would be fine if I left the castle for just a little bit. So I ignored her, and continued to walk away, hoping that she would wait just a little before telling my parents. But she ended up following me instead.”

“She didn’t force you back,” Keith asked, finding the fact that she didn’t carry Lance back to his room surprising.

Lance smiled. “That wasn’t really her style. Again, similar to you in that regard. That was one of the reasons I liked her so much.” The that’s why I like you so much remained unsaid between them, but Keith didn’t need Lance to say it for him to understand. The knowing sparkle in the omega’s eye was all he needed. 

Keith smiled at Lance, and squeezed his hand again. Lance squeezed back before continuing on.

“So she came with me, saying that she would look after me while we were out. I should have turned back right that second, but instead I led us here. It was odd being here with none of my siblings, but it was also nice to just relax and enjoy the silence, you know. No one was out here except Michelle and I.” Lance's voice suddenly became very vulnerable and unsteady as he spoke next, breathing becoming uneven. “Until we were attacked.”

Keith’s own breath hitched and he struggled to keep his alpha from growling, not wanting to interrupt Lance, who was now talking a mile a minute.

“They came out of nowhere! We didn’t even hear them coming. We were just relaxing on the grass. But suddenly there were these two male alpha’s on us. Michelle tried to reach for me, but one of the men pounced on her before she could properly react. The other one grabbed me, and began to rifle around in my pockets looking for money or jewels. I still don’t know if they knew that I was a prince, or if they were just desperate, but they didn’t stop trying to take everything off our bodies.” Lance's voice continued to get shakier, and Keith wasn’t able to offer any words of encouragement due to his fast paced ramblings.

“Michelle eventually managed to kill the guy attacking her and turned her attention to fighting the one off of me. But the first guy had injured her pretty badly, and the second one was worse.” The prince let out a whine, moving his free hand to fiddle around with his bracelets. “He was a lot more violent than his partner. He didn’t do anything more than cut me a few times, but he wouldn’t stop hitting her once he had the chance. I remember screaming as Michelle’s body hit the ground and begging the man to stop attacking her, but it was no use. She died saving me.”

Keith saw a few tears slide down Lance’s face and could smell how sour his scent had gotten. It made his heart hurt. The knight unlinked their hands to bring his arms up around Lance’s shoulders, holding him as he cried. Lance fell into his arms, and began to quietly sob into Keith’s chest. 

“She died protecting me. She died because I was too stupid to not sneak out of the castle during a time of war,” Lance continued to wail, his voice stuttering every time he tried to speak. Keith could do nothing but hold him. He didn’t know how to comfort Lance. He began to emit some calming pheromones, similar to what he did when the omega was in heat, but he couldn’t tell if they were working or not. Keith just had to wait until Lance composed himself.

After a few minutes the sobs quieted and Lance’s voice steadied slightly, although it still had a quiver to it. “I’m sorr-”

“Don’t you dare apologize, Lance,” Keith said, voice stern but smooth. Lance sniffled, but didn’t try to argue with Keith. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. What happened to you was traumatic and you don’t have to say sorry for any reactions that you have to anyone. Least of all me.”

Keith hated how Lance still managed to be surprised by Keith’s words. Even after everything the knight had told him earlier, he still didn’t get it. Why couldn’t he understand how incredible he was? Understand how incredible Keith found him? 

Before the Galran could say anything else, Lance moved away out of his hold to stare at Keith. Keith hated the loss of Lance’s warmth, but the way the younger man was looking at him made up for it. Through his tears, Lance was looking at him like he had never seen the alpha before. 

Keith couldn’t help but get lost in the prince’s eyes. Even when they were flooded with tears they were beautiful. His gaze broke as he heard Lance sniffle, and began to speak again.

“Anyways,” he said shaikaly, his hands coming up to wipe away his tears. Keith noticed how he hadn’t responded to what Keith had said about not apologizing, but he couldn’t fault him for it. He just wanted to make sure that the omega knew that he could react in any way that he wanted with Keith. There were no barriers.

Watching as Lance settled back into his story, Keith figured that he knew.

“Someone must have realized that I wasn’t in my room and my parents sent out a search party to find me. I don’t even really remember what happened after Michelle died. One moment I was in the forest and the next thing I knew I was in my room. Some guards say that I passed out, but others say that I just blacked it all out. I’m not really sure. But after the…attack, my parents basically put me under lock and key. I wasn’t allowed to leave the grounds, and I had like a million guards surrounding me at all times. I understand why they did it, of course I do. And at first I didn’t mind it, obviously. I didn’t necessarily want to be left alone or go anywhere. But,” Lance sighed, “after a while it just felt like I was trapped. They wouldn't allow me to do anything. I had no freedom whatsoever. It was horrible. The war was also getting pretty bad too, so that certainly didn’t help.”

Lance looked over at Keith, eyes moving across his face before landing on the long scar on his cheek. Keith almost flinched, hating it when people would just stare at it. The scar was from one of the worst battles he had been in, and it hurt to even think about it, least of all talk about it.

But with Lance, Keith wanted to tell him. He didn’t want to shy away or shut down like he had with everyone. He wanted Lance to know.

He knew now wasn’t the time though, not with everything Lance was divulging. But someday. Someday soon. And that was enough for Keith now.

Lance eventually tore his eyes away from the scar and brought his eyes back up to Keith’s to continue. “It also didn’t help that I presented soon after that too. As soon as I thought I could start going back to normal security, I presented as an omega.” Lance blushed as he said it, looking down to play with his bracelets and fingers. “My parents aren't sexist or anything. They firmly believe that omegas are completely equal to betas and alphas,” Lance said with conviction. “But I think that they just panicked when they found out I was one. None of my siblings are omegas, so I think they felt a little out of their element when trying to figure out how best to support me. And the aftermath of the attack sure didn’t help. The security got even worse after that, and they introduced me to my first official personal guard.”

Keith let out a deep breath, knowing that all his questions regarding Lance’s guards were going to be answered in the next few minutes. The jingling sound of Lance’s bracelets got louder as the prince fiddled with them more, and Keith reached out to stop it. He took Lance’s hand in his again, rubbing his thumb across the top of it. He didn’t want the omega to be nervous to tell him anything.

“So even though I didn’t have as many guards tailing me, having one that had to be there for everything was suffocating. And the guard wasn’t bad per say, but I knew that he didn’t like me. He thought that I was an stupid prince who got into too much trouble. And he was right in some regards,” Lance laughed bitterly, “but he was wrong in others.”

“One day, he suggested to my parents that they should send me to an omega academy on the planet Hilshob, to teach me how to be ‘a good little omega’ and learn my place.” Lance spat out the words, and Keith felt his own anger rise. “I knew my parents were never even going to consider it, but something in me just snapped. It was like everything that had happened to me since the attack was catching up to me. I ended up running away, moving as fast as my legs could take me. I didn’t even think about where I was going, but somehow I ended up back here.”

Lance looked around at the trees overtop them, a small smile gracing his delicate features. “I hadn’t been here since Michelle had died. And even though it now held so many terrible memories, it was the place I felt the most comfortable in that moment. I ended up having a full breakdown, but suddenly I was me again, you know.” 

Lance spun back around to Keith. “For the whole year after the attack, I felt so displaced. And then I presented, and it was like I was in a whole new skin. But when I came here, I became that reckless little 15 year old boy again. It was freeing.”

The prince's smile grew wider and he turned towards the grave marker. His free hand reached out to caress the side, his fingers trailing down the leaves that framed it.

“I ended up making this in honor of Michelle. She has a real headstone in the palace cemetery, but making this for her just felt right. It was like I could properly thank her for what she did for me.”

“That’s really lovely, Lance,” Keith uttered, speaking for the first time in minutes. Lance nodded his head, but didn’t say anything else about it. Keith, for the first time, decided to edge Lance on.“What happened after that?” Keith’s thumb continued to make circular motions across Lance’s hand, and Lance turned to Keith with a slight smirk on his face.

“What I’m sure you can already expect. My parents had been furious, and so had my guard. He couldn’t believe that I escaped right under his nose. I think he was more upset with me bruising his ego than he was about me getting away though.” Lance chuckled slightly and rolled his eyes. “But he basically quit on the spot. And that began the many guards of Lance McClain.”

“It wasn’t intentional at first. I wasn’t trying to make them quit, not really. I was just being myself, you know. But a lot of them didn’t like that very much. Soon I was having a new guard every few months, then every few weeks, and then sometimes every few days. It was like the more guards I had the more expectations people had of me. The guards would come in trying to prove that they could be the one to last, but they already thought of me as someone unmanageable. So as soon as I proved them right,” Lance shrugged, “they left.”

Keith huffed out a breath. He knew he couldn’t fight every one of the prince’s past guards, especially after the way he freak out with Ulysses, but gods did he want to punch everyone of them in their fucking faces. The feeling only got worse as Lance spoke more.

“Most of them I was grateful for them quitting. I never wanted to be under surveillance anyways, and most of them were jerks who thought that they were above me. But it still wasn’t fun being constantly told how annoying and aggravating you are. It’s actually really shitty.” Keith almost growled at the thought, remembering how bothered Lance was when he believed that Keith felt the same way about him.

“So soon,” Lance continued, “I decided that if people were already going to believe that I was a terrible charge, why not prove them right.” He swung his head to look at Keith, both of them remembering their first conversation with each other. “It almost became a game. I would do my best to drive the guards up a wall and see how long they would last before they quit. My parents were mad at first, but I think that their anger soon just became exhaustion and then somewhat amusement. By the time I really started to purposely make my guards suffer the war was coming to a close. With that threat gone, I think they became a little less afraid of me getting hurt. I could finally just exist again.”

Lance shrugged again and moved his tongue around in his cheek. “And then now we're here. My parents hired you after the guard before you quit after three days. Which is just embarrassing, really.” Keith couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at that, grin growing as Lance laughed along with him. After a few ticks of them engaging in probably inappropriate giggles, Lance calmed down enough to finish his story.

“But anyways, she quit, and they brought you in. At first, I thought that you were like all the others. Especially with all your brooding.” Keith let out a disgruntled squawk, insisting that he did not brood. Lance gave him a pointed look.

“You totally do man, but that’s so not the point.” Keith grumbled again, but Lance was already talking over him. “The point is that I thought you were going to be like the other guards. Try for a couple weeks before you inevitably quit.” Lance looked over at him, eyes soft and sincere.

“But that’s not what you did. Instead, you somehow matched everything that I tried to throw at you. It was infuriating,” Lance chuckled, “but also exciting. None of my other guards had ever treated me like an actual person before. Either they treated me like I was less than, or fully as a prince. But you treated me the same as you would anyone else. You treated me like an equal. And that was so refreshing.”

Lance’s smile titled, and he leaned closer to Keith, adding pressure to their intertwined hands. Keith could barely even breath as Lance got closer, mind and heart racing at the words the omega was saying.

“And somehow, I stopped wanting you to quit. I started wanting you to stay.” Lance blushed, but he didn’t lower his gaze from Keith’s. “And so when Pidge told me about how you could be taking another job, I panicked. Even though you seemed to like our banter, part of me was always afraid that you were still waiting for an opportunity to leave. So the thought of you getting that chance just freaked me out.”

“Lance,” the alpha started, wanting to reassure Lance that he was never going to leave him, but the prince stopped him before he could.

“No, let me finish, please. I already know what you're going to say. So just let me say what I want to say first.” Lance pleaded with Keith, and the knight could do nothing but give into his request. He nodded his head in agreement, and Lance let out a small sigh of thanks.

“I thought that you were going to leave like the others, so I acted like a brat and got drunk to try and tell myself that it was fine. That this was what I expected. But it wasn’t fine, and so I freaked out on you that night. And then I was just so embarrassed about it that I didn’t even want to talk to you about it again, but I knew that I should have. I knew that you deserved to know why I was so resilient to you at first.” Lance's voice became quiet. 

“I was going to bring you here the day I went into heat,” he said shyly. “I was going to tell you everything. But obviously,” Lance flush got deeper, “that didn’t happen. I knew I was still going to tell you after I got out of heat, but I just didn’t know when or how. But after what just happened, I knew that you needed to know.”

Keith couldn’t help but just stare at Lance as the prince finished up his explanation. Everything the prince had told him was whirling in his head. His attack. The loss of Michelle. His experience with his guards. It was a lot to digest. But with all of those thoughts swirling around, one thing stood out among all the others.

“I am so proud of you Lance.”

Lance looked surprised at Keith’s words, his vulnerable expression transforming into one of confusion, but Keith elaborated before the prince could say anything.

“You went through something traumatic and saw someone you cared about die. I’ve been around more death than you can even imagine, and I’ve seen what witnessing it can do to people. You could have crumbled and become a shell of yourself, but you didn't. You kept going. You didn’t let that experience define you. You didn’t let anything that anyone said define you. All those guards that treated you like you were just something to handle didn’t understand you, and I am so proud that you didn’t change for them. You didn’t let anyone change who you are. And that makes me proud of you, Blue. It makes me admire you. Because gods know how much I’ve let shit that has happened to me define my life. So to hear about how much you’ve gone through while sitting in front of the Lance I know today makes me proud.”

In any other circumstance, Keith would have never been so candid with someone. But with Lance, Keith couldn’t help but tell him everything he was thinking. And watching the way Lance was listening to him, his eyes wide in fondness, made any doubts the alpha may have disappeared. 

Lance launched himself into Keith’s arms, wrapping his arms around the knight’s neck. Keith startled for a moment, but quickly wrapped his own arms around Lance, hugging his waist. As they embraced, Keith settled his nose up against Lance’s neck, smelling the traces of ocean and citrus. Lance shivered at the action, but didn’t do anything to stop him. Instead, the prince hugged Keith tighter.

“Thank you,” Lance whispered, “for being someone I can trust with this.”

Keith melted, any resolve fully disappearing. Because Lance was just so much. He was too much. Too much for Keith’s poor heart to handle.

He knew that he didn’t even realize how far deep he was into Lance until a few hours ago, but now it seemed like common sense. Lance was everything Keith never knew that he wanted, in body and mind. Keith wanted to kick his past self for only ever paying attention to the prince’s body. Lance was so much more than that, and with his confessions of his past, it was as if everything was falling into place. Keith was falling into place.

Into place beside Lance.

“I’ll always be here for you Lance,” Keith told him, voice dropping down into a whisper. “I promise.”

Keith knew that he had made that promise before, but now it seemed more. It wasn’t just a promise; it was a vow. Because now that Keith truly saw Lance for everything that he was, there was no way he would ever leave the prince. Not of his own free will.

Lance hugged Keith harder, and Keith responded accordingly. Keith had no idea how long they sat there, embarrassed in each other's arms, but it didn’t quite matter.

Nothing mattered other than being with Lance.

⋆★⋆

The next few weeks were perfect. At least in Keith’s opinion they were.

Since Lance confessed everything to Keith in the forest, the two of them became thick as thieves. There weren't many boundaries between them to begin with, but any ones that were there dissolved as they walked back to the castle that night.

The hesitation Lance had with sharing information about his past guards vanished, and he started to tell Keith stories about them in large quantities. Some of them were stupid, and the two men were able to laugh at the guards' actions. Other stories were not as fun, with Lance describing the different hurtful things people did or said to him. Keith hated hearing about it, but he was grateful that Lance continued to trust him, with the good and the bad.

Keith in return had been opening up more too. It’s slow, with the alpha not being used to opening up to anyone other than Shiro and occasionally Adam, but he was trying. He’s begun to tell Lance little stories here and there about his childhood, both before and after his dad died. It is hard sometimes, but the appreciative look on Lance’s face is always worth it.

Keith had also been trying to speak more about the war. It wasn’t much, just a story here and there, but it was the most he had ever spoken about it since he had been back. He could tell that Lance wanted to ask more questions, but the prince seemed to recognize that Keith wasn’t ready for that yet. Instead, he always listened intently to Keith, offering him smiles of encouragement. He was always very appreciative of Keith for sharing anything, even if it was just his favorite color, and it always left Keith preening.

Apparently this whole sharing thing was actually healthy (who knew), and everyone had been commenting on how fresh he looked. Well everyone being just Shiro, but he was like half of the people Keith talked to on a daily basis, so it was basically the same thing.

“You just seem a lot lighter ever since you’ve taken the job with Prince Lance. The prince must be a good influence on you.”

Keith had rolled his eyes, making a joke about how Lance could never be a good influence on anyone, but internally he was giddy. He couldn’t help but notice that Shiro was right, and he liked it.

He liked that Lance was close enough to influence him that way.

The knight knew that he still had a long way to go. There were still a lot of things that he didn’t feel comfortable enough to share. Things that he may never be comfortable enough to share. But the fact that Lance was okay with that was enough.

Keith tried not to think much about that fact, but it was hard not to. Even now, when the two men were sitting silently in the observator as Lance read a book on some faraway planet, Keith couldn’t get romantic sentiments out of his head.

Once he had time to process the sudden want to bond the omega during his outburst, Keith realized that truly not sudden the urge really was. While originally his attraction to the prince was more about fucking out his bratty attitude, it slowly transformed into wanting to take care of him in all aspects of his life.

Keith didn’t know when the switch had happened. Maybe there was no switch at all and it was how Keith always felt. The alpha didn’t know. All he knew was that he wanted Lance, and that he could never let the omega know.

He loved where their relationship was, and telling Lance about his feelings could only ruin it. The chance that Lance would return his feelings was low, not to mention he was oh yeah, the prince. Despite the fact that it was the whole reason Keith even had a job, the knight sometimes honestly forgot that Lance was a prince. Although Lance’s cocky attitude wouldn’t stop reminding Keith of that fact, the omega’s kindness and graciousness made him see so much more than just a privileged royal. 

Keith could spend hours just thinking about how amazing Lance was. He had spent hours thinking about how amazing Lance was. How sweet his voice was, how captivating his smirk was when he pulled off a prank. How cute he looked when he was deep in thought and his tongue poked out of his mouth-

Gods he was losing his mind.

Keith was thankful as the silence surrounding him and the prince was interrupted by one of the king's advisors entering the room.

“Ah, there you are Prince Lance,” the older beta said. “Your parents have requested your presence in the sunroom. Immediately,” he added when Lance didn’t move a muscle.

Lance groaned. “Ugh, what do they want?I haven't done anything to get in trouble, I swear.”

Keith gave him a pointed look, silently reminding him of the fact that he snuck out of the castle literally yesterday. Lance rolled his eyes.

“Okay, so maybe I’ve done some things, but still.”

Keith almost started chuckling at the omega’s put out look, but refraid simply because of the extra audience in the room. The advisor was quick to reassure the prince.

“You are not in trouble, your highness,” Lance gave Keith a proud smirk, “they simply need to discuss something with you and your siblings.” That made Lance’s expression turn into a puzzled one as the advisor turned around and left the room. 

“My siblings are coming too,” Lance questioned Keith with a murmur as he set his book down. “What could be so important that my parents are calling a family meeting?” 

Keith shrugged and began to walk towards the door of the observatory. “I don’t know, but it's best not to keep them all waiting. Let's go Lance.”

Lance huffed at the command, but he stood up nevertheless and began to make his way to the door. He brushed past Keith as he did so, and the alpha had to refrain from inhaling his sweet scent. 

Fuck, Keith had to get under control. Lance literally did nothing but walk, and yet the knight was ready to drop to his knees for him. Maybe it was time for Keith to take a day off. To spend some time away from Lance so he could get his head wrapped around everything and learn how to act normal again.

Luckily, Lance didn’t seem to notice his strange behavior. The prince continued to walk down the hall towards the castle’s sunroom, not even sparing a glance back at Keith. Keith quickly followed after him, letting the heavy observatory door close with a thud behind him.

The walk to the sunroom was, unsurprisingly, a noisy endeavor as Lance theorized why his parents were calling him and his siblings to this meeting. Keith watched him with a smile, only offering small comments here and there because no, Lance, your parents are not abdicating the throne to Hunk.

Lance didn’t pay him any mind and simply continued on his ramblings until they reached the sunroom. Lance was quick to open the door, stepping inside to find both his parents and all his siblings save for Luis. Keith stepped in after him, closing the door behind him as he did, and took a look around the room.

Lance didn’t come to the sunroom very often. It was normally a place used to have tea with visiting high level guests, and Lance rarely was required to attend those meetings. Keith had only ever been inside it once or twice. His eyes traced the large windows encasing the room before settling back on Lance, who was loudly asking the reason for the meeting as he made his way to sit next to Veronica.

“...because I swear, I had nothing to do with that.”

Keith didn’t even know what Lance was trying to defend himself from, but he smiled as he saw the queen roll her eyes, exasperated. “Lance, I told you, you are not in trouble! This meeting isn’t about you at all, actually.” The queen’s words only sparked more questions from Lance, and both her and her husband sighed deeply.

Just as Lance’s outbursts were getting to be too much for his family, with Rachel looking like she was about two ticks away from snapping at her brother, Luis and Lisa came into the room. Keith watched as their arrival cut Lance off, and a pout formed on his face when everyone’s attention swerved from him to the couple.

“Sorry we’re late,” Luis said apologetically, bringing him and his wife over to sit near his parents. “Silvio would just not agree to take a nap.”

Queen Nancy laughed, throwing her head back in a way not unsimilar to Lance. Keith both loved and hated the fact that he knew that.

“Oh not to worry, dear. You didn’t miss anything.” Luis nodded his head in acknowledgment, before turning towards his father. “So, why did you call us all in here?”

Keith watched as Lance settled down into his chair, picking at the snacks laid out on the end table next to him. The prince seemed to be watching his parents intensely as his father spoke, waiting to hear whatever news was coming.

“Well, as you all know, your mother and I have been working very closely with King Alfor in recreating peace among Northern and Southern Altea.” The siblings all nodded in understanding and King Miguel continued. “So we have decided that as a show of good faith, we would host the Northern royal family here.”

All the siblings gasped in excitement and the king was to strain his voice to speak over them. “We believe it will be a good opportunity to become well acquainted with them again. After all, it has been many years since we have seen them in good circumstances.”

The room buzzed as all the royal children began to discuss the news.

“When will they get here?”

“How long will they be staying?”

“Will the princess be coming too?”

Queen Nancy threw her hands into the air and began to try and settle her children. “Listen, we will answer all your questions. The family will be arriving next week along with some of their advisors, and will most likely stay with us for about a phoeb. And yes,” the queen looked over at Lance, “Princess Allura will be visiting as well.”

At the confirmation, Lance’s face erupted in joy, lips growing into a large smile. Keith didn’t know that Lance knew the princess, although now thinking about it it made sense.

Princess Allura was the only daughter of King Alfor, and known to be quite smart and beautiful. She was about two years younger than Keith, but had accomplished so much within her short life time. When the war broke out, she had been away on a special outreach program that Northern Altea participated in, where she traveled to different planets to help rebuild deteriorating resources. Out of fear for his granddaughter, King Limrik refused to allow her back on the planet, causing her to only return home in the last year. When she finally returned, the alpha princess had successfully helped to rebuild many planets that were on the brink of destruction. Last Keith had heard, she was working as an Northern Altean ambassador, trying to help spread the new mission of peace.

Keith doesn't know much about Allura other than the basic facts people whispered about her, but by Lance’s reaction he realized that Lance must know her a lot more.

His suspicion was only confirmed when Rachel snorted at her brother. “Oh, are you excited to see your little girlfriend again,” she said in a sing-song tone. Lance’s face erupted in a blush and he tried to defend himself. “She is not my girlfriend! I haven't even seen her in years!” Rachel didn’t let up. “Yeah, but you have been sending letters to each other. I know you have.”

Lance continued to sputter out disagreements and insults to the beta, but Keith couldn’t focus on any of it. The word ‘girlfriend’ circulated around in his head, drowning out any other noise. Keith never truly thought about Lance having suitors, always too busy imagining himself as one. But now that the thought was in his head, Keith couldn’t see to stop his mind from running with it.

Lance had been sending letters to Allura? Did they have a history? Did Lance like Allura? Did he plan to court her? Did he plan to marry her? Bond her?

All these questions ran around in his mind, and at the last one, a growl almost began to admit from his chest. The thought that Lance would be interested in mating the other alpha was- well it was devastating.

Keith tried to get himself under control. He didn’t even know what Lance’s relationship with the princess was. Everything Rachel said could have just been regular sibling teasing. It didn’t mean anything.

Keith tried not to think about how the blush on Lance’s face disregarded his assurance.

The knight tried to focus back on the meeting, but it was no use. The rest of the time spent in the sunroom was thinking about how his omega could soon be meeting a different alpha. An alpha that he could want to bond with. When the dreaded discussion was finally over, Keith was silent as he and Lance left the room, not offering any of his usual quips to the prince’s eager jumblings. If Lance noticed anything, he didn’t say anything, as he was too busy talking about how excited he was for Allura to visit.

It only made Keith feel worse.

⋆★⋆

On the day the Northern royal family was set to arrive, Keith was in a terrible mood. He tried to insist that it was completely unrelated to the event, but he could only lie to himself for so long.

Because the fact was, he wasn’t in a bad mood because he burned his coffee in the morning. It wasn’t because he stubbed his toe on Lance’s door or almost tripped on the palace's carpet. It wasn’t even because he was standing in the rain, getting soaked, waiting for the family to arrive.

It was because he was waiting, in the rain, toe and ego bruised, for Princess Allura, the girl Lance was engaged to marry.

Okay well- not actually engaged. They technically weren't even courting. But according to Hunk, they were on the way to being there.

“Oh yeah, Lance and Princess Allura go way back,” Hunk had said with a smile when Keith asked. “They were super close growing up, obviously before King Limrik started on his warpath. Lance had like a super big crush on her. To be honest, she really didn’t show any interest in him at the time, but rumor has it she’s looking for a mate. It wouldn’t surprise me if she was coming here with the intention to court Lance.”

Hunk didn’t seem to notice the way Keith’s face fell during his explanation, with the beta happily talking about the possibility of Lance and Allura’s future. Keith was trying not to get jealous, knowing that it was stupid to be envious of an alpha he had never even met. But it was hard not to be when Lance was concerned.

It was funny, really. Keith had never thought of himself as the jealous type, but apparently Lance couldn’t leave any part of him unchanged. Because now, Keith’s alpha felt like growling every time someone even mentioned the princess. The knight was even fighting back the urge now as he watched Lance smile as the Northern Altean pod landed, the impact causing the slush of the rain to splash against its sides.

The pod soon opened, and a white-haired man, who Keith assumed to be King Alfor, stepped out. King Miguel and Queen Nancy moved to greet him, umbrellas in hand and smiles present on their faces. Keith wasn’t paying attention to them, however.

Instead, Keith was watching as Lance rushed forward, hair and clothing immediately getting soaked as he stepped out into the rain with no covering. He ran to the pod and lept at the next figure that stepped out of the ship.

“Allura!”

“Lance,” Keith heard the woman respond, accent ringing out against the storm.

The two embraced, and Keith felt his heart drop.

Because the worst part of all of this was that Keith wanted to be happy. He really did. More than anything, Keith wanted to be overjoyed for Lance. Lance was getting to see his friend again after years. Gods, he could be meeting his potential mate. Keith should be happy. But it was hard to be happy when he couldn’t stop imagining him and Lance together, hands and bodies intertwined.

Just as Lance and Allura were now. 

The royals pulled away from their hug, their clothing sticking together due to the slickness of the rain. Keith’s eyes zeroed in on their still contect hands, and watched as they chattered excitedly to each other. Keith couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he saw the way both of the royal’s mouth’s moved, words flowing out of them that no doubt contained affection and wonder.

Keith forced himself to pull away from them and focus on the other Alteans that were now exiting the ship. The Northern queen was walking towards her husband, and Keith took note of how similar she looked to her daughter. Next was an older man with bright orange hair, who was bouncing around the Northern royalty. He must be an advisor , Keith thought. He was proven correct when the man pulled out a clipboard out of seemingly nowhere and began to wave it around excitedly, not caring about the rain.

After him were numerous other advisors and guards. Keith began to lose focus until he saw a blonde woman make her way over to Lance and the princess, umbrella in hand. Keith knew that the likelihood of her being a threat to Lance was low, but he still eyed the large sword hanging from her hip. Not wanting to be so far away from the prince as the unfamiliar woman got closer, Keith stepped out into the rain to make his way over to the omega. 

As he approached them, he was able to get a better look at the princess, and by gods she was gorgeous. Her long white hair flowed down her back, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at Lance. She was wearing a blue, pink, and white dress, and it almost seemed to shimmer despite the gloominess of the day.

She looked perfect.

Perfect for Lance.

When Keith finally reached them, he heard the ending words of Lance’s sentence.

“...have to tell me everything because the letters were just not enough.”

Keith internally cringed, his mind suddenly remembering the other fact that kept him from being happy about the princess. The letters. 

It turned out that Rachel wasn’t just trying to embarrass her brother, and Lance really had been exchanging letters with the princess. Ever since the war had started, Lance had been finding ways to communicate with Allura wherever she was, keeping their friendship alive. Keith honestly couldn’t believe that he didn’t know this, and felt a little betrayed that Lance hadn’t told him.

Not that Lance had to tell Keith every single person that he talked to. It just seemed like, given their…relationship, it would have been something the prince would have mentioned. But apparently, they weren’t as close as Keith thought they were.

The alpha tried to push these thoughts aside as he came up behind Lance, knowing that growling at the crown princess of Northern Altea would not be a good diplomatic move. Keith didn’t even have time to greet the prince before Lance was turning around to face him, almost as if he had sensed that he was there.

“Keith,” Lance said excitedly, unbothered by the water dripping down his face. “I was just about to come get you! I want to introduce you to Princess Allura.” Lance moved his hands to gesture to the woman, eyes shining bright. Keith reluctantly dragged his eyes away from Lance to face the princess head on.

He bowed, head going low as he introduced himself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, your highness. I am-”

“Oh I know who you are,” Allura interrupted. Keith whipped his head up in confusion, ignoring the fact that it wasn’t proper protocol. Allura must have noticed his sudden movement, and went to quickly clarify. “I just mean,” she started, clearing her throat, “Lance has written about you in his letters. You look exactly as he described you. Or, perhaps you are a little bit taller, but it is hard to describe height. He spent so long talking about your other features that the height was just brushed right past and-”

“Okay Allura, thank you, but I think Keith has heard enough, don’t you agree ,” Lance said through gritted teeth, his face completely red. Keith couldn’t help but stare at the flush, lips lifting up into a smile. Had Lance really talked that much about him to Allura?

Suddenly the fact that Lance had been writing Allura didn’t seem so bad.

Allura must have noticed the way Lance was practically begging her to stop talking, and apologized.

“I’m sorry, I think I got ahead of myself there. It is just so lovely to meet you Keith. It's not everyday that I get to meet the first guard that was able to stick by Lance’s side.”

The princess sent a knowing look Lance's way, and Keith watched as Lance’s face reddened even more. Keith didn’t think he had ever seen Lance this embarrassed. Even when talking about what happened during his heat, the prince wasn’t this flushed.

Before Keith could reply to the princess or say anything about the look on Lance’s face, the blonde woman he had been watching earlier finally reached them. Allura turned to her, taking the umbrella out of her hand gratefully.

“Speaking of guards, I would like to introduce you both to mine. This is Romelle, my personal guard and closest friend.” Allura put her hand behind Romelle’s back, grinning as she did so.

Romelle smiled at the introduction, and Lance quickly greeted her with his own smile. Keith offered her his own quick greeting, face stoic. He wasn’t trying to be rude, but his mind was still thinking about what Allura had said.

Did Lance really talk about him that much in his letters? And not just talk about him as a guard, but talk about his appearance. His features , as the princess had said. What else did Lance say about him? Did he tell Allura about what had happened during his heat? Or about how Keith had snapped with Ulysses?

Thinking about all the what ifs drove Keith fucking crazy.

Thinking about Lance at all drove Keith fucking crazy.

Gods, maybe he really did need that vacation.

Keith was pulled out of his thoughts as the princess and Romelle began to move towards the castle. Keith hadn’t been listening to a single thing any of them had been saying, but he supposed that they had decided to finally get out of the rain.

As Keith started to follow them, Lance stopped him. Keith looked down at him, confusion evident on his face. Lance responded with a pout of his own, and stared the knight down.

“What is going on with you,” the prince asked accusingly, poking his finger onto Keith’s chest. Keith startled and looked down at him. What was going on with him? Maybe it was the fact that the boy he was falling for just happened to meet his potential mate?

“What- nothing’s wrong,” Keith said instead, voice sheer with his lie. Lance narrowed his eyes and pressed his finger harder into Keith’s frame, the action causing a squelching sound due to the wetness of the knight’s clothes. “Don’t lie to me, mullet,” Lance said sternly, eyes hard in determination. “I know when you lie to me now, you know. None of that cool headed knightley poker face stuff works on me anymore.”

Keith could have laughed at Lance for his word choice, but the truth in his words pierced him. Because Lance did know him. He knew him better than anyone and could definitely tell the odd way Keith was acting with the princess.

But Keith knew Lance too. And he knew that if he told Lance that he was jealous of Allura, it probably wouldn’t end too well for himself.

So instead Keith tried to give the omega a smile and reassure him.

“I promise Lance, nothing is wrong. I’m just ready to get out of this rain and into some dry clothes.” It wasn’t technically a lie, but Lance still seemed suspicious and his eyes began downcasted. 

“But,” the prince said hesitantly, “you would tell me if something was wrong, right?”

Keith hated to see the vulnerable look on Lance’s face, wet water droplets sliding down his face almost as if they were tears. How could he possibly tell him no?

Keith swallowed thickly and forced his own expression to relax, the threat of Allura disappearing from his mind. Nothing else mattered when Lance looked at him like that .

“Of course, Blue. You’d be the first to know.”

Lance gave his own grin, and thankfully dropped the topic of Keith’s bad mood.

“Well then you’re right, we should get out of this rain.” With that the prince turned on his heels and began to make his way in the castle, arms coming to wrap around himself to protect him from the cold.

Keith watched him as the omega walked away, suddenly feeling very cold himself at the absence of Lance beside him.

He tried not to think about the fact that he remained cold the rest of the day, helpless as he watched Lance and Allura giggle over private jokes as they clung to each other.

⋆★⋆

Allura was perfect.

She was just absolutely perfect.

And Keith did not admit that lightly. In fact, he wanted, more than anything, for the princess to be one of the worst people he had ever met. 

Unfortunately for him, Allura couldn’t seem to do anything wrong. She was extremely kind, generous and beautiful. She answered any question or comment thrown her way with grace, and had enough beauty to match her big heart. Not to mention she was incredibly strong, a fact Keith only found out after she beat almost half the Southern Altean guards in arm wrestling matches (set up by Lance of course). The way she talked about her travels awed anyone who was in earshot, including Lance, and she even had a presentation about her journey prepared so she could share it.

A fucking presentaton.

Allura was the poster picture for what royalty should be. 

And the worst part is that Keith couldn’t even hate her. No matter how hard he tried to remind himself that the princess was after Lance’s hand, he could hold no negative feelings towards the other alpha.

That wasn’t to say that he didn’t still get jealous, because gods know he did. Every time he saw Lance and Allura bundled up together, he felt like someone was impaling him with an Altean broadsword.

And that had happened to him before, so he knew that the feeling wasn’t pleasant.

But the knight really couldn’t do anything about it. His only two options were to either quit his job or tell Lance how he felt, and neither were going to happen. So instead, he was forced to not let his displeasure at the two Alteans getting closer show.

Luckily, Keith had been getting to know Romelle fairly well, and conversations with her helped to take his mind off of Lance, if only for a moment. She had told him all about what life is like in Northern Altea and on the planets she had visited, and Keith had to admit it was fascinating to hear about the differences.

“You wouldn’t even be caught dead with a yorpkur in your hand,” Romelle was enthusiastically telling him as Lance and Allura played chess in the corner of the library, “so I was quite surprised when I saw Raptuge of all people carrying one.” Keith had no idea who Raptuge or what a yorpkur was, but he learned not to question stuff when Romelle was telling a story. She often forgot that not everyone had been all around the galaxy, and tended to share her stories with confidence that everyone would just understand. Although Keith had asked questions at first, he eventually realized it was just best to let her keep talking.

Besides, maybe if he ever left Altea again he could find out what a yorpku was himself. Because as Keith heard more about Allura’s travels, he could feel himself wanting more and more to finally leave the planet. And he could tell that Lance was too. 

Keith saw the way Lance’s eyes would shine as the princess spoke about all the planets she had visited. He would eagerly ask questions about the people and things she saw, and would then spend endless hours looking at the planets in the observatory later that night. Keith could feel the longing in him to go out and explore, and his heart would break as he saw the emotion in the prince’s eyes.

The alpha couldn’t help but think about what it would be like if he and Lance were to mate. Keith knew that he would try everything in his power to get Lance off of Altea and out into all the galaxies on his list. They would travel and explore, and Keith would watch Lance with soft eyes as the omega jumped up in excitement over learning a new custom or discovering a new landscape. And they would end every night watching the planet's sunset, or an equivalent, whispering to each other what they liked and didn’t like. Lance would find a way to make fun of Keith, and the knight would call him Blue in return. 

And then Keith would lean in, taking Lance’s face into his hands, and kiss him. He would kiss him soft and slow and familiar, because they would have all the time in the world to be together.

It was a nice fantasy, and Keith had thought about it more than he would like to admit. But it always ended with him reminding himself that that wouldn’t be possible. Lance was the prince, and surely didn’t return Keith’s feelings. Besides, Allura.

Keith pushed away these thoughts, simply nodding his head to Romelle’s words in interest, focusing his gaze on her instead of the two royal’s in the corner. 

Before long, Romelle ran out of stories to tell, and began to press Keith about information on himself. The alpha sucked up a breath, trying to come up with an excuse to get out of answering Romelle’s questions. Romelle seemed to have a talent for asking the hard hitting questions. The amount of times she had asked him about the details of a particular battle he had been in must be up in the thousands. Each time Keith awkwardly avoided answering, not feeling comfortable talking about it with her, knowing that more likely than not he would get emotional. And he would not get emotional in front of anyone that wasn’t Shiro, or more recently, Lance.

Thankfully, a shout from the room interrupted his impending answer, and both guards swung their heads to look at their charges.

“You totally cheated,” Lance said, his eyes bulging out in disbelief. “There was no possible way for you to checkmate me!”

Keith couldn’t help but chuckle at Lance’s hysterics, especially with the cool, but still entirely smug, look on Allura’s face.

“I did not cheat,” the princess said matter of factly. “You simply left your king undefended.” Lance squawked and shook his head violently. “No I did not. I was watching the whole board.”

Allura giggled and looked at Lance with a smirk placed on her face. “Actually, I believe that you were a little preoccupied with your attention. On one piece in particular. ”

Keith didn’t know what Allura was trying to indicate with her low, teasing tone, nor with the small, black piece she suddenly grabbed off of the board to hold up to Lance’s face. Keith didn’t understand a single thing about chess, and was trying to decipher why Allura was waving the horse carving mockingly in front of Lance. Did Lance like horses all of the sudden?

Despite Keith’s confusion, Lance seemed to know exactly what Allura was talking about because his face went red and as he reached up to snatch the piece out of the princesses hand. “Oh shut up,” Lance said, his voice suddenly squeaky. Lance’s eyes flicked over to Keith and seemed to be…relieved by Keith’s confusion? He let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment before locking them onto Allura again.

“That’s not true.”

Keith still had no clue what was going on, but he could tell that whatever it was, Allura won. Lance’s answer was just a little too breathy for it to be nothing, and Allura definitely noticed it. She grinned wickedly, wearing such a smug expression that Keith never thought he would see on the other alpha, before standing up and making her way over to Romelle and Keith.

She didn’t bother to answer Lance, and instead simply moved her gaze over to Keith. He almost took a step back from the intensity that the princess seemed to be staring at him. It was almost like she was trying to communicate with him, only Keith had no fucking clue what she was trying to say.

Allura sighed, almost as if she realized that Galran man was not getting anything she was trying to convey. As she moved her head away to face Romelle, she whispered “men” under her breath, which admittedly left Keith more confused. What does his gender have to do with anything?

Before he could say anything, Allura announced that she was feeling a walk in the gardens, claiming that Lance needed some time alone to recover from his loss. Lance immediately began to protest, but the princess and Romelle were already out the door.

Keith heard a huff behind him and turned to see Lance with his hands on his hips. “Yeah, I’ll clean up everything, don’t worry about it,” he said bitterly, and Keith couldn’t deny that it made him smile. Lance was cute even when he was angry.

Keith made his way over to the prince, beginning to help him place the chess pieces back in the box. However, the knight paused as he grabbed the second black horse from the board, staying at it quizzingly. What did this piece have to do with Lance losing, and why was the omega so flushed about it?

Keith was only left with more questions as Lance noticed what piece he was holding and quickly grabbed it from the Galran’s hands, shoving it quickly into the box.

Okay, now Keith was even more confused than before. Was that piece bad or something? Or was it good? Why was Lance so shy about it?

“So,” Keith said, his voice stretching out the word, “do you like horses then?” Keith figured that maybe it was just that Lance has some weird attachment to the animal, and Allura was trying to poke fun at him for that. Which didn't exactly make much sense, but it was the only answer Keith could seem to think of.

Apparently though it was a stupid question, because Lance’s head shot up and looked at Keith with the most confused and baffled expression the knight had ever seen on him.

“What! No,” Lance said, his tone telling Keith that it was a ridiculous thought. “Where did that question even come from?”

Keith pointed to the box that Lance was now packing away. “The umm…the horse statue. Allura said it distracted you,” Keith said timidly, almost becoming a little embarrassed. “I just thought…”

The prince’s eyes suddenly became wide as he realized what the alpha was referring to and quickly began to speak. “Oh, no, ah,” Lance let out a slightly breathy, yet equally high pitched laugh, “it wasn’t about the horse. It was about the piece.” He began to ramble as he walked to put the board away. “All of the markers have names, you know. Like the bishops and the rooks. And so it was more about the name of the horse. That piece, it’s a- well it actually doesn't matter what piece it is. Point being is that I lost and Allura was just trying to taunt me.”

Keith wanted to pry further and ask why Lance suddenly stopped his explanation so abruptly. But he could tell that the omega really did not want to talk about it, if the fact that Lance wasn't even looking at the knight had anything to say.

“Okay,” Keith answered slowly. “I…I guess that makes sense.”

Lance seemed relieved at Keith’s lie and turned his head towards him, silently asking if the questioning was over with. Keith wanted desperately to say no, but he knew that Lance needed him to not interrogate him, even if it was over something trivial. Keith tilted his head down in defeat, signifying that he would stop talking about the topic.

“Okay,” Lance mirrored, suddenly straightening up, pleased that he didn’t have to explain himself any further. “Okay, then, I think I’ve had enough time mulling over my epic loss,” the prince said, mockingly repeating Allura’s earlier words. “Let’s go join the princess in the gardens.” Lance quickly made his exit, face still holding a hint of a blush on his cheeks.

Keith wanted to ask Lance so many questions. Exactly why that singular piece had gotten him so flustered? Why had Allura known that it would? And why was he so tense about it when Keith asked? Keith wanted to ask the prince everything, but he knew that for now, he just had to drop it, and trust that Lance would come to him on his own. Even if it was about something as silly as a chess piece. Because Lance trusted Keith, and had told the alpha things that he admitted to not telling anyone before. So why it hurt to know that Allura knew something about Lance that Keith didn’t, he really couldn’t do anything about it.

Keith could do nothing but follow the omega out the door.

Chapter Text

Keith has no clue what the fuck is going on.

And that isn’t an over exaggeration. Keith literally has never felt more confused in his entire life. Everyday he wakes up and hopes that it will be the day that makes everything that has been happening in the past few weeks make sense. And everyday, he’s disappointed, and often left with more questions. And there is only one reason for it.

Lance.

Well, at this point, Lance is usually the reason for most things in Keith’s life. But this is different. This isn’t just Keith wondering what prank Lance was up to or where he was planning to sneak off to next. No, this was something different.

And the worst part was that Keith had no clue what it was.

In the weeks since the Northern Alteans had been staying at the castle, a routine had been set. Most of Lance’s day would be spending time with the princess, and so that was Keith’s day too. Occasionally one of Lance’s siblings would join them, or the prince would tear Hunk and Pidge away from their duties to come play. But most of the time, it was a group of four: the two royals and their guards. 

Allura was such a constant now in Keith’s life that he didn’t hold much disdain for her anymore. She actually was pretty funny, and a good person to talk to with advice. Not that he had gone to her for advice, but he heard from both Lance and Shiro apparently that she was an expert.

(Keith didn’t even want to think about why Shiro was talking to the princess for advice, so he chose to ignore that little tidbit.)

Of course, Keith still had his moments where he was jealous of her and the attention that Lance gave her. That didn’t just go away. But somehow, that jealousy became almost unprofound.

Because despite the fact that Lance and Allura had been spending practically every waking second together, there seemed to be no romance between them.

Sure, Lance flirted with her. But it was the same flirting he enacted with guests at parties or balls. Flirting that was meant to be meaningless and fun, nothing serious. But if the prince was planning to court Allura, then shouldn’t he be making more of an effort? Shouldn’t he be trying to win her heart over? Keith knew that he was no romance expert, but if the past few months of falling for Lance taught him anything, it was that when you have feelings for someone, you do everything in your power to make them feel special. Yet, Lance was treating the alpha princess like he would any other person, no real romantic affections.

And Keith was entirely confused by it.

Of course, the knight realized that Lance had never explicitly told him that he was planning to court Allura. However, with the way everyone else in the castle seemed to be waiting for a proposal announcement, Keith had just figured that the rumors were true and Lance was planning to make Allura his mate.

But if that was his plan, then Lance was a better sneak than Keith thought, because he gave nothing away. Whenever someone asked him about his relationship with the princess, the omega’s smile would remain as he carefully avoided the topic and led the conversation somewhere else. One would think that he was being a gentleman, but Keith could tell that he was hiding something. It was the way the corner of the mouth dipped just an inch, almost concealing the newfound tightness in his smile. Most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. But Keith wasn’t most people.

The knight saw every change in Lance’s facial expressions, every hitch of his breath, and every avoidance tactic. Keith saw right through him.

He just didn’t know what he was looking at.

It also didn’t help that along with Lance’s sudden lack of interest in courting Allura, he had begun to act weird. Specifically around Keith.

It has been subtle at first. Lance had always been a bit more…out there than the average person, so his behavior in the beginning appeared to be a heightened version of that. However, soon the knight realized how not normal it was becoming.

Lance had started to just start staring at Keith, seemingly for no reason. Keith would notice him out of the corner of his eye, but as soon as he would turn to look at Lance the prince would whip his head in any other direction. At first Keith thought that maybe something was wrong with his appearance, but the more it happened the more he realized that that wasn’t the reason. Because the staring was also matched with Lance falling. Like literally.

Lance had begun to trip and fall more often than not. Again, at first this didn’t raise any red flags for Keith. The prince had always been a little bit clumsy. But this was full on walking into walls or tripping over nothing. Keith didn’t even know what really caused it. It seemed to be random without a pattern.

Whatever was wrong with Lance was becoming bad, and Keith was a knight, not a detective. He had no clue how to help fix whatever was wrong with him, so he asked the only person he knew he trusted to help.

“You don’t understand Shiro,” Keith said dramatically, “he literally will trip over nothing . Nothing! All the time. It doesn’t make any sense. At first I thought he could be sick or something, but then he actually got sick like two days after, which disproved my theory. Because as soon as his fever broke, he went right back to practically falling apart at random moments. I don’t know what's going on.”

Shiro only laughed at him, which Keith did not appreciate at all. “Don’t laugh, Shiro. This is serious. What if Lance is cursed or something.” Keith stretched his arms out and waved them around urgently.

His brother only chuckled harder. “Listen Keith, I doubt that the prince is cursed,” he said surly. “I’m sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for it.”

Keith shook his head. “No, I promise you there isn’t. It happens at random times. Plus it’s not just the falling. It’s the staring too.”

Shiro nodded his head and let out a noise of acknowledgement. Keith had told him all about the staring too. The two men sat in silence for a moment before Shior cleared his throat.

“Maybe, Keith, just maybe, Lance’s strange behavior could be because he likes you?” 

Shiro said it like a question, but it was clear that that was what he believed was happening. Keith was taken aback, and quickly shook his head. “What, of course that’s not it,” he said definitively. “Listen, obviously Lance and I are close, but not enough to make him practically kill himself.”

Shiro didn’t seem to believe him. “Listen, you aren't the most socially aware person,” Keith opened his mouth in outrage but Shiro continued before he could say anything, “and that often causes you to not always notice when people try to subtly communicate with you.”

Keith knew that the older man was right, but that didn’t stop him from crossing his arms and pouting like a child at the insinuation. Shiro rolled his eyes but didn’t stop from talking. “It sounds to me that Lance might have a bit of a crush on you. If he is staring at you for no reason, and literally having his knees go weak after you do anything, it most likely points to him having some kind of feelings for you.”

Keith couldn’t even believe what Shiro was suggesting. 

Lance. 

Having feelings. 

For Keith.

“That’s completely absurd,” Keith said with a scoff. “Lance does not have- have feelings for me.” He tried to ignore the way the thought made his heart warm up.

Shiro gave him a look and Keith continued with his defenses. “Besides, the weird behavior is not because of me.” Shiro laughed again, something that Keith wishes he would stop doing.

“Keith, I saw him walk into a bush after you put your hair up into a ponytail. It is definitely because of you.”

Keith flushed at the memory, remembering how it had been too hot outside in the gardens that he had ended up pulling his hair back. As soon as he had lifted his head back up and looked over at Lance, the prince walked smack dab into the middle of a shrub. He had just figured that Lance had been distracted since it looked weird, Keith rarely ever putting up his hair.

“That wasn’t- that doesn’t even mean anything,” Keith sputtered. “And it certainly does not mean that Lance has a- a crush on me.”

Despite how opposed Keith was into believing it, he couldn’t help but hope that Shiro was right. That maybe Lance did have a crush on him, and his feelings weren't unrequited. Keith would be allowed to say everything he had been wanting to say to Lance, with no barriers. And he would be able to kiss and touch the omega, and give him everything he would ever want. Of course, they would still have to navigate Lance being the literal prince and Keith just being a knight, but they could navigate it together as partners. As mates.

But that was just a fantasy. Because Lance didn’t have feelings like that for Keith. He was practically courting Allura, even if hadn’t been showing any real romance. And even if the prince wasn’t going to marry Allura, then he at least could do better than Keith.

Shiro must have been able to see what Keith was thinking about because his eyes softened and he put his non-robotic hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “You know it’s not that crazy to think, right? Lance is lucky to have someone like you looking out for him. It is not totally unbelievable that he would feel something more for you.”

Keith shook his head, wanting Shiro to stop giving his heart hope. “No, no, there is no way that he does. Lance is courting Allura, remember.” He said that part quietly, shifting his eyes over to Shiro’s. The older man sighed. “That hasn’t been confirmed yet and you know it. So unless Lance has told you something that his parents don’t know, that isn’t a real factor.”

Keith just shook his head again. “No Shiro, you don’t-”

“No,” the man interrupted, voice stern but kind. “No, you don’t get to just brush me off. I can see it, Keith. I can see the way that you look at him and talk about him. The way you act around him. And I see the way he acts around you,” Shiro said pointedly. “You are good for him, and I know that he’s good for you. So why won’t you even think about the idea of you two together?”

“I do,” Keith growled angrily, voice shaking with emotion. It was as if everything that Keith had been repressing about his feelings for Lance suddenly bubbled up during Shiro’s rant. “Of course I fucking do! That’s all I find myself thinking about.”

Shiro seemed surprised at Keith’s outburst, his hand falling away from the knight’s body. Keith didn’t seem to notice, too caught up with the words he found spilling out of him.

“Lance consumes my every waking thought. He is the first thing I think about when I wake up, and he is the last thing in my mind as I go to bed. Hell, he even plagues my dreams. There is no where I can go that would allow me to escape him.” Keith trails a hand through his hair, pulling at it subconsciously. “And do you know how fucking terrifying that is? To find yourself falling for the person you sworn to protect? Not even that, but the prince of all people?” Keith gave Shiro a pleading look. “It makes me feel like I’m going crazy. Being forced to watch as Lance and Allura…and knowing that nothing I do can ever change that. Because even if it’s not Allura, it’s somebody else. Someone who isn’t a fucked up nobody with anger issues and PTSD. Someone who deserves Lance in his entirety.”

Keith felt tears beginning to prick the corner of his eyes and he turned away from his brother, embarrassed. He didn’t even know why he suddenly wanted to cry over Lance, but it was as if the tears were presenting themselves against his will.

“So don’t try to tell me that Lance feels anything for me, because he doesn’t. Not the same way I feel about him. And I can’t keep fantasizing about us together when I know that it will never happen. That I’ll always be forced to love him from afar.”

Keith’s shoulders sagged as he felt the impact of his words. It wasn’t just because of the worries he had just exposed to his brother. No, it was also about him admitting to loving Lance. Keith, deep down, had known for a while that he must love Lance, but had never given the feeling a name. He knew that as soon as he did, there would be no going back. But saying the words out loud only confirmed what he knew that he was feeling. It almost seemed ridiculous that Keith managed to deny it for so long.

Because of course he was in love with Lance. From the moment Keith’s eyes locked onto the prince’s, he never stood a chance not to be.

As the knight reeled from his confession, he almost forgot that Shiro was still there. Keith looked over to see his brother’s shocked expression, and tried to prepare himself for his reaction. He expected Shiro to say something. Something about how Keith wasn’t any of those things or that he had no idea about his feelings, but the older Galran was quiet. The only thing that could be heard throughout the room was Keith’s heavy breaths and the humming of Shrio’s palace radio.

After a long while, Keith turned back around to face the door, knowing that even if Shiro wasn’t saying anything yet, he would, and it was best not to avoid it. He didn’t need him to give Keith pity, and the knight really wanted to go into his room to digest the soured conversation alone.

Keith brought his hands up to dry his now damp cheeks. “Look, Shiro, just forget about all of thi-”

Before he could finish Shiro pulled Keith back to face him, and launched himself into the knight’s arms, pulling him into a hug. Keith knew that fighting against it would be pointless, so he threw his arms around the captain’s waist and buried his head against his shoulder.

“You are not a nobody Keith,” Shiro said quietly. “You are an incredible knight and an incredible guard for Lance.” Keith gave a snort at the words, although it was muffled by the padding on Shiro’s clothing. He still seemed to understand though, because he was quick to continue his praise. “I’m serious. I can’t pretend to understand what you must be going through in dealing with your feelings, nor can I say for certain that Lance feels the same about you. But he obviously cares for you, even if…even if it's not the way you want.” Shiro hugs him harder.

“I know you don’t understand it, but you are so good, Keith. You were given a hard hand by life. You went through so much before you even presented, and yet you still carried yourself high. Even though the rough patches you had, you have always stayed selfless. You never once let your experiences define you. And even though you can still be a pain in the ass,” Shiro pulled away from Keith so that he could stare at the younger man, “I am so fucking proud of the alpha that you have become.”

Keith stared in awe after Shiro’s words. He wanted to say so many things in return. He wanted to thank Shiro for taking him in. For never giving up on him. For giving him the opportunity to meet Lance in the first place. And for saying all that stuff about it. But all he could muster was one word.

“Language,” Keith murmured, his voice shaky with emotion. Shiro paused for a moment before he left out a deep laugh, body shaking as he chuckled. He shook his head and moved one of his hands out of Keith’s embrace to run it across his face. Keith laughed with him after a moment, feeling better as the tension disappeared.

Finally Shiro composed himself again, and straightened himself to stare at Keith. “Listen, I can’t tell you what to do. Or know exactly how Lance is feeling.” Keith’s eyes drew downcasted. “But after what you just told me, I can tell you that you should talk to him. You deserve to be happy Keith, and I think that Lance could make you happy.”

Keith brought his head up to meet Shiro’s eyes and whispered vulnerably, “But what do I do if he never wants to see me again? Once I tell him?

Shiro’s expression softened. “You can’t know how he’s going to react, but I promise that he would never banish you like that. I’ve seen the way he interacts with you. I mean, you’re the first guard of his to ever last more than a few months,” Shiro says encouragingly. “Lance, trusts you, Keith. And that trust won’t go away if you tell him how you feel. Because what you just told me, in a fit of wild emotion, told me everything I need to know about how deep your feelings are. And Lance will know that too.”

Keith blushed during Shiro’s speech, his mind reeling with the possibilities. He didn’t respond to the captain though, and Shiro took this as his sign to drop it.

“Just think about it, okay,” he said as he untangled himself from Keith. Keith didn’t say anything as Shiro made his way to the doorway of his room, but stopped him right before he entered.

“Shiro.”

Shiro turned to face the knight again, giving him a questioning look.

“Thank you,” Keith said thickly. He wanted to say more, but the words seemed to get caught in his throat. Shiro didn’t seem to mind though, and simply gave Keith a smile and a nod before entering his room, leaving Keith alone to his thoughts.

⋆★⋆

Since Shiro had planted the idea in his head, Keith hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the what ifs. What if Lance had feelings for him? What if they could be together?

With how adamant the knight had been against the suggestion, he couldn’t deny that it had sparked some hope within Keith. Because he obviously knew that he and Lance were close, especially after Lance told him everything about his past in the forest. So was it really that crazy to think that the prince could feel more for him? Especially with Keith now realizing how deep in love he was with the omega. 

And sure, Allura was still obviously a factor, but Keith still hadn't seen any indication that Lance was serious about letting the alpha court him. So even though their closeness did still spark jealousy within Keith, for now, it seemed like the Altean royals were completely platonic.

And when thinking about it, Lance having a crush on him would explain his weird behavior. All the stolen glances, blushing, and clumsiness would make sense if it was all the result of the prince trying to work through his feelings. Gods knows how awkward and weird Keith had been when he first realized that his feelings for Lance went deeper than just a guard looking after their charge.

But through all the thoughts, Keith also didn’t want to get his hopes up. Lance was an enigma, and there could be a thousand other reasons for why he had been acting strangely. The more he indulged in the fantasies of him and Lance together, the harder the alpha will take it when Lance reveals that he was no romantic feelings towards him.

It was a constant push and pull, and Keith didn’t know what to do. He knew that he should tell Lance about how he felt, if at the very least to unburden himself with keeping it a secret. But a bigger part of him, who was scared to lose Lance, kept him quiet.

That didn’t stop himself from saying it in his head though. No, quite the contrary. Keith could barely even look at Lance without the words ‘I love you’ popping up in his head. 

It really was crazy how Keith didn’t realize how deep in love he was with Lance. Since practically the first day they meet Keith’s alpha had been calling out for the prince’s omega. And Keith didn’t forget the amount of times he had thought about the two of them mated together. However, through it all, he never had truly thought about him being in love. Being in love was never something he had thought about before. Being in love was reserved for sweet omegas and dashing alphas, not Keith.

And yet, Lance had opened it up to him.

So now, every time Keith saw Lance, those three words would repeat in his mind. Part of him was becoming exhausted by it. The other part, the alpha part, wanted Keith to get on his knees for Lance and worship him.

Even now as he watched the omega twirl around his Allura on the dance floor, Keith wanted him.

They were at the ball to celebrate the new friendship formed between King Miguel and King Alfor. Which in Keith’s opinion, seemed a bit stupid considering that this “new friendship” had been in effect for years. Even during the war, King Alfor always made it very clear that he was against his father’s proceedings. His alliance with King Miguel was just on hiatus at best. Having a party for it seemed ridiculous.

Nevertheless, the party was in motion, and Keith couldn’t keep his eyes off Lance. The prince had decided to dress in more traditional clothing for tonight, with fabric in numerous shades of blue draping his body. His fringe was styled to perfection, and his signature gold bracelets were wrapped around his wrists. And with lips shining with the hint of lip gloss Allura put on him, he was capturing the entire room.

He was capturing Keith.

Well, he always had Keith’s attention. But with the vision he was tonight, Keith’s eyes were facing competition in the other on-lookers stares. Despite the fact that Lance’s piercing blue eyes still found Keith everytime he turned his way, the knight couldn’t stop himself from getting jealous at the people around them. Or, not even jealous, but angry. Angry at the fact that there were so many people lusting after the prince when not a single one of them deserved even a glimmer of Lance’s attention.

Keith was pulled out of his thoughts as the current song Lance and Allura were bouncing around to ended and the pair ran up to him. Lance was pulling the princess behind him, mouth open in laughter.

“Keith,” he said brightly, face flushed from his dancing, “you have to come dance with me next.” Despite his feelings towards the party, and those attending it, Keith couldn’t help but smile at Lance, walls crashing down now that the omega was in front of him. I love you , he thought blindly. However, the words that the prince actually said soon caught up with Keith and he was quick to refuse.

“Wait, what,” he said inelegantly. Lance just giggled as he let go of Allura’s hand, leaning closer to where Keith was propped up against the bar. “I said,” his voice stretched out the words, “that you just have to come dance the next song with me.”

Keith raised an alarming eyebrow at him. Lance wanted Keith to…dance?

The knight had been in many terrible and scary situations. He had been pushed into battle at the fresh age of 18, and had witnessed horrors that plagued him in his nightmares. However, right now Keith would gladly run into battle over dancing with Lance.

Well, that might not necessarily be true and Keith may just be acting dramatic, but his fear of dancing still remained. Plus, as much as the thought of holding Lance close excited him, he was still too aware of Allura and the other watchful eyes of the court.

It was as if Lance could see the rejection before Keith even said it because Lance’s smile suddenly drooped and he gave the alpha a sad look. “Please Keith,” he begged. “Just one song. That’s all I’m asking.”

Keith wanted to say no, he really did. But while looking at Lance’s large, pleading eyes, the fact that he was in love with this boy was overwhelming. Keith would do anything for Lance. He would risk his life for him. And if he would die for him, the least Keith could do was give the omega a dance.

But Keith wasn’t about to give in too easily. He couldn’t let Lance know just how much he had an effect on him.

Keith let out a loud sigh and rolled his eyes. He could already feel the excitement bouncing off the prince as he said, “Fine, one dance.” He held up a finger before Lance could celebrate too early. “But later, okay. Once some of the guests have left. I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of the whole planet.”

Lance rolled his eyes in return but nodded eagerly. “I’m sure you won’t be that bad, but whatever.” Keith didn’t miss the snark in his voice, but he let it slide as he saw Lance pull Allura back onto the dance floor, giggling as he twirled her around. His heart gave a lurch, but he tried to calm himself, reminding him that it would be him dancing with Lance soon enough.

But the more he watched the pair, the more he talked himself out of it. All his earlier confidence about the possibility of ‘maybe’ had all disappeared. Of course Lance didn’t return his feelings. He probably just wanted to dance with him because that was who Lance was: a social butterfly. There weren't any ulterior motives. Lance was meant to be with someone like Allura, not Keith.

These thoughts were constantly pushing against any hope that Shiro planted, working to cut that idea out before it fully blossomed into something Keith couldn’t control. The alpha couldn’t deny that it was driving him crazy, and that soon or later, he may just confess his feelings to end the torture of wondering.

The Gods must have had other plans, however, because as Keith stared at and watched the two royals, the answer to all his questions came up to him. In the form of a very eccentric, very drunk man.

“Ah, young knight,” said King Alfor’s orange haired advisor, “how are you enjoying the festivity?” Keith gave the man, Coran, a perplexed look from the side, but kept his expression neutral. In the few weeks that the Northern Alteans had been there, Keith had been witness to the…bizarre actions of Coran. The older man was more than nice, but Keith couldn’t deny how odd he was. He was constantly speaking about traditions from other planets and scientific knowledge that made no sense to Keith, so he tended to tune out what the man was actually saying. Despite this, Keith did like Coran. Or rather, he usually did.

Tonight however, Coran must have decided to be Keith’s personal enemy. When all Keith did was give him a curt nod to his questions, Coran turned his head to face the ballroom, drink slushing as he did so. “Ah, they make such a lovely couple, do they not?”

At first Keith didn’t know who the beta was talking about, but it was made clear as he followed the advisor’s eyes to where Lance and Allura were gliding across the floor. He didn’t even respond, mood instantly souring, before Coran continued on with his speech. “I know they have not officially announced their engagement, but I am so proud of Princess Allura that she found her mate. Prince Lance will surely make her happy, don’t you agree.” 

Keith could only offer a slight nod again, his expression growing more hurt the more Coran spoke. As the older man continued to speak about how “beautiful their pups will be,” Keith got lost within his own thoughts. Nothing else mattered, not if Lance was truly engaged with Allura. Keith didn’t understand why Lance wouldn’t have told him, but if Allura’s own advisor said that they were courting, then it must be true. As strange as he was, Coran didn’t seem like the type to spread lying gossip. Even if he was clearly filled up with nunvil, Coran would not just say things to stir up trouble.

But wouldn’t Lance have told him? They were together everyday, and they had told each other things that they never had dared even whisper to anyone else. That had to count for something, didn’t it? If Keith didn’t know all the details, then maybe Coran didn’t know them all either. Maybe he was wrong and maybe…maybe Keith still had a chance.

In the mess that was his mind, Keith managed to scan the crowd for Lance, almost looking for confirmation that what Coran was saying was true. However, Keith couldn’t find him anywhere, and his already shaky eyes began to widen in fear. Where was he?

Keith quickly excused himself from the one-sided conversation with Coran, apologizing as he went to move through the room to look for the prince. Even though Keith was upset at the recent revelation, he was still in charge of looking after Lance. Although he doubted that anyone in the room was stupid enough to try and hurt the prince, especially with all the guards posted around the room, he knew that he could never be too careful. If he let his guard down in battle, it could be the difference between life and death. Keith wasn’t about to take that gamble with Lance.

After a good few moments of searching, Keith deduced that Lance was no longer in the ballroom. As worried as this made him, Keith also couldn’t find Allura. Although this fact twisted in his gut, he tried to calm down with the knowledge that they at least must be together. If anything were to happen, they would have better odds being together.

Keith moved his way to the large wooden doors of the ballroom and slipped out as inconspicuous as he could. Even if he was preparing to give Lance an earful for worrying him didn’t mean that he wanted to get Lance in trouble with his parents.

Keith quietly slunk across the dark hallways of the castle before we heard muffled voices. He reached for his knife in his belt, but he relaxed as soon as he identified the voices of Lance and Allura. However, that relief was short-lived as he came close enough to hear their conversation.

A cold feeling washed over Keith as he caught the few last words of Lance’s sentence.

“...and the wedding will be beautiful! Oh Allura, you will look absolutely gorgeous, I can already see it.”

Lance’s words rattled around in Keith’s head and began to muffle everything else. He couldn’t make out what Allura said in response, but he couldn’t stop himself from peeking around the corner to take a look at the two royals, hoping that it would somehow disprove what Keith was now truly taking as the truth.

Allura’s hands were grasped in Lance’s as they faced each other. Allura had tears in her eyes, but they were clearly from joy. Keith couldn’t see Lance’s face that well, but he knew that his expression must be something similar. Whatever Allura was saying, which Keith hypothesisesd was a love confession, got Lance emotional and he suddenly launched himself into the princesses arms. Allura hugged him tight in return, and Lance let out a wet laugh. 

“I can’t believe you’re officially engaged!”

Those were the final words for Keith, and he whipped his body back around, tears embarrassing trying to escape his eyes. Before he could hear anything else, the knight began to stalk back to the ballroom, mind and heart reeling.

So it was true. Like 100%, without a doubt, positively true. Lance and Allura were getting married. 

Somehow, even though Keith had just gone through this thought process when speaking with Coran, it hadn’t actually sunk in. Maybe a part of him felt like it wasn’t still official, and that maybe it was all a massive prank on him. That maybe Lance knew about his feelings and was trying to get a rise out of him, sending sign after sign that pulled Keith in every different direction. Sending other people to make Keith’s heart bleed. But now it wasn’t other people. It wasn’t Shiro raising Keith’s hopes or Coran tearing them down. It was Lance himself, celebrating his engagement to Allura in the arms of the very same alpha.

If he thought he felt terrible after Coran had confirmed the mating, Keith didn’t know what he was feeling now. It felt like his entire heart was falling out of his chest, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Lance and Allura were really getting married. They were going to court, and get married, and officially bond with each other. They would mate, and Lance’s smooth, beautiful neck will forever be covered with the princesses’ mark. Allura will be Lance’s alpha, and Keith will be just as he was now. Lance’s guard, and nothing more.

In his despair Keith somehow made it back to the ballroom, going inside the large doors to face the bright lights of the party. The last thing he wanted to do was be there, but he was still on duty. He couldn’t leave until Lance was safe back in his room, safe and sound with his new ring on his finger.

Gods, Keith felt like crying. Was he crying? He couldn’t tell, his whole body going numb. He knew he was acting pathetic, but he just found out that the love of his life was engaged to someone else, so he felt like he deserved a pass.

Almost as if he had summoned him, Lance suddenly appeared at his side, tear tracks still evident on his face through his smile. Keith never thought he would hate to see the prince smiling, but at this moment he hated it. Because of who and why he was smiling.

“Keith,” Lance said brightly, clearly not aware of the turmoil his knight was facing. “I think it’s time for our dance.”

Keith had forgotten about his promise. While he didn’t want to disappoint Lance, how could he possibly even think about dancing with the omega now.

The beautiful, smart, and engaged omega in front of him.

Keith knew, deep down, that he never had a chance with becoming Lance's alpha. Even through his talk with Shiro and the days following after it, all his wanting and wishing had been just that - a wish. Keith didn’t belong with the prince, and couldn’t provide him with the things he needed. He wasn’t who Lance needed. Not as a mate, and not even as a friend. Because with even as close as they had become, Lance didn’t tell Keith. Not about anything. Even if the actual engagement had just happened, there were things leading up to it. Moments between him and the princess. And Lance gave away nothing. In his self pity party, Keith realized that they must not have been as close as he thought. Even through all the secrets the omega had shared, he still hadn’t shared this with Keith. All his pretty words were just words. Lance’s actions were louder than his words, and his actions told him that he didn’t care about the alpha.

And that might be the breaking point for Keith. He couldn’t force Lance to fall in love with him, and at the end of the day, all Keith wanted was for Lance to be happy. Even if it wasn’t with him. But to realize that Lance didn’t trust Keith as much as he originally thought; that perhaps Lance viewed him like just another guard, was more heartbreaking than anything else.

Keith thought that even if he couldn’t have Lance the way he wanted to, he would at least have him as a friend. A confidant. But even that wasn’t a possibility.

Keith didn’t even realize that he had yet to take Lance to the dance floor, and the prince was now looking at the alpha with concern painted over his face.

“Keith, is something wrong?” Despite the fact that Lance was showing clear concern over Keith, the knight couldn’t get out of his head. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Lance hadn’t told him- hadn’t trusted him with his romance with Allura. And how while Lance would marry Allura, and live his life alongside her, Keith would forever be stuck in the same state he was now. A lowly knight in love with the prince he could never have.

“Keith, what is going on,” Lance said more instantly, dragging Keith away from his thoughts. Keith turned to stare at Lance, his blue eyes boring into Keith’s. Keith searched them, hoping to find anything that somehow made him feel less agonizingly in love.

Lance stared back at him, determined but no less confused. Neither of them said anything, and just continued to stare. Keith didn’t know how much time went by, but the longer their silence went on, the more the alpha internally begged Lance to tell him that it wasn’t true. That what Keith saw in the hallway was a misunderstanding, and that Lance didn’t truly think so little of Keith to not tell him anything relating to his future. But with the extended silence, the more disappointment that rose up. 

Everything seemed to come back to Keith at once as the calling of Lance’s name made the prince break their eye contact to turn around and face the owner of the voice. Keith peered around Lance’s shoulders to see Allura waving him over, Romelle beside her.

Suddenly, like the spark of a flame, Keith realized that he couldn’t do it. No matter how much he loved Lance, he couldn’t stand here and watch as he and Allura fell in love. Watch them build a life together. As selfish as it may be, Keith knew that if he stayed here as he was, it would destroy him. 

Before Lance could even fully turn back around, Keith made his decision. “I am sorry your highness,” Keith said, trying to ignore Lance’s pout at the title, “but I must leave immediately. I have an emergency I must attend to.” Keith hated to lie to Lance, guilt bubbling up in his gut, but he needed to get out of there. Lance didn’t seem to believe him, and he grabbed Keith’s wrist. 

“Keith,” he said, pleading clear in his voice, “just tell me what’s wrong.”

For just a moment, Keith wanted to give in. He wanted to tell Lance everything, and pour his heart out. Even if it left him bleeding on the marble floors. But one look at Allura told him that the best thing he could do for Lance and himself was to leave.

So he hardened his expression and made sure that none of the hurt was showing. “Nothing is wrong, Blue,” he lied again, “I just need to leave.” He waved over a nearby guard. “Raluit can walk you to your rooms tonight.” Technically Keith didn’t have the authority to assign guards to different tasks, but being the brother of the captain resulted in most guards listening to his rule with very little opposition. Raluit nodded his head in understanding, but Lance clearly was not going to let this happen without a fight.

“Wait, Keith, what? This isn’t making any sense. You can’t just- you can’t just leave. At least not without telling me what’s wrong.” Lance tightened his hold on Keith’s wrist, and his pout transformed into a grimace, his lips laid out in a thin line to convey his displeasure at the situation.

Keith, however, didn’t even pause to take the prince’s expression in. He needed to leave now, and try to digest everything that he had learned tonight. 

“I am sorry, but I really must go.” Keith pulled his arm away from Lance’s hold, missing the contact almost instantly. He pushed through the urge to reach back out and began to walk towards the exit. Just as he made his first few steps, he heard Lance speak behind him in a small voice.

“Will I…I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

It was clear that Lance didn’t want it to be a question, but with how Keith was acting it couldn’t have been anything else. Keith ignored him and his sweet, but clearly distressing scent. He didn’t even know what the answer was.

And with that, Keith walked out the door, leaving the confused omega behind.

⋆★⋆

With a half empty bottle of whiskey and the dim glow of the fireplace, Keith dragged his pen across the parchment, eyes wet. Despite the tears and the already forming regret, the alpha didn’t stop himself from writing the first words of his letter.

Your Majesty,

I regret to inform you that I must leave my position as the guard to Prince Lance.

⋆★⋆

The days following Keith’s resignation were that of extreme discomfort. Shiro had been furious when he found out what Keith had done. He kept insisting that Keith had made a mistake, and that there was still time to talk to the king and queen to get his job back. Even as Keith explained what he heard and saw, Shiro insisted.

“So what if Lance is engaged! You are still the best shot at his protection. Are you really going to let your feelings put Lance’s life in danger?”

Keith understood Shiro’s perspective, but he couldn’t agree to go back to being Lance’s guard. He knew that through all the hurt he was experiencing, it would be worse if he was subjected to watching Lance and his alpha.

So Shiro was upset with him, refusing to even talk to Keith unless it was about Lance. Adam was choosing to stay out of it, but Keith could tell that the omega disapproved of his actions. Everytime Shiro would leave after another unsuccessful attempt at convincing Keith he made a mistake, Adam would just sigh and shake his head. The knight could tell that he wanted to say something, but he also knew that Adam must realize that anything he said would fall on deaf ears.

So the three of them lived in a house of unrest for the week following Keith quitting. Without a job, Keith was back to spending the days locked up in his room. He would spend his time wasting away, thinking about if he made the biggest mistake of his life. At night, he would rarely get any sleep. His nights were still haunted by nightmares, and Lance had begun to take appearances in them. Sometimes he was yelling or crying at Keith for leaving him. Other times Lance was dead and was blaming Keith for it. Or sometimes, Shiro or Adam would walk into his room to tell him that Lance was gone, and that it was all because he wasn’t there. No matter what it was, one thing was always the same: Lance was hurting because of Keith.

These dreams had become so common that Keith didn’t even register that he was actually being awoken by Shiro with Lance’s name on his lips.

“...up, Keith! Come on. You need to get to Lance!”

Keith took an embarrassingly long time to register his surroundings. While he used to be able to wake up and jump into battle in less than a few ticks, it was clear that his almost year away from battle had removed that skill. He blinked slowly and saw a frantic Shiro standing over his bed, his body illuminated by the glow of the moon shining through Keith’s windows.

“Shiro, what-” Keith slurred, trying to find his clock to see the time. The red glow of 2:13 flashed at him, and his attention turned back to his brother to figure out why he was waking him up at this ungodly hour.

Shiro wasn’t looking at Keith anymore and was insteading throwing Keith clean clothes from his closet. In watching Shiro’s clear panic, Keith suddenly bolted up from his bed and began to put on the clothes the other alpha had tossed towards him, knowing that whatever was making Shiro act this way must be important. 

Just as Keith pulled the shirt over his head, Shiro turned back to make eye contact with Keith, his face and voice grave with worry. Keith’s eyebrows grew pinched. “What is it Shiro,” he half yelled, nervousness growing with every passing second.

Shiro didn’t even take a tick before he was saying in quick words something that made Keith’s heart stop and blood grow cold.

“The castle is being attacked.”

Speaking the words seemed to remind Shiro that he was in a rush and he quickly stormed out of Keith’s room, the latter close behind. “What! What do you mean the castle is being attacked?”

“I-I don’t know, exactly,” Shiro explained as he grabbed his weapon and tied it to himself. “We don’t know who they are, although I imagine that they are rebels of some kind. All I know is that the castle is under siege, and we need to get there now.”

As Shiro finished scurrying around the room, his words sunk into Keith. Attack? At the castle? That meant that…

“Lance,” Keith breathed out in horror. Lance was in trouble- no. Lance was in danger . Lance was in life threatening danger and Keith needed to get to him.

With a speed that Keith hadn’t realized he possessed, the alpha found his knife turned sword and raced out the door with his brother. As they ran to the castle, Keith kept letting his bloody nightmares infiltrate his head. Visions of Lance hurt or dead swarmed him, and the knight struggled to push through them.

He’s not dead, he reminded himself. Lance is going to be fine because you are going to get to him before any of them do.

At these thoughts Keith only ran faster, adrenaline and fear coursing through him. Although it must have only been minutes, it felt like hours before Keith and Shiro reached the palace. As soon as they did, the two men gave each other a short, reassuring look, a silent plea to stay safe. They both nodded, and then made their descents into the fight. Keith didn’t stay to watch Shiro run towards the throne room. He was too busy making his own way to Lance’s chambers.

As soon as Keith entered the castle’s hallways, the attack was clear. Tapestries and paintings were torn to shreds, and broken furniture were in pieces along the floors. The worst part though were the bodies lining the halls. As Keith ran towards Lance, he forced himself not to stare too hard at the faces of the men and women that he passed. It was clear that there were more bodies of the attackers, their dirty robes a clear indication of which side they were on. But there were still an alarming number of once bright and clean guards lying there, eyes empty and coated in their own blood. Keith wanted to stop, the images too close to reminding him of his time on the front lines. He wanted to try and help the alpha’s still gasping for air, clearly on the brink of death, but that could possibly still be saved.

But Keith knew that stopping for even a moment could be the difference between life or death for Lance, and he couldn’t take that chance. So he powered through, running and maneuvering himself through the bodies and the battle. The closer he got to Lance’s room, the more dense the fighting became. He realized that the attackers were probably going for the royal family, and the thought sickened him. While he was the most concerned about his prince, he suddenly was very fearful for the rest of the family.

Keith grabbed his knife, watching as it grew into his sword, and began to slash his way through. He tried his best to avoid accidentally attacking any of the palace guards, but the lights were dim and the number of people made it difficult to recognize who was friend or foe. He swiped and slashed and stabbed, expertly avoiding getting hit himself. With a gasp, he felt a sharp pain near his shoulder, letting him know that he had been hit. Despite the pain, Keith kept going, the thought of Lance repeating in his head.

Eventually, he managed to get to Lance’s room, his shoulder now throbbing numbly. But as soon as he rounded the corner, Keith’s blood went cold.

Lance’s door was wide open.

And his nightly guard was dead on the ground.

Keith ran over and knelt down to the guard, confirming that he was dead. He cursed quietly, and moved his way inside the room. The knight’s eyes and movements frantic as he took in the surroundings. Lance’s room was just as trashed as the halls outside of it. His bed curtains were cut through, and his drawers were all pulled out, his clothes and jewelry strung out around the room. Keith’s heart hurt as he noticed that the omega’s nest had been destroyed as well, all of Lance’s blankets and fabrics cut up and strewn around the floor. Keith ran his eyes around the room, looking and searching for any sign of Lance. He opened up all the closet doors to no luck, and entered the adjoined room that was supposed to be his. The smaller empty room was also trashed, but there was no other sign that anyone had been in there.

Keith scoured and hunted for what felt like forever before he finally had to come to the conclusion that Lance wasn’t in there. He didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. Keith knew that this meant that Lance could have been kidnapped, but by assessing the scene, it didn’t look like Lance had been there. If he was, why had the attackers ransacked the room? If their goal was to hurt the royal families as Keith assumed, then they would have no reason to waste their time destroying the room. They would only do that if they couldn’t find what they were looking for.

They couldn’t find Lance.

That must mean that Lance was somewhere else in the castle. Keith never thought that he would praise the omega’s infinity for sneaking out, but in this instance, it might have saved his life. But now that caused another problem. Where the hell could Lance be?

“Think think think,” Keith whispered to himself, his panic making his mind fog. Where could he be?

As Keith looked around the room, his eyes caught on Lance’s walls. The beautiful galaxies stared back at him, and the knight’s eyes widened in realization.

The observatory.

Lance loved the observatory, and Keith knew that that was where we went when he needed to get away, but couldn’t actually leave the castle. And despite all the times Keith had insisted that it was dangerous for Lance to go there without protection during the night, the prince had always laughed him off, insisting that he was perfectly fine.

Without any more thought, Keith ran out of the room and raced towards the observatory. Both his mind and his alpha were screaming to get to Lance, and he pushed past his stinging arm and tired legs to run faster. Within moments Keith was at the observatory’s doors, and he didn’t hesitate to immediately force his way in. As soon as he was inside, his breath ragged from the exertion, he saw five bodies lying on the ground. Three were part of the attackers, but two were palace guards, their bodies littered in cuts and their throats slashed. Keith turned away from the grizzly image to see an alpha pressing something against the floor. Or rather someone.

It was as if time slowed the moment Keith saw Lance’s face. The prince was crying, but his face was still full of determination as he clawed at the man above him. His body was flailing, and he was clearly growing more exhausted and scared with every second that went by, but that didn’t seem to stop him from hitting the man anywhere that he could. Keith didn’t exactly know what had happened up to that point, but he knew that he had never been more proud or in love with Lance at the moment.

Without another second, Keith was coming up behind the omega’s attacker and sliced his sword right through his chest. The man let out a gasp of surprise, before letting out a deep groan as Keith pulled his blade back. As he did so, the man began to fall on top of Lance, but Keith grabbed him and shoved him away, making sure that his body wouldn’t be anywhere near the prince. 

It didn't seem to register to Lance that it was Keith who was in front of him and not another enemy because the younger man began to instantly scoot back away from him, his eyes half closed and blurry with tears. Keith could smell the distress that his scent was laced with, and tried to calmly make his way over to his omega.

“Please, pl- please don’t come any closer,” Lance pleaded, and Keith's heart broke at the pure fear that it was flooded with. Keith knelt down to grab Lance’s wrists, his arms up to block what he thought was an impending attack. Lance flinched and began to scream but Keith shushed him and tried to let out his own familiar scent. 

“Lance, it’s me. It’s Keith. You’re safe, I’m right here,” Keith said urgently, rubbing his fingers across Lance’s skin. It seemed to take a few ticks for Lance to digest what he had just heard, but as soon as he did, he opened his eyes and stared skeptically at the knight. “Keith,” he said shakily, eyes widening in realization. 

There was a moment, as if the world disappeared around them as the two stared at each other. Keith nodded his head, and felt tears of his own beginning to well up. “Yeah, I’m here, Blue. You’re safe.” Lance gave him a wet, wobbly smile and a sigh of relief before he launched himself in Keith’s arms. He latched on tightly around the knight, and Keith could do nothing but wrap his own arms around him.

Lance sobbed into Keith’s neck, and Keith could feel the tears leaking onto his skin, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was that his omega was safe in his arms. Keith hugged Lance tighter and let out his own sigh, thanking the gods for this moment. The knight began to mummer reassuring words to the prince, letting Lance know over and over that he was safe and that Keith had him.

Eventually Lance pulled away and Keith reluctantly let him. However, as Lance pulled his arms away, Keith kept his on Lance’s waist, grip tight and unforgiving. Once Lance’s face was far enough away so that the alpha could actually see him again, Keith tried to plan what he would say next. An apology was at the tip of his tongue, but so was the plan to get Lance to safety. The chance to say either was snatched away from him as he suddenly shoved back.

“You asshole ,” Lance yelled angrily, hands pressing against Keith’s chest to hit him. “You are such an absolute asshole! I can’t believe that you left me after you promised you wouldn’t. And then to show up here again and save me like nothing happened. I-” Lance had tears streaming down his angry face, emoticons flitting through his expression all at once. He paused for a moment to try and get his bearings before he continued to pummle Keith, smacking him after every word. 

“You. Are. Such. A. Knothead.”

Lance gave his final punch, and his hand seemed to collapse onto Keith as he looked down at his lap. It was clear that he wanted to hit Keith more, but the events of the night were catching up to him. The knight just stared, not being able to say or do anything during Lance’s short outburst. He didn’t know what he could say that would make anything better. 

As Keith tried to figure out how to respond, he heard a loud boom on the other side of the door, and was suddenly reminded of the battle that waged in the halls. Keith quickly realized that his explanation and trying to make Lance forgive him must come later. For now, he had to get the prince out of there.

“Listen to me Lance,” Keith said, grabbing the man’s wrists again and forcing Lance to look at him. “You can hit and curse me out all you want later. Gods know that I deserve it. But right now, we need to get you to a safe room.” Lance looked at him, his upset clear on his face, but he nodded solemnly. Keith nodded in return, trying to comfort both Lance and himself. He would get Lance to a safe room, and then they would be able to fix everything.

Keith stood and pulled Lance up on shaky legs. The omega’s hand was clutched in Keith’s, and the knight refused to let go as he began to drag Lance out of the observatory. Keith peaked his head out of the door and was relieved to see that most of the fighting had begun to retreat away from where they were. He knew that this meant that there were more attackers near the throne room, and his heart leapt with worry for Shiro and the rest of the royal family. But he couldn’t get lost in those feelings. His only focus was Lance.

“We need to keep quiet,” Keith whispered to Lance, who nodded and worked to dry the tears left on his cheek with his empty hand. As they pushed their way out of the room and into the bloody hallway, they began to make their descent to one of the castel’s many safe rooms.

Although the palace was heavily protected, both by manpower and technology, the threat of an attack in the castle was always there, especially during the war. As such, there were numerous safe rooms hidden around the castle. Keith knew about almost all of their locations, it being something that was required when he got hired as Lance’s guard. Luckily, Shiro was more than knowledgeable about them, and so Keith managed to learn their locations with ease.

He knew that the closest room to the observatory was over by the west wing, so Keith expertaly maneuvered him and Lance there. As they ran there, Keith’s eyes widened in horror at the scene. Bodies littered the floor, and the stench of blood and decay began to fester in every crevice, making the air around them feel hot and suffocating. Keith looked back at Lance to find the prince engulfing the scene in a similar manner, more tears running down his face. He didn’t falter in his steps, however, and Keith couldn’t help but be proud of him.

Keith was more than surprised when they reached the painting the room was hidden behind with no interference from anyone. The battle was still clearly going on, the anguished screams and sounds of metal clashing together a clear indicator, but it seemed like the gods were finally on their side. Before he could give an opportunity for anyone to take advantage of their defencelessness, Keith pushed back the painting to find the thick, metal door of the room. He inserted the code needed to get inside, watching in pure relief as the door opened wide. The alpha squeezed Lance’s hand as he pulled them inside, before finally letting go to push the door back shut, locking it again. Keith knew that the painting would automatically swing back, keeping their haven hidden from view. However, he also knew that now, the door could only be opened from the outside. It was a safety measure to ensure that some of the more rebellious people would be unable to escape and accidentally get themselves killed in case of an attack. And Keith knew that that was both him and Lance, so at the moment he was grateful that neither of them could do something stupid.

That being said, the alpha and omega were stuck together for the foreseeable future. Keith wanted to take this time to try and apologize to Lance. He knew now that leaving did nothing to quell his feelings, and only put Lance in more danger. Keith, more than anything, wanted to get rid of the expression on Lance’s face, and try to make everything okay again.

“We’re safe now,” Keith said simply, trying to be reassuring but falling flat even on his own ears. He took a brief glance around the small square room, taking note of the metal shelves that held food and drink items, as well as the small cots placed in the back. His eyes eventually settled back on Lance, and the air seemed to shift. Now that Lance was out of danger, it seemed to catch up to both of them the events that had occurred between them. Lance just looked down at his shoes, hands playing with those goddamn bracelets that somehow managed to stay on through the attack. Keith knew that he would have to be the first one to make a move, and also knew that that move had to be an apology.

“Listen, Lance, I’m sorr-”

“I don’t want to hear your sorrys,” Lance spat, whipping his head up to glare at Keith. “I want to know why. Why did you- why did you get so close to me, just to disappear without a trace?” Keith’s expression fell apart as he tried to come up with a suitable answer, but Lance wasn’t done. The omega began to stalk towards Keith, all while yelling at him, knowing that the safe room was soundproof and that he could be as loud as he wanted.

“I read your letter, Keith. When my parents told me that you had quit, I was hoping that it would tell me why. That there would be some secret code in it or something that would let me know why you had suddenly disappeared. But you know what I found,” Lance asked, pausing to take a deep breath before he exploded further. “Nothing! The whole letter was some exquisite bullshit that didn't tell me a single thing about why the only guard I have ever fully trusted decided to abandon me.”

Now that Lance was with arms reach, Keith could tell that the omega was shaking. His hands were curled up into fists, and they were vibrating rabidly. Keith wanted to reach out to try and steady the younger man, but he didn’t know if he would be allowed to, given how angry Lance seemed to be with him at the moment. 

“And then,” Lance continued, “you storm in here like a hero and save my life as if you didn’t quit the job that gave you the right to do that. You had no right!” 

As much as Keith knew that Lance had every right to be upset with him, that particular line set him off. He wasn’t in any position to be fighting with the prince right now, but the alpha couldn’t stop himself at rebutting Lance’s words.

“So what? You would have rather me let you die? Because that’s what would have happened if I didn’t get there when I did.” Keith didn’t mean to say it outloud, the truth being too much for both Lance and himself. “I could have lost you,” Keith yelled, his voice cracking. “I- I could have lost you,” he repeated vulnerably, growing quieter.

Lance stared at him, the weight of what happened -what was still happening- tonight coming back to him. His shaking intensified, as did his scent, and his breathing grew heavier. His reaction was something that Keith recognized from the front lines. It was the typical response to a soldier's first experience with the gruesomeness of battle. Clearly, Lance was feeling the same effects from the night of violence. This didn’t stop him from firing back though, much to Keith’s displeasure.

“But you already did, Keith. You left me ,” Lance emphasized. “What goal was that choice going to accomplish if not losing me forever.” Keith shook his head and shrugged defeatedly. “I thought-” he paused and tried to compose himself. This could not be how Keith told Lance about his feelings. Instead, he tried to tell him the closest version of the truth that he could. “I thought that it was what was best for you. I can’t exactly tell you why, but just know that I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, Blue.” Lance opened his mouth probably to refute this, but Keith didn’t let him. The alpha decided that he would face any consequence from his actions because he couldn’t take another tick of not holding Lance. Keith raised both his arms to put his hands onto Lance’s shoulders, trying to offer the omega some comfort to his shaky form.

“And I know that I ended up hurting you anyways. But I promise you that for as long as you will have me, I will never do anything to hurt you again.” Keith knew that he needed to be honest with Lance, or as honest as he could be without ruining the current atmosphere. “I care about you so much, Lance. Probably more than you even realize. I felt my heart stop when I realized that you weren’t in your room. And when I saw that man standing over you I- fuck baby, I’ve never been more terrified in my life. I don’t know what I would have done if I had been even a few seconds too late.” Keith’s hands migrated from Lance’s shoulders, one leading down to his waist while the other came up to caress his neck, thumb gliding over Lance’s smooth tear-slicked skin.

“So I promise you that I will spend the rest of my life watching over you if you take me back. I would do anything if it meant I could ensure your safety.” Keith swallowed thickly before speaking again. “Or, if you want, you will never have to see me again. Because even though I want you to be safe with me, and want you to want me, I would do anything for you to make you happy. Even give up my own happiness.” 

His confession was dangerously close to the truth, but Keith couldn’t find it in himself to care at the moment. All that mattered was Lance, who was now looking at Keith’s blurry eyes with reverence, his own eyes creating more tears. He was silent, however, and Keith grew nervous. He began to retract his hand from the prince’s neck, but Lance’s stopped him, his own shaky hand covering the knight’s.

“Of course I want you, you idiot,” Lance said, his other hand moving to wrap around Keith’s shoulder. “I’ll always want you.” Keith tried to remember that Lance was only speaking about him being his guard, but his stomach flipped anyways, heart warming at the prince’s words. Keith desperately wanted to kiss Lance. To use the kiss to convey everything that he both did and did not say. But he knew that now wasn’t the right moment. Lance was more than emotional, and Keith himself was not in the best place either. Besides, the whole reason for Keith quitting in the first place was still at play. But Lance’s engagement was something that Keith would need to work through later. Right now, the most important thing was that Lance was alive and in his arms.

Keith didn’t know how long they stood there for. The world seemed to fall away, and nothing that was happening outside of the safe room’s doors mattered. Eventually, however, their surroundings began to rebuild themselves. Keith could feel how Lance was still quivering under his hand, and Keith himself began to extend his worry for the people still stuck outside in the attack.

Almost as if Lance could read his mind, he let out a worried whisper. “Oh gods, my parents. My siblings.” The omega’s breath began to pick up, something that Keith was surprised could even happen given how heavy it was before. “Silvio and Nadia. Allura. Fuck- Keith. What if- what if-” He was getting more and more hysterical and Keith did his best to calm him. “I’m sure they're fine, Lance. Everyone in this palace is here to make sure that they are safe.” 

Even as he said the words, Keith’s mind flashed back to Lance’s ransacked room and the dead guards on the ground. Lance must have been able to pick up his hesitation because he began to hyperventilate. Keith tried to calm him down, reminding Lance over and over that they would be safe, but nothing seemed to work. Eventually, the knight noticed how much Lance’s eyelids fluttered and how his distreasted movements seemed to grow more and more woozy and fluid with each passing second. Keith knew that Lance wouldn’t be happy with what he was going to tell him, but there was only one explanation for how Lance was reacting. And with the added trauma of tonight, along with their brief fight, it was clear that Lance’s inner omega was working to try and keep him safe.

“Lance,” Keith started calmly, “I think you are dropping.”

Lance reacted the same way he had when Keith had told him he was going into heat, which was to completely deny it and insist that it wasn’t possible. But even as he did so, the prince grew more and more docile. His blinks grew slower and his scent became more distressed, offering a clear indicator to what Lance needed at the moment.

Lance eventually seemed to accept that he was entering a drop, although he certainly wasn’t happy about it, and let Keith lead him to the set up cots. Keith had never dealt with an omega entering a drop before, but he knew that it was best that they felt protected and comfortable to keep them as safe as possible.

Omega’s only dropped when they were experiencing something that was causing too much stress to their bodies and mind. It was a protected measure that forced them to enter a sleep-like state to allow time for the event to pass and the omega to properly process it. However, sometimes a drop came at a time when an omega was not able to fully be protected, causing even more damage to the person. Everything Keith knew about drops told him that to create the best chance for an omega to come out of one relaxed and healed was for them to be guided by their mate. However, with Lance being unmated, Keith knew that his best chance was for an alpha to try and settle him into the drop, allowing his body full levels of comfort and safety through the soothing pheromones that the alpha could release.

When they made it to the other side of the room, Keith pushed two of the small cots together to give them both enough room. He then gently sat Lance down, urging him to lay down and get comfortable. As Lance situated himself, Keith moved to remove his knife from his belt before setting it down on the floor next to him, making sure that he would be able to easily grab it in case anyone managed to get in. Once he had determined that he would be able to protect Lance in the worst case, the knight then sat down on the blanket himself. He propped himself in an upright position against the wall, once again making sure that he was as close to battle ready as possible. As soon as he situated he turned to find Lance looking at him with hooded eyes.

“I’m going to scent you, okay sweetheart,” Keith said, wanting to get Lance’s permission before he did so. The amount of times Keith had to deal with a not all there Lance was getting ridiculous, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything. He just wanted to make sure to actually get Lance’s consent before he did anything this time.

Lance, thankfully, nodded his head and shuffled so that he was pressed up against Keith, giving the knight easy access to his bare neck. Keith didn’t wait for anymore prompting before he began to graze his nose against the omega’s jaw. This position was by far one of the most intimate ones the two men had been in, and Keith had to refrain from peppering soft kisses down Lance’s neck. He worked his hardest to provide a calming scent for Lance, and the prince’s overwhelmed scent began to mix with Keith’s, growing into something resembling the scent of a beachside bonfire.

To try and relax the man further, Keith brought his right hand up and placed it into Lance’s hair before beginning to gently comb through it. The omega let out a soft hum of delight, and Keith pulled away slightly to see his eyes flutter shut. Whether it was due to the drop or just overall exhaustion, Keith didn’t know, but he didn’t waste another second questing it. He resumed his ministrations against Lance’s scent glands, almost whining himself as he brushed past Lance’s untouched mating spot.

Keith had been worried that his own panic and concern for Shiro and the events of the knight would seep into his scent and cause Lance even more fear, but the omega seemed to relax into Keith’s body. Keith began to whisper to the prince, both as a way to calm Lance down and himself.

“You’re safe, Blue. I’ve got you. Everything is going to be okay, baby.” He repeated these words, almost as a mantra, urging Lance to drift down into the darkness. He glided his hand down Lance’s hair, pulling his head back up to watch the omega. Lance’s Altean markings seemed to begin to glow, but quickly dimmed down again as Lance drifted off. Within minutes, Lance’s breathing evened out and it was clear that he dropped. Keith almost would have thought that he was just asleep, but it was clear that both his mind and body had gone somewhere safer. The prince didn’t move a single muscle, and the only sound coming from him were the soft huffs of his breath.

Not wanting to keep both of them in an uncomfortable position, Keith moved Lance down further, allowing the prince to fully lay down and spread out. Keith placed Lance’s head in his lap, letting his legs serve as a pillow for the prince, and to allow Keith to keep him close. Keith didn’t stop running his fingers through his hair, and he continued to whisper to him, even though he knew that at this point Lance couldn’t hear him. Because of this fact he decided to tell Lance everything that he had been keeping to himself. He talked about how beautiful he looked when they first met, and how equally infuriating he had been. Keith revealed how much he had been secretly falling for him, and how he didn’t even realize how much one person could affect someone until the knight had met him. And finally, Keith whispered those three little words that at this point he had only ever said in his head.

“I love you.”

⋆★⋆

Keith didn’t know how long they were stuck in the safe room. He knew that it couldn’t have been for more than a few hours, but the time seemed to crawl by slower than slow.

Lance was still under the effects of his drop, but that wasn’t necessarily surprising. Keith had heard somewhere that drops could last for five minutes or sometimes five days. He doubted that Lance would be under for that long, but given the highly traumatic events the prince endured over the past few hours, it was likely that he wouldn’t emerge anytime soon.

Keith had spent his time talking to Lance before eventually drifting off into a silent state. He desperately tried to stay awake, wanting to be conscious so that he could protect Lance. The odds that the enemy would be able to break into the room were slim, but even the thought of someone finding the two men, especially with Lance in such a vulnerable state, made Keith work his hardest to not fall asleep. Unfortunately, Keith’s body was already pushing the extremes. He had only gotten about three hours of fitful sleep before Shiro woke him up, and deep down he knew that even if someone did come in, he wouldn’t be able to do much given his state of exhaustion.

Eventually Keith knew that he had to give in. The knight let himself drift off, but not before making sure that he would still be able to reach his knife in case of an emergency. Darkness covered over him, and he went into it easily.

Keith didn’t know how long he had been asleep, but when he woke up, everything around the room looked the same. Lance remained still in his arms, and the lights to the room offered a slight flicker. It was only when he woke up that Keith began to feel the effects of the battle. His muscles were aching and his arm from where he had been cut was starting to hurt, all the earlier adrenaline wearing off. He should have taken care of it the moment they had gotten into the safe room, but Lance had thoroughly distracted him from it.

The alpha didn’t want to separate from Lance, who was still placed on top of his lap, but the pain was becoming too much too quickly. Matched with the blood that Keith could feel dripping down his arm, he knew that he needed to at least put a bandage on it.

With a wince, Keith moved Lance’s head onto the thin mattress underneath them and moved towards the selves that had different survival items. It took him a moment to find the first aid kit, his eyes searching for it between the canned food and bottles of water. Eventually he found the bright red little box and began to rummage around to find the alcohol wipes and gauze.

Keith pulled down the collar of his shirt to find the cut. It definitely looked worse than he thought it was, and knew that he would definitely need stitches. Keith did his best to wipe down the cut with gritted teeth, his alpha letting out soft growls at the sting. As soon as he wiped away most of the blood that directly surrounded the cut, he began to wrap the bandage around his arm. Muscle memory began to kick in, his time on the frontlines making him extremely familiar with tending to one’s wound.

Once his arms were thoroughly wrapped, blood already beginning to seep through it, Keith started to investigate the rest of the provisions on the shelves. Besides the different canned beans and soups, there were also some crackers and bread that was no doubt genetically modified so as not to get stale. Keith knew that when Lance eventually woke up he would be hungry, and so he tried to find some things that he would like. Keith should probably eat himself, but the thought of trying to scarf anything down seemed too unappealing, so he ignored the slight growl of his stomach and continued to pillage the cabinet.

Suddenly, Keith heard a click behind him and a rush of air as the door to the room creaked open. Keith’s blood went cold, his instant thought being that the attackers had found them. With lightning speed Keith ran over to Lance’s unconscious form and picked his knife up off the ground, brandishing the now long sword towards the invader.

Keith narrowed his eyes and entered a battle stance as he faced the unfamiliar woman that had walked in. She was Altean, but she wasn’t wearing a uniform for either of the royal families. Keith moved to stand directly in front of Lance, preparing himself for a fight. However, the woman only smiled and raised her hands up in the air, signifying that she wasn’t there to hurt him. 

“Captain, I found them,” she yelled and looked over her shoulder. Keith didn’t take his eyes off of her until he saw Shiro enter the room, relief clear on his face. Keith let his own body slump in relief, lowering his sword to embrace his brother. 

“Thank the gods,” Shiro said, squeezing Keith’s body. Keith squeezed him back, thankful that the older alpha didn’t seem to be hurt. They hugged for a few moments before Keith eventually began to pull away. “Okay, okay, you’re suffocating me.” Keith laughed as he said it and Shiro returned his own laugh as he apologized and let go. As they pulled away, Shiro’s gaze caught on Keith’s bandaged arm and he looked up at the younger man in concern. Keith brushed him away. “I’m okay, really. It was just a scratch. I’ll probably need stitches, but it’s nothing serious.” Shiro didn’t seem to believe him, but before he could say anything else his gaze caught on Lance, who was still unconscious on the cot.

Shiro must have been able to tell that the prince wasn’t just simply sleeping because his eyebrows pinched together and he offered a solemn glance at Keith. “Is he…”

He trailed off, almost not wanting to know the answer, but Keith was quick to reassure him. “No, no he’s not.” Keith swung his head back to look down at Lance’s form. “He’s just dropped. He’s been under for a couple of hours, I’m guessing. I don’t actually know how long we’ve been down here. But he should be fine when he comes back up.” Keith tried not to let his own fear about Lance being under show in his voice.

Shiro nodded his head, almost like he was trying to reassure himself that the prince was fine. While watching him, Keith quickly asked the next important question. “Is everyone- I mean- how's the rest of them?”

Shiro let out a deep breath but smiled and said cheerly, “Everyone’s alive. From both royal families. It’s a miracle. Prince Marco and Princess Rachel got caught in the cross hairs slightly, but they are the only ones that needed medical attention. They are in the Altean pods as we speak.” Keith nodded his head, relief flooding him for Lance, knowing that the prince’s family was safe. He also forgot about the magical seeming pods that the Altean’s used to heal people. They didn’t have any on the battlefield, so Keith was used to having his injuries heal the old fashioned way. But he probably would be able to use one to clean up his cut and could be up and out in a few vargas. Unfortunately, he knew the pods wouldn’t do anything for Lance. Because he wasn’t hurt and only in a drop, they would have to wait for him to resurface with patience and time.

“The attack has been over for hours,” Shiro continued. “It looks like it was a group of King Limrik’s supporters,” he said gravely. Keith gave him a confused look. “I didn’t even know he still had supporters?” Shiro nodded his head in agreement. “Us either, but we do now. We managed to either kill, capture, or run out any of the attackers. We plan to integrate the few we managed to imprison to try and find out how many are out there. My guess is that they were the only group that was trying to kill both of the royal families. They failed miserably though, even if they did manage to kill a lot of our own. Like I said, everyone in the family survived, including the ones from the north. We have all the counts there. The only one we were missing was Prince Lance.”

Keith nodded his head, mulling over what Shiro had just shared. Keith was sure that Shiro would be able to get information out of the rebels they had captured soon enough, and that the royal family would be able to make necessary preparations to make sure an attack like this wouldn’t happen again. Now, though, Keith needed to get Lance to his room and get himself in a pod. 

Keith moved to scoop Lance up in a bridal style position, his arms and legs laying down limply. He ignored the pain in his arm as he did so, knowing that his alpha wouldn’t let anyone else but him touch the omega right now. He explained that to Shiro when he offered to help, and the other alpha looked at him knowingly before moving to help open up the door further for him, the female guard following them as they made their way out.

Slowly, Keith made his way towards Lance’s room. He knew that it was still likely trashed, but that the omega would want to wake up surrounded by his things, even if they were broken, rather than the clean white walls of the medical wing. When he pushed open the door to Lance’s chambers Keith was surprised to find everything to look the way it had before the attack, all the broken wood and glass shards gone.

“We’ve had maids start to come into all the rooms and clean them up,” Shiro explained, somehow reading Keith’s mind. He didn’t say anything else, and Keith didn’t offer a verbal answer. Instead, the alpha moved to lay Lance down on his bed, pulling back the covers to tuck him in. It took a few moments, with Keith working to make sure Lance would be comfortable when he eventually woke up. Once Lance was settled, the knight couldn’t help but stare at him, trying to commit him to memory. 

Keith let out a deep breath before moving to face Shiro. “I’m going to need a pod for my arm. Or any kind of medical attention really. Just something that will get me back here healed as soon as possible.” Shiro nodded and answered simply, “A pod then.” Keith returned the nod before giving one last glance towards Lance. “And I want at least three guards here until I come back. And we need an omega nurse to come to check on Lance’s vitals to make sure that he is really okay.”

Luckily Shiro didn’t fight him on any of his requests, even though he knew that the palace staff was surely stretched thin right now. Instead, he steadied his gaze with Keith’s and gave him a reassuring look. “Keith, I promise I will make sure that he is taken care of. Right now, you need to get your arm looked at and try to get some rest, okay.” Keith wanted to argue against the ‘rest’ part, but he knew that Shiro was right. But he also knew that if they did put him in a pod, he would get a few hours of sleep there. The remainder of his rest could be spent beside Lance, which is exactly where Keith planned to spend all his time in the coming days.

⋆★⋆

Keith had been right about the pod. When he arrived at the medical wing, the doctors quickly sent him to one of the few remaining pods left, assuring him that he would be out in just a couple of hours. Keith dutifully changed into the gray bodysuit they gave him, wincing as he pulled it around his now unbandaged arm, and then stepped into the cold chamber. As the doors closed in on him, he only had a few seconds before a cool gas flew over him. He breathed it in deeply, and let his eyes flutter shut.

The next thing Keith knew he was falling into the arms of a nurse. It felt like no time had passed, the only indicator being the darkness outside, letting Keith know that it was night time once again. The beta nurse quickly assessed his vitals before giving him a fresh new change of clothes, which were no doubt from Shiro. Keith changed into them in silence, mulling over about a thousand questions. What time was it? Had they already had a debrief about the attack? Was Lance awake yet?

That last one was the most important. As Keith handed back the gray pod uniform to the nurse, and stopped her from leaving, the beta already moving on to the next pod. 

“Excuse me?”

The nurse turned back to him, confusion clear on her face, but she answered him pleasantly. “Yes, sir?” Keith hated the title, but he chose to ignore it, too focused on finding out what he needed to know.

“Do you know if Prince Lance has come out of his drop yet?” It must have been something about the way he asked, or maybe it was because she knew who he was, because the nurse looked back at him with pity. “No, I’m sorry, sir. His highness has not awoken yet.” Keith looked down, dejected, but thanked her. She smiled sadly back at him before walking away, leaving Keith alone to his thoughts. 

He knew that he should probably check in with Shiro. Let him know that he was okay and figure out what was going on with the investigation. But Keith also knew that the only place he was going to be now was beside Lance, and that if Shiro needed to talk to him, he would know where to find him.

Keith began his descent to Lance’s room, finding out that it was only around eight o’clock at night. In his preparations to get into the pod, Keith found out that he and Lance had been in the safe room for around ten hours, with Keith being asleep for longer than he thought. The attack as a whole lasted for most of the morning, but was luckily finished by the time the sun was fully risen. As soon as the castle had been deemed secure, the safe rooms had been immediately opened. The reason it took so long for them to find Keith and Lance was because of their location. The safe rooms nearest to the royal’s bedchambers were opened first, and that was where most of the royal family had been found. However, the rooms that were closest to Lance’s had been empty and the panic had ensued. 

Luckily the guards made quick work of getting all the rooms opened, so the news of Lance being alive and safe spread around as soon as the door had been unlocked. However, Keith didn’t know what had happened during his time in the pod. Other than the fact that Lance had yet to wake up, he knew nothing.

As Keith rounded the corner to Lance’s room, he saw four guards positioned outside of the door. The sight gave him a rush of relief, feeling better already by knowing that Lance was well protected. They gave him a nod of acknowledgement as the knight approached, which he silently returned. Keith moved to wrap his hand around the knob of Lance’s door, and pushed it open with a deep breath, expecting to be greeted with the depressing image of Lance unconscious on his bed.

What he didn’t expect was the see was the queen to be sitting on Lance’s bed, her hand brushing over Lance’s hair. Keith maybe shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was. She was Lance’s mother after all. But because she was also the queen, Keith didn’t often think about her in the same way as he usually thought about parents.

Queen Nancy looked up at Keith, who was standing shocked in the doorway. The light from the hallway spilled into the dim room, illuminating Keith’s form. He began to back out of the room, face flushing at being caught staring. 

“I can come back later,” Keith said quietly, moving his left foot out the door. The queen shook her head and smiled at Keith, beckoning for him to come into the room. “No, no. Please, Keith, come in.” Keith did not necessarily want to, preferring to just go wait outside until she was done, but he couldn’t exactly say no to her. He realized that one of the guards outside must be for her, and that they would definitely notice if Keith tried to slip back out. And of course, her being his queen made any want to reject her not matter. If she asked him to stay, then he must stay.

Keith slowly made his way further into the room, closing the door behind him, and stood awkwardly next to Lance’s bed, gazing down at the prince and his mother. Lance looked peaceful where he was laying, but Keith still felt his heart clench at the physical proof that Lance hadn’t come out of his drop yet. He had been hoping that Lance would emerge while he was in the pod, but it seemed like the gods were once again against him. As Keith drew closer, the queen stopped her repetition of brushing back Lance’s hair, and shuffled on the bed so that she could face Keith. 

“I want to thank you for saving my son's life.” Queen Nancy said it so earnestly that it made Keith flush in embarrassment. He didn’t deserve her thanks. Because of him, Lance was left unprotected. Because of him, Lance could have died. Keith was the last person she should be thanking.

He expressed this immediately, the guilt clawing up his throat. “Please,” Keith said hastily, “don’t- don’t thank me.” The queen must have been able to tell what Keith was thinking because she frowned and ran her gaze over Keith’s body. They stared at each other for a moment, silence clouding over them. Just as Keith was about to apologize to her, Queen Nancy offered him a sad smile and took in a deep, calming breath.

“I cannot begin to imagine what your life has been like,” Queen Nancy started, catching Keith by surprise for the second time that night. “From what Captain Shirogane has told my husband and I, you did not have the easiest upbringing. And although I am proud that you decided to make Southern Altea your home, I know that living here has also been a struggle. I am grateful for your service during the war, but I know that it couldn’t have been easy.” 

Keith was looking down at the ground, not knowing how to respond to the queen’s sudden detailed report of his life. What exactly had Shiro told them? And why was the queen choosing to bring it up now? Before he could ask, however, the beta continued her speech.

“I also can’t understand why you decided to leave your job here so suddenly.” These words caused Keith to lift his head back up and stare nervously at the queen, his guilt once again clear on his face. He took a step forward, almost involuntarily, and he tried to defend himself. “Your majesty, I-” but the queen just held her hand up, indicating for him to stay silent. He closed his mouth as she said, “No, please don’t speak. I don’t need to hear your reasoning as to why you left. I don’t need to know.” Keith took in a breath, figuring that this is where he was going to be yelled at for his stupidity and unprofessionalism.

Instead, Queen Nancy’s voice became choked as she spoke, tears beginning to fill her eyes. “All I know is that if it wasn’t for you, my son would be dead.” She looked back over at Lance, her gaze softening as she grabbed Lance’s hand, before swinging her head back to Keith. “You saved Lance’s life. Despite your resignation, and all the factors that went into that decision, you risked yourself to bring my boy to safety. That is a debt that I can never repay.”

“I would do it a thousand times over,” Keith said quickly, forgetting himself for a moment. “Anything to make sure that he was safe.” 

Keith blushed as soon as he realized the implications found within his words, but the queen didn’t seem to mind. She just smiled fondly at him, and nodded her head. “That’s what I thought,” she said simply. They stared at each other for just a moment, a mutual understanding passing between them. Despite Keith’s unprompted quitting, he cared more about Lance than anything else in the world.

Queen Nancy squeezed Lance’s hand before letting go. She rose from the bed and addressed Keith again. “As much as I want to stay to watch over him, I must go check on my other children. Can it be expected that you will stay with Lance?” Even though it was phrased as a question, Keith knew that the queen must already know the answer. He nodded sternly. “Of course, your majesty. Of course.” Keith offered her a bow as she walked to where he stood on the other side of Lance’s bed. Just before she reached the door, Queen Nancy paused and looked back at Keith.

“You have proven how much you care about my son today, Keith. And while my eyes may not be as good as they used to be, I can see that he cares deeply for you as well.” Keith gave her a perplexing look, his blush rising as she smiled. “Most people make mistakes once or twice in their lives, Keith. It’s what makes us people. But it is important not to let those mistakes or regrets cloud your future. Not many people get a second chance,” she said simply, her words stern but not unkind. “You do. Don’t waste it.”

Queen Nancy reached for the door and pulled it open, the light from the hallway spilling into Lance’s room once again. She gave Lance one last look on the bed, the omega still unmoving, before exiting the room and shutting the door behind her. Keith just watched her leave, neither of them offering another word to each other. But as Keith rounded the corner of the bed to take the spot the queen had just been, he let the words slip out, as if he had no control of his own mouth. They were whispered into the prince’s skin as Keith grabbed onto Lance’s hand, bringing it up so that the alpha could kiss the top of it.

“I promise, Lance. I promise I won’t waste our second chance.”

⋆★⋆

Keith spent the night awkwardly placed next to Lance’s bed. After sitting and staring at Lance for who knows how long on his actual bed, Keith eventually pulled the chair from Lance’s vanity over to the bedside. The knight collapsed onto the chair, and then resumed his watchful, protected gaze over Lance. At one point Shiro had come in to check on both Keith and Lance, making sure that his brother was taking care of himself even as Lance lay dormant. He had dropped off some food, something Keith was more than grateful for. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he caught the waft of food in Shiro’s hands. The alpha had taken it greedily and scarfed it down, all while talking about his worries for Lance having still not emerged from his drop.

Shiro, as the big brother he was, comforted Keith, explaining how Lance hadn’t even been under the drop for 24 hours, and that he was sure to come out of it soon. Keith nodded his head in understanding, but that didn’t make him feel better. He knew everything that was going on was normal, but he still felt like Lance was going to die any second. Now that Keith was able to digest everything that had happened, his worry and protectiveness increased more than he thought it even could. And it didn’t help that at this stage, the knight couldn’t do anything to help. He just had to wait and hope that Lance would wake up soon. Keith felt powerless.

Part of Keith wondered why nobody had tried to bring in Allura yet. Even if they weren’t mated, everything Keith had seen up to that point indicated that Allura was Lance’s alpha. They were engaged for fucks sake, something that made Keith feel bitter everytime he thought about it. It was the reason he quit his job after all, and now that the immediate danger was gone, Keith was slowly remembering that fact (and the pain).

But regardless of Keith’s feelings towards the matter, he was still confused as to why Allura wasn’t here trying to bring Lance out of his drop. He knew that she hadn’t been by while he was in the pod. The guards that were stationed outside had confirmed with him that the only visitors Lance had gotten were members of his family, Shiro, and a few nurses and doctors here and there. No Allura in sight.

Keith knew that physically the princess was unharmed. She had been brought to a safe room almost immediately once the attack was realized. Romel had been in the adjacent room and didn’t hesitate to grab Allura and help bring the rest of the Northern Alteans to safety. Now, Keith knew, probably more than anyone, that battle scars didn’t have to be physical. Keith was dealing with mental scars that may never heal, and as much as he wanted to write Allura off, he couldn’t fault her if she was facing her own trauma as a result of the attack.

Still, Keith also knew from experience that when your omega was in danger, that was the only thing that you could think about. It was all consuming. And because Lance had dropped, his best chance to come out was for his alpha to work him out of it. And so for Allura not to visit Lance at all, not even to check if he was okay, rubbed Keith the wrong way. Why was Allura not more concerned? Did she not understand how lucky she was to have Lance’s affections?

Perhaps Keith’s anger at…well the world was making him be unfairly upset with the princess. But why was he sitting in a giant, ornate chair hunched over Lance’s bed while Lance’s supposed alpha was nowhere to be found. Well, Keith knew why he was sitting there. But if Allura was marrying Lance then shouldn’t she be just as in love with Lance as he was. Although even the thought of them actually being in love with each other stirred something ugly within Keith. But that was never going to be something that Keith could fully accept, so he tried not to overthink it too much.

Despite Keith’s beliefs, Allura never came that night. Keith fell asleep holding Lance’s hand, half on the bed and half in the dragged over chair. His arm was angled uncomfortably, and his back was definitely going to hurt when he woke up, but he wasn’t going to trade his spot for anything. As Keith let himself drift off to sleep, he offered Lance’s hand one last squeeze, trying to remind himself Lance was okay and would wake up soon.

⋆★⋆

In what felt like no time at all Keith was waking up again. Keith supposed that he should be grateful that he didn’t have any nightmares, but his whole body ached and sagged as if he hadn’t gotten any sleep at all.

His sense came back to him slowly, the heaviness of his eyelids keeping his eyes shut as he slowly woke up. First he placed the smell of starfruit, his head still laying down on the prince’s blankets. The scent comforted him and eased him into consciousness. He could feel Lance’s hand still clutched in his, and could hear the slight hum of the prince’s fan. But as Keith became more aware of his surroundings, he realized that the fan wasn’t the only thing humming. Someone was singing, soft and low. Keith couldn’t quite make out the words,  his head still fuzzy due to his exhaustion, but he knew that it sounded pretty. He knew that he didn’t want it to stop. The alpha began to sink back into the pillowy sleep, head leaning into the hand carding through his hair.

Wait.

Keith sat up with a jolt and hanked his hand out of Lance’s before becoming face to face with a shocked Lance. The omega’s eyes and mouth were opened wide and the hand that was in Keith’s hair was now hanging in the air, movement halted. The both looked at each other with surprise for a moment. Lance’s surprise was clearly because of Keith’s sudden movements, his singing stopped and his chest offering laboring breaths. Keith’s, however, was because-

“You’re awake.”

It wasn’t the most elegant thing Keith had ever said, and he internally cringed at it. Of course Lance was awake, you idiot, his mind scolded him, he is sitting right in front of you. But Lance didn’t seem to care about the knight's stupidity because he just offered Keith a delicate smile and let his hand drop to the mattress. 

“Yeah,” Lance said simply, matching Keith’s words in their simplicity. They looked at each other for another moment in silence, the air around them growing thick. Lance, despite pliable appearance, still seemed to be a little nervous. He brought his other hand to twist around the wrist of the hand that was in Keith’s hair, no doubt missing his usual comfort bracelets. Why was he always nervous around Keith? Didn’t he know that Keith would never judge him for anything?

Keith didn’t let himself get too caught up in trying to analyze what was wrong with the prince now because he was too focused on the fact that Lance was awake. And that he was okay. Before Lance could even take another breath, Keith launched himself into Lance’s arms. It surprised Lance and the omega let out an ‘ompf’ of shock, but he embraced Keith nonetheless. Their position was a little awkward due to Keith forgetting that half his body was still placed in the vanity chair he fell asleep in and Lance being so tightly packed into his sheets, but they made it work. Keith’s face was pressed up against Lance’s neck and his arms were wrapped around the prince’s waist. Lance’s arms made their way around Keith’s shoulders, and one of his hands pressed up against his hair again.

“I was so worried,” Keith murmured into Lance’s skin, his breath hot against the prince’s cool neck. Keith didn’t even realize that he was being more candid than usual. All he knew was that Lance had come out of his drop, after almost being killed, and Keith couldn’t handle pretending not to be as affected as he was. If everyone else had seen how much he cared for Lance, then Lance deserved to too.

Lance didn’t respond to Keith and the knight didn’t try to say anything else. He just wanted to soak up Lance being awake and alive. It seemed like Lance was thinking the same, because he slowly began to run his fingers through Keith’s hair again, brushing through it and slowly undoing any tangles he found. Keith had never had his hair touched like this, but he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed it. Whether it was because of the feeling of his hair being played with, or because it was Lance who was playing with it remained unclear. 

But it was probably the second option. Okay, it was most definitely the second option.

Keith let his eyes slip close, and he was sure that Lance did the same. The omega’s breathing began to even out from underneath Keith, his whole body growing calmer and more lax against his pillows and mattress. Keith didn’t know how long they stayed in that position. As usual, being with Lance made all concepts of time disappear. But eventually, despite how much he wanted to keep laying there in Lance’s arms, his muscles began to ache, begging for a release from their positions.

Keith gingerly pulled away and regretted it almost immediately as he felt the loss of Lance’s hands in his hair. As soon as he was no longer sitting on top of Lance, Keith pulled himself away from the chair, stretching out his limbs. The alpha ignored the way the chair scratched across the floor and instead moved his body to be sitting on Lance’s bed, one leg crossed up on the mattress with the other hanging down by the floor. Lance began to move too, his body twisting in his sheets as he attempted to sit closer to Keith, but the knight stopped him.

“Hey,” Keith said softly, “you need to rest.” Lance gave him an exasperated look and rolled his eyes. “I doubt that moving on my bed will send me to the medical wing.” It was said with his usual snark, indicating that he was closer to being okay than not. But despite his sass, the prince still stopped moving, leaning back onto his pillows once more. Keith took that opportunity to grab onto Lance’s hand again, not caring about the possible repercussions. They had already crossed so many boundaries, Keith was sure that simply holding hands was the least offensive thing on the list.

Once Lance’s hand was securely in Keith's, the knight spoke as thumb slid across the top of the brown skin in soothing motions. “When did you wake up?” Lance looked at him and shrugged. “Probably about an hour ago, I don’t know.” Lance’s voice was quiet and smooth as he spoke, the last remaining bits of his drop likely clinging to him. “It was strange at first. It took me a while to realize where I was and what had happened. But…” He trailed off and looked away embarrassed for a second, his usual blue markings growing pink around the edges. Keith offered his hand a quick squeeze in support and Lance turned back, finishing his thought with a whisper. “But, it was like I could tell that you were trying to pull me out. I could…I could smell your scent and feel your hand in mine.” Lance squeezed Keith’s hand back and flexed his fingers. “It was like you were calling me back.” Keith could help but give a small smile as he felt his stomach swoop at the indication. What Lance was describing was what alpha’s did to bring their omega’s out of drop. Keith knew that Lance couldn’t possibly see Keith as his alpha, especially with Allura involved, but Keith did fill in for the alpha role during the event. It was likely that Lance’s omega just saw Keith as the safest alpha because he helped him enter the drop, meaning that he was the safest to get him out. He explained that to Lance who just nodded and shrugged again, insisting that Keith’s theory made sense. Keith tried not to notice how sad Lance looked at the thought, no doubt not liking that he mistook another alpha as his. 

Silence laid over them again, as it often does, but this time Lance was quick to break it. “What,” he croaked out, his voice suddenly sounding frail, “what happened? During the attack? To my family?” He clearly was terrified of the answer, and Keith suddenly felt terrible for not immediately telling him the events of the previous day.

“Everyone’s alright,” Keith said quickly, not wanting to cause anymore unnecessary stress to the omega. “Nobody from either royal families died or were seriously injured. Marco and Rachel both got a little caught in the violence, but they went into one of the pods and are already out. They’re fine.” Lance closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh before offering a shaky laugh. “Oh thank the gods,” he said as he opened his eyes again. “I was so afraid that someone…” Lance trailed off again, clearly not even wanting to think about what could have happened. Keith wanted to point out that it almost happened to him, but he knew that it could be a scolding topic for another day. Despite Lance’s drop, he was still clearly exhausted and deserved to get some rest. However, Keith knew that he would have to finish his debrief of the attack first.

The knight spent the next few minutes explaining everything that he had learned from Shiro about the attackers. Who they were and what they thought they were after. Lance had followed along seriously, asking questions and offering comments here and there. The omega had gotten quite angry when he realized that Keith had been injured and didn’t tell him, insisting that “you could have died, mullet.” Keith was quick to reassure him though, telling him about how the pod had fixed him right up. Keith then told him about how his mother had visited him, and how once Lance was feeling up to it, Keith could call in the rest of his family to visit. Keith also talked about how Allura hadn’t been to see him yet, expecting Lance to be upset or sad, but surprisingly the omega was calm about it. He reasoned that she was probably dealing with her own feelings from the attack, and that it hadn’t even been a full 48 hours yet. Keith had agreed, although he found Lance’s attitude a bit off putting. When Lance was sick a few weeks ago, he had gotten irate when Keith didn’t come to “mourn over him” by his bedside. How could he be so okay with his alpha not coming to see him, especially when he had been in drop? Keith wanted to ask him, but Lance began to fire more questions about the attack, and focused on asking about the attackers themselves. He had volunteered himself to help integrate the captured rebels, insisting that they weren’t going to be allowed to break into his home and get away with it. Keith had rolled his eyes at his heroism and offered an insulting quip in response, but he was secretly in awe of how much determination Lance had. The prince was no doubt shaken severely by the attack, especially if he felt even half of what Keith was feeling, but he still remained strong. Keith was constantly impressed by the prince. Lance always had Keith on his toes, proving again and again how intelligent and sensational he was. Lance never stopped being himself, and always displayed every drop of his charm and wit. It was one of the things Keith loved most about him. Even when it didn’t work in Keith’s favor.

“Did you mean what you said? In the safe room. About- about quitting because you thought it was what was best for me?”

Keith wasn’t expecting the question, and it almost made him flinch from his surprise. Because right, Keith did quit his job. After living through the past 30 hours, Keith honestly forgot that he technically isn’t Lance’s guard anymore. Even though the queen had implied that Keith was more than welcome to be Lance’s guard again, Keith knew that technically he still didn’t have the position. Not until Lance agreed. Keith thought back to Lance’s words in the safe room. The way Lance had collapsed into Keith’s arms as he promised that he would always want him. Keith hoped that those words meant that Lance still wanted him as his guard; his knight. But those words were also said in a state of panic, and Lance could still dismiss Keith at any time.

“Yeah,” Keith said, but it came out hoarse and gravely. The alpha cleared his throat and tried again. “Yeah, yes,” he floundered. “It sounds so stupid now, but at the time I thought,” he cut himself off, not knowing what he was going to say. He still didn’t want to confess to Lance, at least not yet, but he also wanted to be honest with the prince. “You thought,” Lance said, edging him to continue, clearly not letting Keith off the hook for this. Keith took in a breath and sighed. “I thought that it was what you needed. I guess I let people get into my head about things,” - not exactly a lie - “and that caused me to freak out. I was thinking that maybe our relationship was weird, and that it was going to get in the way of others.” Keith said it cautiously, trying not to flat out say that he was jealous of Allura. Despite the explanation only being made up of half-truths, Lance nodded and seemed to understand.

“I- I guess that makes sense. We don’t exactly have the typical prince-guard relationship.” Lance let out a little laugh as he said it but quickly became serious again. “But why didn’t you talk to me about it? I thought that we were closer than you just leaving with only a stupid letter as an explanation.” Keith sighed again and could feel the guilt splash against every surface inside his heart. “I was being a coward,” Keith admitted, hanging his head low. “I was too afraid to face you, knowing that I would be talked out of my decision if I spoke to you. But I know that it was a stupid move, and I regretted it almost as soon as I sent that letter.” Keith moved to grab Lance’s other hand, holding both of them on top of Lance’s lap. Keith moved his head and looked straight into Lance’s eyes.

“Blue, I swear, I had to stop myself a million times from coming back here to beg for your forgiveness. The only reason I didn’t is because I thought that you wouldn’t, and that would hurt more than not seeing you again.” Keith let out a deep sigh, unable to do anything else. “Everything I said to you in the safe room was true. The moment I learned that you were in danger, nothing else mattered. And once you dropped, I was terrified that I somehow did it wrong and would hurt you more.”

“You didn’t,” Lance interrupted, sitting himself up to get closer to Keith. “I’ve never dropped before,” the omega whispered, cheeks tinged with pink, “and I was so fucking terrified too. But I was never scared that you would do something wrong. You being here was the one thing I felt certain about. Even though I’m still insanely angry at you for just leaving me without a word,” Keith hung his head low again, but perked it up as Lance continued, “I trust you, Keith. Despite your stupid haircut and even stupider thought process, I trust you.”

The two men gazed at each other, both of them reeling over what each of them had confessed. Keith tightened his hold on Lance’s hands, and Lance squeezed them back, a silent way to communicate everything that he was feeling. “So, you still want me to be your guard?” Keith sounded nervous, but he tried to remind himself that Lance’s actions weren’t of someone that was going to push him away. Lance seemed to be thinking the same thing and rolled his eyes. “Of course, you knothead,” Lance said, his voice teasing. “I meant what I said in the safe room too. I’ll always want you.” The prince’s eyes softened for a moment before he looked at Keith with a serious face. “But no more secrets, okay? I trust you, but this will only work if you trust me back. Okay?” Keith could do nothing but nod his head and smile. “I do trust you Lance. I guess I’m just not used to trusting someone so much. I haven't had a lot of people in my life stick around, so I’m naturally untrusting, I guess. But I do trust you, and I promise I won’t keep any secrets from you again.” Other than the fact that I’m in love with you , Keith thought, but pushed that out of his mind, content with dealing with those emotions another day.

Lance smiled at him and let out a soft laugh. “Quiznak, what a week.” Keith couldn’t help but agree and shook his head. “I know we have a lot more to talk about, but right now I think you need to get some rest.” In his typical fashion, Lance looked like he was about to argue, but Keith gave his hand another squeeze and stopped him. “Don’t try to fight with me. You’ve had a long couple of hours. And even if you got out of your drop, you and I both know that it wasn’t proper sleep.” Lance pouted but he clearly knew that Keith was right and just sighed, his shoulders dropping. “Fine,” he said shortly before looking up at Keith with a smirk. “But you need to sleep more too. I know that my chair couldn’t have been comfortable and you’ve had just as rough a day as me. More so even.” Keith opened his mouth to argue but closed it when he saw Lance’s smirk widen. It was exactly what Lance had done when Keith suggested the same thing. Damn , he thought, Lance was good .

“Fine, whatever,” Keith grumbled, although a smile was threatening to slip from his frown as he watched Lance make a triumphant expression. Keith shook his head but let his mouth curve upward before he began to remove his hands from Lance’s. It seemed like someone their palms kept ending up flattened up together, but Keith certainly wasn’t going to complain. Lance let him go and sunk back into his pillows as Keith swung his legs back on the ground. He stood up and moved to grab the rejected chair, bringing it back to Lance’s vanity. Once it was in its rightful place, Keith turned to face Lance again.

“Well then, your highness,” Keith said, giving Lance a teasing bow, “I will see you in a few hours.” Lance didn’t say anything, but he rolled his eyes and huffed out a laugh. Keith smiled and stood up straight again before beginning his walk to the door. As soon as he was standing in front of it, his right arm stretched out so his hand could grab the doorknob, Lance spoke quickly. “Wait, Keith.” Keith turned back to him, confusion and worry on his face. Lance looked down for a moment, almost as if to get his bearings, before looking back with a determined expression. “I was wondering, er, well I was hoping that you would, um. Well, you totally don’t have to and I get if you don’t want to, or whatever. But I just figured I would ask because, well, I think it would make me feel better and hopefully make you feel better too. Not that you need to feel better but I just-”

“Lance.” Keith cut off Lance’s ramblings and gave the prince a pointed look. “What did you want to ask me?” Lance took in a deep breath and let his eyes flicker to the corner of his room before settling back on Keith. 

“Iwaswonderingifyouwouldmovein?”

Lance spoke so fast that Keith didn’t even catch what he said. Keith’s eyebrows furrowed and he gave a confused look. Even though he didn’t understand what the prince was asking, it sounded like he said-

“I want you to move in. With me,” Lance clarified, clearly telling that Keith didn’t understand what he was asking. “Into the guards suite.” Lance gestured to the small, metal door in the back of his room. “It’s supposed to be yours, anyways. And I figured that if there was ever an attack again then it would be better to have you close. Not that I want there to be an attack again, gods no! But you know, if there ever was then-”

“I’d love to, Blue,” Keith said softly, cutting Lance off again. Of course Keith would want to. Even the thought of going back to Shiro and Adam’s for a few hours to sleep made him begin to panic, the worry creeping up his spine. Keith wouldn’t pass up a chance to be right next to Lance, not for anything, not anymore.

Lance seemed a little surprised at the knight’s agreement but nodded his head anyway. “Okay.” That was all the prince said, but Keith knew that he was probably a little overwhelmed with all the changes happening. Keith gave him a small smile. “Okay.”

There was nothing to be said after that, the understanding between the two of the clear and concise. Keith left the room and let the door close softly behind him, watching the image of Lance smile into his pillow disappear as he closed the door. As soon as the door was fully shut, Keith turned to the guards that were stationed outside Lance’s room, notifying them that the prince was awake and to alert his family at once. Keith watched as one of the guards ran off to tell the king and queen, and Keith sighed in relief, knowing that the McClain’s worries about Lance were over, at least for today.

He began his descent out of the castle, taking in how much the palace no longer even looked like it had been under siege. All the bodies had been removed, obviously, and the blood and dirt had been meticulously scrubbed from the walls and floors. Any once broken furniture had been replaced, and new tapestries and paintings were hung to cover the gaping holes of the ones that were torn down. The only indicator that the castle had received any threat at all were the numbers of guards monitoring the halls. Keith probably passed a few dozens just on his way out, and saw even more surrounding the grounds as he left.

Keith tried to ignore the way his alpha was beginning him not to leave his omega behind. As much as he wanted to stay, he did need to get some proper sleep. And Lance needed to too. If he were to stay, he wasn’t sure how much rest either of them would get. Besides, by tomorrow, he would likely be going to sleep in a new bed, right on the other side of Lance’s. That thought alone was enough to push him towards Shiro’s house.

When he made it to the familiar building, Keith dragged himself inside quickly. The closer he became to his bed the more exhausted he seemed to feel. Lance was definitely right to push him back to bed. As Keith made his way inside, he spied Shiro and Adam sitting on the couches in the living room, no doubt talking about the attack. Adam noticed him walking in and looked up, taking in his slightly disheveled appearance. Shiro turned back too and did the same, his question clear on his face. Even if Keith didn’t already know what it was, Adam asked it.

“How is the prince?” It was clear that they were gearing themselves for bad news, but Keith just smiled. “He’s fine. Lance woke up about two hours ago. I’ve only come back since he insisted that I get some sleep in a real bed.” The two older men sighed in relief, Shiro letting out a light laugh. “Oh thank the gods,” Shiro said, his hands reaching down to squeeze Adam’s knee. Keith laughed a bit too and smiled widely, the weight of everything coming down on him. Lance was alright.

As soon as they were done celebrating the good news, Shiro turned back to Keith. “And how are you?” Keith sighed and began his own explanations of events. He told them both a little about what he and Lance talked about when he woke up, although he spared them the sappy details about them holding hands and Keith constantly confessing I love yous in his head. To their happiness Keith told them how he was officially Lance’s guard again, and that he was expected to move into the guards suite. Both Shiro and Adam looked, and Adam mentioned how he was glad that Keith got his head out of his ass . Keith had blushed but admitted that yeah, he was too.

After all the explaining and celebration had been done, Shiro looked at Keith expectedly. “So, what’s next?” Keith pondered the question for a moment before answering definitely. “Now I need to try my absolute hardest not the fuck it up again.” Keith paused and after a moment continued. “And I need to pack. Do you know where the boxes are?"

Chapter Text

Keith woke up to the sound of screaming.

The yell was slightly muffled due to the walls in between Keith’s room and Lance’s, but the alpha could still hear the panic and distress that fell out of Lance’s lips. Unfortunately, it had become more common than not for Keith’s sleep to be disturbed by an ear piercing sherick or a pitiful whine. A lot had changed in the two weeks since the attack on the castle. 

Once the initial shock of the attack dimmed, King Miguel and Queen Nancy went into full protective mode. Nobody from the royal family was able to go anywhere without security, and all areas of the castle were heavily guarded at all times. They updated the security features at every entry point, and their team of scientists and engineers were working non stop to create new, impenetrable protection technology and weapons. Lance rarely saw Pidge anymore from how hard the beta was being worked, with them preferring to stay late in the lab. Somehow, they had worked around the strict curfew the king and queen had set in place. Pidge insisted that it was due to their brilliance and the importance of their work. Keith just thought it was because they were a little gremlin and even King Miguel would rather not deal with an angry Pidge if given the chance.

Whatever the reason was, only the scientist units were given special permission to bypass the curfew, although they still had to go through intensive security measures. The curfew had been enacted to ensure that everyone would be safely in their rooms by ten each night. Nobody besides on-duty guards were permitted to be in the halls or the grounds. Even Keith and the other personal guards of the royal family were forced to either be locked inside their rooms or to be standing at attention at a stationed place. In all honesty Keith didn’t mind it all that much. It gave him an opportunity to get regularly scheduled sleep. At least, that was the idea.

Keith sucked in a breath as he pulled the covers off of him. He reached to turn on the lamp sitting on his wooden nightstand, illuminating his room. Since he had moved into the small room attached to Lance’s, Keith had been trying to make it more homey, but he didn’t think he was doing a good job. To be honest, his room back at Shiro’s hadn’t been the most personal either. Keith had never been good at things like that. His decor didn’t surpass a few photos of his dad and ones with him, Shiro, and Adam. His bed spread had been a plain black and red pattern, and all his furniture had been a basic brown. Now, however, there were colorful little knick-knacks strewn around and a lot more photos, all courtesy of Lance, of course. The prince had insisted that Keith needed more things to make the room truly feel like home and had “generously” (Lance’s words) donated a few of his items to make that happen. He had also added all the other photos, which mainly consisted of Keith with Lance, Hunk, and Pidge, or just Lance striking a pose with Keith sullen in the background. Keith tried to hide how much it made him smile, but it was hard when Lance’s face was now looking at him from every direction. 

Including the direction leading out of Keith’s room.

Keith ignored the chill that went up his spine as his bare feet felt the coldness of the floor and made his way to the large door in the corner, the yells on the other side of it not decreasing. Keith threw open the door and rushed over to where Lance was whimpering in his bed, eyes still closed as he thrashed on his sheets. The alpha gently put his hand on Lance’s shoulders, trying to stop his movements, and sat down on the edge of the bed. Keith began to gently squeeze Lance’s arms, and slightly shook him. “Lance,” Keith whispered, urging the omega to wake up. It took a few shakes and calls of Lance’s name before the prince shot up in his bed with a shout, pushing back against Keith’s hands.

Keith hated that he was familiar with the way Lance looked after one of his nightmares. As soon as Lance’s eyes would shoot open, it always took a few moments for the prince to realize his surroundings. His breathing would be more than heavy and his eyes would move erratically around the room before settingling on Keith. It was always the same. Once Lance noticed Keith his breathing usually slowed and his scent grew less sour, but it could be minutes or hours before Lance was truly okay again. Keith knew that really he shouldn’t even be waking Lance up when he was experiencing one of his night terrors, especially when he was thrashing around. But the omega had insisted that Keith do it, even if it caused him more delirium when he woke up. “I’m trapped inside this castle everyday, Keith. I don’t want to be trapped in my own mind too.” And when Lance says that to you, pleading and distressed, it’s impossible to not say yes to whatever he’s asking.

When Lance finally focuses on Keith, his expression breaks. Keith could almost hear the way his eyes screamed at the fact that he had another nightmare and that he was once again woken up with Keith over his trembling body. Lance wasn’t crying this time but his eyes were still rimmed red, almost as if the tears were only moments away. His hair was a mess, his normally soft locks pulled in every direction, and his blue markings were glowing slightly. Keith moved to take his shaking hands within his steady ones, and Lance just let him, breathing in as Keith squeezed their palms together. Keith muttered soft comforts to him, reminding him that he was safe and nothing was going to happen to him. 

It took a few minutes for Lance’s breathing to even out, although that was expected. Lance wasn’t a stranger to having nightmares and had told Keith all about his usual habits. “They started after Michelle died,” Lance told him on one of the first nights where he shot up out of bed scared and distraught. “I would have dreams all the time where her death replayed in my mind over and over again. Sometimes she would come back to life and try to kill me, as revenge. Other times the people who hurt her came after me. It really didn’t matter. I just know that it was terrifying. And now, it's all about the rebels.”  

As Lance described them, Keith was forced to think about his own nightmares. They were still rampant in his mind, although he had begun to only get them every other night instead of the every night terror. Keith forced himself to think that it was progress - knew that really it was - but it was hard when he still woke up in a cold sweat more often than not. Thankfully he didn’t cry out in his sleep like Lance. Keith had told Lance that he got nightmares too, that very first night where Lance sobbed into his arms as he blubbered about the horrifying images his mind created. It was a quiet admittance, almost as if Keith didn't actually mean to reveal that information. Keith almost took it back as soon as he had said it, but Lance sniffled and looked up at him with teary, hopeful eyes and asked, “Really?” He did it in that voice that made it impossible to say anything but the truth and Keith only gulped before nodding his head. 

Keith guessed that it made Lance feel better, knowing that he was not alone in that battle. Keith hadn’t told him anything about the specifics of what he saw, but the knight was sure that Lance could assume. The effects of war were not something that disappeared quickly. And as much as Keith hated to admit it, it was likely that he would have these nightmares for the rest of his life, just like his scars. They may warp and change, details added or taken away, but Keith would always have them. And Lance probably would too. Keith didn’t tell Lance that though, of course. He didn’t want to freak him out more than he already was. No one wants to hear that they are gonna have to relive traumatic events over and over again. And Keith especially didn’t have the heart to tell Lance that. So instead he just worked to comfort him the best that he could and silently promise that if Lance would be forced to have these dreams forever, Keith would be right by his side to drive them away. 

Since that night, the two men had developed their little night time routine, as morbid as it may be. If Keith were to wake up due to one of Lance’s shouts, he would come to wake the prince up before easing him back to bed. Sometimes Keith was grateful that he was such a light sleeper. The nosies Lance made during the night worked to pull the alpha out of his own nightmares and often let him sleep better after helping Lance calm down. 

“I was back in the observatory,” Lance said quietly, his voice shaking slightly due to his panic. “I was trying to scream but he had me by my throat. I couldn’t make any noise.” Even when it was something like nightmares, Lance was still a talker. While Keith preferred to ignore the dreams in hopes that the visions would go away, Lance liked to talk about them. He said it was a way for him to solidify that they weren't real. Keith always listened, offering soft commentary here and there to ensure that Lance was okay and that the nightmares were, in fact, not real. After a few moments of Lance spilling everything that he saw in his mind, Keith would offer final words of reassurance before tucking Lance back into bed. He would softly put his hand through Lance’s hair one final time before pulling away, insisting that he would be watching over him. It was their routine.

Except tonight it seemed like Lance was insistent on breaking it. Once he had explained his nightmare, Keith had done his usual levels of comforting before standing up from the bed to settle Lance back in. Hopefully Lance would be able to sleep better now that he had rid himself of tonight's nightmare. However, as he moved his hand away from Lance, the prince’s hand caught his wrist. 

“Stay with me tonight? Please?”

It was like Lance was trying to kill him. The omega’s voice was completely open and vulnerable, like he was afraid that Keith would say no. Like Keith ever could deny him anything. Keith let his gaze soften, his raised eyebrows lowering to settle gently on the bridge above his eyes. Lance must have noticed the change in his expression because he let a small smile slip from his lips as Keith moved closer to the bed.

“Of course, Blue.”

Lance’s smile widened and he began to make room for Keith. He moved his body closer to the right side of the bed, and Keith moved down to sit on the left. If this had been anyone else, or hell, even Lance a few months ago, Keith would have felt incredibly awkward and unsettled. But with how much he and Lance had gone through together, plus the love he felt for the man beside him, Keith felt at ease as he pulled Lance’s duvet back to settle against the soft silk sheets underneath. As soon as he was in the bed, his back up against the prince’s headboard, Lance moved to fit himself against Keith. He laid his head down on Keith’s chest and winded his arms around the alpha’s torso. Keith in response put his hand back into Lance’s hair, smoothly petting it as he brought his left arm to hold onto Lance, ensuring that the omega wouldn’t slip down.

The whole thing was incredibly intimate. Keith hoped that Lance couldn’t tell how fast his heart was racing underneath him. As Lance shifted to get comfortable, his scent began to rub off onto Keith’s clothes. The sweet scent of starfruit and the sea wafted into Keith’s nose, and he could feel as his whole body relaxed as he took it in. 

Once Lance stopped moving he seemed to melt into Keith’s hold, letting out a soft breath of content. Keith tightened his hold for just a moment before he let himself relax too. He had never laid down on Lance’s bed, not really. During Lance’s drop Keith had only allowed his head to be supported by the cushion of the four-poster. And everytime Keith had come to support Lance during his night terrors, he had only sat on the comforter before retreating to his own room for the reminder of the night. Keith didn’t know how this would go, or what Lance expected of him, and it made him silently uneasy. However, Lance asked him to stay, so it didn’t matter how anxious it made him. Lance asked him to stay, so he would stay.

Neither of them spoke for a few moments, but the silence was comfortable. Keith listened to Lance’s light breathing, using it to calm himself down from the mixture of emotions he was feeling. Lance seemed to be doing the same, likely sorting through the effects of his nightmare. Keith carded his hand through Lance’s hair and imagined what it would be like if this was the normal. What would it be like if Keith could always end the day by cuddling with Lance? In that world, Keith would be Lance’s alpha. He would be mated to him and allowed to give the prince affection whenever he would like without having to worry about the consequences or other people’s feelings. They could simply just be each other, with no other worries in the world. 

“Has Shiro found anything else out,” Lance asked, breaking the silence and drawing Keith out of his thoughts. Clearly Lance wanted to talk tonight and not go to sleep. Lance’s question quickly reminded him of all the worries he does in fact have, and gives way for a frown to form on his face. “Not anything different from yesterday,” the alpha said grimly.

Shiro and his closest in command were interrogating the captured rebels intensely, but they were making slow progress. They only managed to arrest around ten of the rebels. Most of those that broke into the castle had been killed sometime during the attack. They still don’t know exactly how many had been there, but witness reports show that only a handful of people escaped the castle, so likely the rest of them were either in jail or body bags. However, Keith wasn’t naive enough to think that the whole rebel force had been inside the castle that night. They were most likely a home base with a bigger collection of rebels, and it was up to them to find it. The search for it, unfortunately, was becoming quite the challenge. Shiro had initially thought that the few they had captured would quickly turn. It was assumed that the rebels were fighting against the end of the war, likely wanting the two Altean countries to unify again. And that was correct, at least partially.

The only thing the rebels had revealed was their mission. They did want Altean to become one again, but not under an Altean’s rule. In fact, one of the rebels, an older omega Alteans, actually laughed when Shiro asked if she was doing this for King Limerick's cause. Apparently, they could care less about what “that old fucker wanted.” These rebels wanted Altean to be ruled by the Galra , a fact that made both Keith and Shiro blanche in confusion.

Apparently, the Galran Uprising from 10,000 years ago wouldn’t be the last. Somehow, the idea that the Galran race was more superior than others began to rise again, and people were stupid enough to believe it. Over the past few years the Uprising gathered more and more support, and races all over the galaxy were either joining the support or the resistance against it. Keith was surprised to hear that it was actually the emperor of Daibazaal that was leading the charge.

“Are you sure she said Zarkon,” Keith asked Shiro in disbelief over what his brother had just told him. Zarkon had been the ruler of Daibazaal since both Keith and Shiro had been alive, and neither of them would have guessed that he would do something like this. “Isn’t he friends with King Alfor?” Shiro nodded solemnly and ran a hand over his face. “He is, or he was,” Shiro said, voice grim. “I heard that they had a falling out a few years ago, but it was right when the war here started, so I don’t know much.”

And that had been the answer. Emperor Zarkon and King, then prince, Alfor had a disagreement that led to them no longer speaking to each other. King Alfor was hoping that he and Zarkon would be able to reconcile, but then King Limerick had declared war on Southern Altean. With Allura gone, and his father becoming a war tyrant, his friendship with Zarkon had been pushed away to the back. And apparently during that time, when everyone on Altean was too busy dealing with their own problems, Zarkon had begun his rampage. His wife, Honerva, had stood by his side, and helped to get other Alteans and different races to join in on their side. 

When Shiro had first told King Miguel, Queen Nancy, and the Northern Altean court, King Alfor and Queen Melenor had not wanted to believe it, insisting that their friends would not do something like that, and especially not attack the Southern Castel. But after reaching out to some sources, everyone held proof that Zarkon and Honerva were starting the second Galran Uprising. Some sources insisted that there had been magic involved, turning and corrupting their souls, but the reasoning didn’t matter. No matter how it came to be, they needed to be stopped.

Since that discovery, Shiro had learned little else about the rebel’s plans. Everyday Lance asked if there was any more news, and Keith often had to disappoint him. Tonight was no different.

“I just wish there was something that we could do to help,” Lance said, his voice muffled due to the fabric of Keith’s night shirt but no less determined. Keith gave a sound of agreement, knowing that he and Lance were on the same page regarding this. When Lance had learned about the Galran threat, he was the first one to insist that he should be able to do something about it. His parents refused, ensuring that he would be safest if he stayed where he was at the castle. 

“We literally just got attacked here a few days ago,” Lance had yelled, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “It seems like no place in the galaxy is safe. If we’re going to be in danger anyways, at least let us help.” Unfortunately, his plea was met with more arguing from his parents, and they had ended up forbidding him from even leaving the castle in fear that he would convince Keith to run away and join the war front. And honestly, the king and queen were not far off in their concerns. Keith would never do anything to intentionally put Lance’s life at risk, but he was also wishing that he could be out there, doing something about the uprising. Keith didn’t want to be in another war so soon, but he knew that a war was happening with or without him. If he were to be fighting it, at least he would have the potential to help people instead of just sitting here and doing nothing. Not that protecting Lance was nothing. Keith would choose him everyday, everytime. But when thousands of lives and planets were on the line, it was hard to accept that the only thing Keith could do was walk the palace halls.

“It’s just so unfair,” Lance continued, his voice raising slightly as he grew more angry, “Just because I’m royalty doesn’t mean that my life is more valuable than anyone else's. So many people are risking their lives right now in search of more information about the Uprising, and what, I’m just supposed to sit here and look pretty? We should be out there, helping.” Keith hummed again and continued his ministrations on Lance’s hair. There was nothing he could say that he hadn’t said before. Lance knew that he was just as frustrated with the orders to sit still.

 “I just-” Lance cut himself off, trying to get his bearings. “I just hate feeling so useless. I mean, Allura gets to go out and help with all her diplomatic shit. She literally is leaving today, not even a few weeks after the attack. How come she gets to do that and I’m stuck here? Just because I’m an omega doesn’t make me weak.”

“Of course it doesn’t,” Keith interrupted, not wanting Lance to even entertain those ideas. “You know that isn’t why. Your parents are just trying to keep you safe. As much as I agree with you, you have to understand their perspective. You are only 19, and you have a lot of time to do some good.” Lance only huffed at Keith’s words. “My birthday is right around the corner,” he mumbled like a child, making Keith laugh as he proved his point. “And as for Allura, I can’t tell you why she’s leaving so soon.”

Allura was a topic that had made Keith a little confused in the past few days. Despite her and Lance’s apparent engagement, the two had not spent much time together since Lance woke up from his drop, a fact that made Keith both happy and mad. Of course, the part of him that was in love with Lance (admittedly the largest party) was grateful that another alpha wasn’t hanging all over his omega. But the other part was sad for Lance. What kind of alpha didn’t check on their mate after they dropped? Especially with the trauma of being attacked at all. Allura visited Lance a few days after he woke up once the castle was officially secure, but after that their visits had been sporadic. Apparently Allura had demanded that she be allowed to return to her work as diplomat as soon as it was discovered that the Uprising was happening. Keith didn’t fully understand how she couldn’t have known about it before, given that she wasn’t even on Altean during the war, but Lance had explained that she likely didn’t realize it was as big as it had become. The attack on the southern castle was one of the first big moves by the Uprising, and the extent of their reach still isn’t known. Keith still felt a bit wary, but he really didn’t have anything else to argue about, so he let that fact go. And now with Allura leaving in the morning, just a few days before the rest of her family would return to Northern Altea, it was likely that he wouldn’t have to see her for a long while. Unless of course her and Lance were still getting married.

That was what made Keith so confused. If she and Lance were to be married and mated, why would she leave him to go help the war efforts? Keith, no matter how much he wanted to help, would never leave Altean if it meant having to leave Lance behind. The one week he spent without Lance when he was stupid enough to quit had been one of the worst weeks since he had been back from the first war, and he was not looking to repeat it. So why was she?

“Are you…ready for the princess to leave?” Keith hesitated as he asked, almost afraid of the answer. While Lance had always seemed private with his relationship with Allura, at his core the prince was a talker. Keith was sure he wanted to discuss it. Even if he was currently in another alpha’s arms, Lance’s heart was surely loyal to Allura.

Lance sighed and shifted around before stilling in the exact same position he was in before he moved. Keith rolled his eyes but still waited eagerly for Lance to respond. After a few moments Lance just shrugged, the movement awkward given their positions. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted. “I mean, I’m obviously jealous. She has gotten so many opportunities to explore the universe, and I just can’t help but be envious, you know.” Keith did know, but he didn’t respond as Lance kept going. “But the other part of me is happy that she is getting to do the work that she does, even if I can’t. At least one of us gets to make a difference.” What Lance said made sense, and Keith once again found himself in awe at how much Lance managed to be so beautiful and aware. “Plus, I know she is looking forward to seeing her fiance again.” Lance always was so incredible. He could always see the good in every situation, even if he complained and- wait what.

“Wait what?”

It was probably the stupidest Keith had ever sounded but he was completely in shock. He must have misheard Lance. Afterall, he was rather consumed in raving about Lance’s attractive qualities. It must have made his brains comprehend what Lance said wrong because it almost sounded like he said-

“ Fiance ,” Lance repeated, moving his head to look up at Keith with amused shock. “You know, what people call each other when they are getting married .” His tone was irritatingly mocking.

“I know what a fiance is,” Keith snapped. Lance giggled and tightened his arms around Keith’s torso. “Okay, geeze, just wouldn’t surprise me if you didn’t you thick knothead” he said smiling as he nuzzled back down into Keith’s chest. He didn’t comment on the insult and the hand that was in Lance’s hair stopped its movements as Keith took in the prince’s words. Allura had a fiance. Which was really no new information. What was new was that this fiance wasn’t Lance. What?

“I just-” Keith started, not even knowing if he wanted to bring his speculations up. He saw them get engaged! He saw the intimate hug they shared and he had been around as they shared secret giggles and sweet words. He didn’t just make that all up. As his mind ran with all the memories, his mouth seemed to go faster than his brain. “I just thought that you two were…together.”

As soon as Keith said them he wanted to take the words back. Lance immediately shot up, removing his arms completely from Keith’s body to look at the knight, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. “ What ,” Lance screeched, eyes bugging out even more than Keith thought was possible. “I- what- when- how- what?” Lance continued to blubber on, almost sounding like he was experiencing all the stages of grief at once. Keith just stared at him, a little alarmed, and tried to make sense of this news on his own. Finally Lance seemed to be able to get out a full sentence.

“Why the fuck would you think that?”

If it wasn’t for all the emotions Keith was feeling, the knight would almost find the situation funny. However, he was entirely panicked and confused and his shoulders shot up as he looked helplessly confused. “I don’t know,” he said, eyes wide, “you two were just always so close. With the letters and your siblings insisting that you two were together a few years ago, I just assumed!” Lance just stared at him for a few minutes, mouth upturned in a half amused half scared smile. “I mean, I had a crush on her like five years ago,” the omega explained, “but we were children! I haven't felt like that in a very very long time. She’s practically like my sister now.” That sentence made him pause. “Wait, does that mean I had a crush on my sister? Because that is totally not what I meant! Wait, shit, I mean-”

“But I saw you guys get engaged,” Keith interrupted. He felt like he was being gaslit. “At the party to celebrate the two kingdom’s friendship. You and the princess were all teary eyed and hugging and jumping and stuff. I didn’t just imagine that.” Lance’s expression went back to confusion as he seemed to sort through his memories. It took him a few moments before his face lit back up in bewilderment. 

“Wait, you thought that was Allura and I celebrating our engagement.” Keith only nodded, although he wished he didn’t because Lance immediately burst into laughter. He practically doubled over from his already hunched position and it made Keith’s ears turn red. “Well there is no need to laugh.” Lance noticed the grumble in Keith’s voice and he tried to contain his giggles, although he wasn’t succeeding very well. “No, I’m sorry I don’t mean to laugh it's just,” another batch of snickers escaped his mouth, “you totally misread that. Allura and I were definitely not, and will never be, celebrating our engagement. Allura had just gotten engaged to Lotor. Her long time boyfriend and now fiance. I was celebrating for her, not with her.”

It made a surprising amount of sense, but Keith was still unsure. How could he have been wrong for so long? He began to replay every moment since Allura had gotten here, trying to make sense of it all. Now that he was thinking about it, he had always thought that Allura and Lance weren’t a very hands on couple. Given how much Lance could be, he had always assumed (and fantasized) that Lance would be more of a clingy partner. Not in a bad way, but just in a “I always want to be with you” kind of way. His loyalty and need for human interaction was one of the many things that Keith admired about him, and so it only logical to assume that these feelings would transfer to a relationship. And he hadn’t been that way with Allura, not at all. Even when they would be dancing together, there never did seem to be specific romantic intent. Keith had just always assumed.

His conversation with Shiro from a few weeks ago came back to him. Shiro had been sure that Lance had felt the same way Keith had for him, but Keith had shut him down because of Allura. But if Lance never was in love with the princess, or didn’t even have any romantic feelings for her, could there be a possibility for them? Could Keith still manage to court Lance?

In his search for answers, something in Lance tugged back at him. “Wait, Lotor? As in Prince Lotor? The son of the emperor who is currently starting an uprising?” Lance nodded his head and rolled his eyes a bit, almost as if he had already had this conversation. “Yeah, but he totally didn’t know what his father was doing. He was exiled a few years ago for not being evil I guess, I don’t know. Allura insists that he hasn’t even seen his father in years, and that he definitely doesn’t support what he is trying to do. That is why Allura is leaving so soon, even if I don’t like it. She’s going to join him and his small team to help try and ready defenses on other planets in case the Galra does attack. And of course, to see him and get that dick, you know.”

“Don’t be so crude,” Keith immediately said out of habit, not even wanting to think about Prince Lotor’s dick for even a second. He admittedly didn’t know much about Lotor. He was perhaps a year or two older than Keith, so any memory of Lotor was pretty slim. Keith had been sent off of Daibazaal before Lotor could do anything of true importance, and it sounded like the prince had been exiled as soon as Keith could even pretend to care about what he was up to.

As Keith thought about this his eyes caught the clock next to Lance’s bed. Fuck, it was only three in the morning. Keith had almost forgotten that the whole reason they were even having this conversation was because Lance had had a nightmare. They really should be getting to bed. He expressed this to Lance, who just rolled his eyes.

“You’re just trying to get out of the embarrassment of thinking that Allura and I were engaged. Not even courting, but full on engaged. Like about to bond.” Lance laughed again as he said it, but he nevertheless lowered his body back down to cuddle up with Keith. Keith moved his hand back into Lance’s hair as soon as he was settled, if not a bit begrudgingly because of the teasing. “Look, everyone around us kept talking about how good of a couple you and Allura were. Even King Alfor’s advisor Coran confirmed! It’s not that crazy that I thought that”

Lance let out another chuckle. “Now why would you ever trust anything that Coran said? That man is a lunatic. A nice, fun, kind lunatic, but a lunatic nonetheless” Keith couldn’t argue with that, but he was still a bit in shock with what he just found out. It was way too early for these kinds of life changing revelations. 

“Why didn’t you just ask me?” Lance said it quietly, bringing back the late at night/early morning atmosphere. “If you thought that…if you thought that Allura and I were together. Why didn’t you ask me about it?” Keith didn’t really even know the answer to that. Well, that’s not entirely true. He did know the answer, but he had always been too afraid to admit it. But now, with Lance laying practically on top of him, how could he not speak anything that wasn’t the entire truth.

“I guess I was a little…hurt that you didn’t tell me yourself.” Keith could practically hear Lance’s eye roll, something the omega seemed to be doing a lot of tonight, before the prince responded. “That makes absolutely no sense. There was nothing to tell.” Keith hummed. “Well I know that now, but at the time, I guess I just thought that you must have wanted to keep it a secret. And if I asked, and you confirmed that you and Allura were together and that you didn’t tell me, I would have felt so much worse. So I guess it was just easier to assume and continue on like that.”

Lance seemed to ponder what Keith said as the knight finished his explanation. Keith was nervous as he waited for his response, worried that Lance would for some reason call him out on his feelings. But Lance didn’t do that. Instead, he just let out a small noise of acknowledgment before he verbally answered. “I guess…I guess that makes sense. I wouldn’t feel very good if I thought that you kept something like that from me.” Keith’s heart clenched at the words, knowing that he was hiding that very same thing from the omega in his arms. It was even worse, given that the secret feelings were actually for Lance and not just some random omega. 

He offered a choked “yeah” in response before the two of them fell silent. Lance didn’t comment on his lame answer, and Keith didn’t say anything else to try to continue the conversation. He needed time to dive into everything that he had learned from tonight. Because right now, he was laying in the man he was in love with’s bed, and just learned that there was a small possibility that that very same man could love him back someday. 

Someday, but not tonight.

“Goodnight Lance.”

Keith muttered it so softly he was almost afraid that Lance wouldn’t hear it. But after a few ticks of hearing nothing in response, Lance let out his own soft response.

“Goodnight Keith.”

⋆★⋆

Keith sleeping in Lance’s bed became a normal thing after that. As soon as Keith would come to wake Lance up from his nightmares, Lance would tug the alpha down into his bed, insisting that they talk until he calmed down enough to fall back to sleep. Keith was in no position to argue, and always relished in the contact with the omega. Lance would always begin the conversation. He would talk about his nightmare, as usual, and then dive into some childhood memory or something funny Hunk said last week. He would talk about his parents and his siblings, his friends. Lance was always particularly excited when he received a new letter from Allura, eager to share the contents about her travels with Keith.

On the day that Allura left to join Lotor, her and Lance shared a heartfelt goodbye. Keith didn’t know if the prince told her about Keith’s assumption about their relationship, but he felt that he must have due to the way Allura looked over at Keith with both a humorous and murderous expression. If Keith didn’t know any better, it almost looked as if Allura was trying to tell him something. Her gaze said “pull your shit together,” but Keith didn’t understand why she would be telling him that. Unless she knew about his feelings for Lance, which to be fair, could be a very good assumption. It wasn’t like Keith was subtle. Just subtle enough not to let Lance catch on. Regardless of what her look meant, it disappeared almost as quickly as it came and she was off. Keith had said a quick goodbye to Romelle before the two of them boarded a pod for their travels. Lance had spent that night telling Keith all about the different adventures he and Allura would have when they were children, and about some of the letters they had exchanged during the princess’ time away. A few days after Allura left, she began to send Lance letters, resuming their old form of contact. She wrote all about the different planets that her and Lotor were traveling to and any news about the Uprising. Lance would usually receive the letters sometime during the afternoon, but he always waited for the dark blanket covering of the night before sharing the contents with Keith. Keith felt honored that Lance trusted him enough to show him them. He also felt stupid for thinking that Lance wouldn’t trust him enough with his relationship. Maybe Keith really was as oblivious as Shiro said he was.

Regardless, the trust between Lance and Keith was clear and strong as ever. Lance, who rarely had a filter anyways, truly let go of ever keeping anything from Keith. The topics they talked about ranged from everything and nothing, and Keith always eagerly listened, gladly taking anything Lance would give him. Keith knew practically everything there was to know about Lance and his family now, and he eagerly tried to get more. As selfish as it made him sound, Keith secretly looked forward to when he would join Lance in bed. Just having the omega close had him calm, and he knew that he usually sleeps better next to Lance than he ever did alone.

Tonight, however, was a bad night. Lance’s nightmare was particularly awful and it took almost twenty minutes to get him to fully calm down enough to rest again. Keith himself had also been having a rough night, his head full of visions of bodies on the dark, dead ground. Some he didn’t recognize. They were just faceless corpses among the masses, their true impact forever forgotten to Keith. But others- others he knew. Shiro, laying face down, arm ripped to shreds. Adam, bloody and gasping for air even as the blood trickled down his mouth. Lance, beautiful blue eyes lifeless as his cheek markings dimmed to a dull, desolate gray. 

The images haunted Keith, but he tried not to focus on them. He was trying to calm down Lance, and the prince would most definitely be able to pick up on his bitter scent. Keith pushed the dream aside and worked to get Lance relaxed enough to lay down again. After a few moments of Lance babbling about his nightmare, explaining how his whole family was dead- “It’s my fault it’s my fault it’s my fault.” “It’s not your fault Lance. It wasn’t real.” -Lance finally began to quiet, pulling himself into Keith’s arms to rest his head against the knight’s shoulder, his face dangerously close to his neck. Keith settled his back against the headboard, resuming his usual position, and wrapped his arms around Lance. The room was quiet except for Lance’s labored breathing. Normally Keith would relish in hearing Lance’s breath and in feeling his chest move up and down, but tonight Keith was using it as an anchor. A reminder that Lance was alive and not dead. That dream was wrong.

Lance must have been able to tell that something was off with Keith because instead of starting his usual torrid of old memories, he instead asked, “What’s wrong?” Keith let out a noise of surprise and moved so that he could face Lance. The omega lifted his head from Keith’s shoulder slightly to meet the knight’s gaze, his expression open and expectant. Keith just sighed, knowing it would be useless to lie. “I just- I just had a nightmare of my own tonight.” Keith shrugged, trying to play it off, but Lance wasn’t having it. The prince’s eyebrows immediately furrowed together in concern. “Do you want to talk about it?” Lance said it so earnestly that Keith wanted to tell him everything. Despite this, Keith shook his head. “I don’t usually talk about them.”

Keith knew that Lance was disappointed but he was trying his best not to show it. His mouth went flat and his eyes seemed to dull. “Oh, okay,” he said stalely, moving to lay his back down on Keith’s shoulder to hide his hurt. Keith’s chest filled with guilt and he tried to quickly explain. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, Blue, of course I do. I- I just don’t really-”

“I get it,” Lance interrupted, his voice tired. “You don’t have to explain it to me. I just.” Lance paused before picking up his sentence again. “I just know that talking about it helps me, obviously.” He said it a little bashfully, and Keith could picture the flush on his face. “I just think that it could help you too.”

Keith let out a little laugh. “You sound like Shiro.” He was all too familiar with the (not so) subtle requests for Keith to actually talk to someone about what he went through. “Well Shiro’s right,” Lance said definitively. “You’ve never talked about any of it before, at least not with me.” His voice dropped down a bit as he said it, almost as if he was trying to hide his hurt. “It’s not about you,” Keith responded, except wait- shit that sounded bad. “Wait, that's not what I meant,” he quickly said, trying not to let Lance think things that weren't true in the siletest.  “I just mean,” he let out a sigh, “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. I trust you more than anyone and have thought about talking about…my background more than once with you. I just have a hard time opening up.” Keith shrugged, jostling Lance slightly as he did so. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Lance was silent for a moment before he removed himself from Keith’s shoulder again, turning to look at Keith. “Just start wherever you want. I don’t want to pressure you, I just need you to know that I’m here for you. Even if you just want to sit in silence. I just,” the prince looked down at his hands, his nerves clear, “I just want to be here for you. Just like you are for me.” When he looked back up at Keith the knight could see the emotion in Lance’s eyes. Keith was sure that he was looking back at Lance with a similar expression, probably all starry-eyed. Fuck, he was so in love with this boy.

If they were in a different situation, Keith would move his hands to caress Lance’s face before reaching down to kiss his soft lips. He would pour all the emotion he felt into that kiss, all the fear and all the hope. Let Lance know exactly what he means to him.

But for tonight, Keith just nodded slowly. He didn’t even truly know what he was agreeing to, but Lance let out a soft smile, his eyes twinkling. He moved to lay his head back onto Keith, moving to make sure his body was in a more comfortable position. He didn’t say anything else, just a soft murmur of comfortableness. As he shifted, Keith thought about what Lance said. Keith always knew that he wanted to share things about his life with Lance. Of course he did. He wanted to give Lance everything. But that was easier said than done, and Keith worried about being too much. He still didn’t know exactly where he and Lance stood, romantically at least. While he had accepted that Lance would never feel that way about him, the revelation of Lance and Allura not being together opened that door back open. While the chances that Lance had feelings for Keith were slim, there was a possibility. And he supposed that the only way to truly learn was to give Lance the opportunity to fall in love with him the same way Keith had.

“My father died when I was ten.” The sentence was said simply, Keith long familiar with saying it. His voice didn’t waver the way it did when he was younger, and no tears built up in his eyes. Even still, Lance seemed to understand the emotional weight behind it. He didn’t apologize, or offer him any condolences the way most people did when he told them. Keith hated it when people did that, never knowing what to say. His first instinct was to say that it was fine, even when it obviously wasn’t. He didn’t really know what he wanted people to say, just that he hated whatever they did. But not Lance though. Somehow, Lance knew exactly what he needed.

“Tell me about him.”

And so Keith did. He told him about what life growing up on Daibazaal was like. How he and his dad lived in a little house, basically a shack, away from most of the civilization. Keith told him about how his dad always smelled like smoke because of his job, and how he thinks that that was the reason why he himself had a more fiery scent. Keith told him about the games that they would play together, and about how much Keith missed them once his dad was gone. He spoke about how his dad always spoke so highly of Keith’s mother, despite the fact that she left them. About the jacket he had given Shiro as a birthday present, one of the last things he had of his dad. He talked and talked and talked. Keith couldn’t remember the last time he spoke so much about his dad, but it was nice. Lance was quiet for the most part, content with listening to anything Keith was willing to share. He would offer a comment or a laugh here or there, always knowing when Keith needed a break in his monologue.

He didn’t even realize how long he had been talking until he saw bits of light begin to stream in from Lance’s window. “Fuck, it’s morning.” Lance moved his head to look at the time, confirming that it was almost six. “I’m sorry,” Keith apologized, “I didn’t mean to keep us up.” He was a little embarrassed about talking for so long. He had never done anything like that before. The alpha opened his mouth to continue to apologize but Lance stopped him before he could. “Don’t apologize, I love hearing you talk.” And then quieter, “Thank you for telling me all that. He sounded amazing.” Keith just let out a soft sigh. “He was.”

He didn’t offer anything else up and Lance didn’t ask. It seemed that their tiredness was catching up to them as they realized how long they had been up. “I’m sorry you didn’t get any sleep,” Keith said, moving his hand up and down Lance’s arms. Lance just hummed and wiggled closer into Keith. “We can just sleep now.” Keith laughed. “Now? It’s nearly morning.” Lance just laughed with him and shook his head, causing his cheek to nuzzle against Keith's chest. “Well that’s one of the great things about being a prince. You can do whatever you want. Now sleep.”

Keith didn’t argue with him or mention how technically Lance was expected to be at breakfast with Marco and Rachel in just a few hours. Instead he shifted down so he was laying down, careful not to disrupt Lance too much as he moved them. Once he was comfortable, he closed his eyes, trying his best to block out the streams of the sun, and found that sleep came to him easily. Whether it be because of the exhaustion or the perfect, completely understanding man in his arms, Keith didn’t know. But he had his suspicions. 

⋆★⋆

“Lance, what were you thinking ?”

Lance always had a flare for the dramatics. He insisted that it was more fun to live his life energetically than dull. That being said, his dramatics often landed him in trouble. Whether it was by sneaking out of the castle, pulling a prank on his siblings, or just being overall loud, his boisterous personality was no stranger to people's scorns. Keith and Lance had talked about how it made Lance feel, with him already being labeled as a problem before people even got to know him. The topics of his old guards would come up, and Lance would recount different things he had said or done. It was something that Keith was always quick to comment on, making sure that Lance knew how much he loved his extrovertedness. Keith would change Lance, not for anything. However, that didn’t mean that he sometimes didn’t wish Lance would get into less trouble than he did.

“What told you that cartwheeling around the science lab was a good idea,” Queen Nancy said exasperated, her hand going to pinch the bridge of her nose. Lance quirked his head to the side and mumbled, “Well technically it was more than just cartwheels. I did some pretty cool flips too and-” 

“I don’t care what moves you did Lance! I care about the very expensive piece of equipment you crashed into.”

So yeah, sometimes Lance took things a little too far. This time, it was all because of his surprisingly good gymnastic skills. Lance, Hunk, and Keith had gone down to the science labs to try and convince Pidge to take a break. The young beta had been hard at work but Lance insisted that they should take a lunch break. Pidge refused, of course, and this queued Lance trying his hardest to convince them. He tried to play the prince card- “that doesn’t work on me, Lance” -and then he tried to get Keith to forcibly pick them up, to which the knight admiralty refused. Finally, Lance decided to strike a bet, knowing that Pidge always likes to try their hand at winning something. 

“If I can tumble to the other side of the lab and perfectly land on my feet, then you have to come to lunch with us. If I fail, then we leave you alone.” Pidge, after changing their reward to $10, accepted. Secretly, Keith knew that Pidge was likely going to eat lunch with them anyways, and was likely just trying to fuck with Lance. Lance was actually incredibly flexible and agile (a fact that Keith totally did not think about when he was alone in bed). As such, the prince was usually able to perform multiple different tricks and flips, form and landing always perfect. That would have been the case this time too if it wasn’t for the giant computer database that was wheeled directly in front of Lance’s path when he was already airborne. He crashed into it with a heavy thud, and the beeping piece of technology had begun to wail loudly, letting everyone in the lab know that it was facing some kind of problem. Keith had been quick to rush over to Lance, picking him up and immediately searched for any injuries. Lance assured him that he was fine, just incredibly sore from hitting the heavy piece of metal. Keith had continued his assessment, ignoring the laughs of Pidge and Hunk behind him once they realized Lance was fine. Keith had concluded that Lance was telling the truth, other than a few bruises that would soon begin to darken. Before he could chastise him for his foolishness, a stern voice called for Lance behind them. Queen Nancy had stood there, grim expression on her face and arms crossed, before demanding that Lance follow her out into the hallway. She had been walking by when she heard the crash and was disappointed to see her son in the middle of the commotion.  After she had confirmed that he was in fact not hurt, she had begun her discipline.

“You need to be more careful. You’re almost twenty and yet you still act like a child.” Keith could see the hurt flash in Lance’s eyes before it was replaced with a bright fire. Oh no, this couldn’t be good. “Well maybe if I was allowed to actually do things I wouldn’t have to find stupid ways to entertain myself.” The queen rolled her eyes before looking back at Lance. Her expression was calm, but stern as she said coolly “We are trying to protect you. You’re father and I just want you to be safe. But that’s hard to do when you are getting yourself into trouble.” Lance scoffed, taking a defensive stance. He began to talk with his hands, limbs flying around to try and signify his frustration. “At some point you are going to need to let me go. Let all of us go. The only one who has ever seen the galaxy is Luis. I know that Marco and Rachel don’t care as much, but you and I both know how much Veronica wants to join to help stop this second Galra Uprising.” Lance gave his mother a pleading look. “How much I want to. I don’t just want to sit here and do nothing. I want to be out there, helping people and exploring the world.”

There was a pause between them and Keith tried to avoid the gaze of both parties. He knew that he was intruding on a private argument, but he couldn’t necessarily go anywhere. He suddenly became very interested in a tapestry that hung near, his eyes boring into the colored thread. He tried to ignore the bitter rise of Lance’s scent.

“Lance, I know that. And someday I hope you can achieve that dream.” Keith could hear Queen Nancy step closer to her son. “But for right now, the best place you can be is here.” Lance didn’t say anything back to her, and Keith could already visualize the look on his face. One that was both sad and angry, but understanding all at the same time. Queen Nancy sighed. “I’m sorry baby, but for right now, your exploration needs to stay within the observatory. Someday you will get your chance. Just be patient.” 

Keith turned back to face them as he heard the queen begin to walk away, her footsteps loud on the marble floor as she made her way back into the lab, likely to find out the damage to the computer. Keith looked over at Lance. The prince was standing completely still, although his fists were clenched in anger. His face was just as upset, but Keith knew that it was for more than just his aggravation with his mom. It was the mention of the observatory.

Lance hadn’t been in the observatory since the attack. It breaks Keith’s heart knowing how much comfort that place provides for Lance, and knowing that the spot was now tainted. It was just like that little spot in the forest where Lance’s first attack had taken place. Lance had acknowledged this, admitting his sadness that he wasn’t allowed into the forest anymore. He had told Keith that he wished he could go, just to get some peace. He also admitted that just as going back to that place had helped him overcome the first attack, going back to the observatory would help him this time. “It’s just hard,” Lance had said one night, dried tears at the top of his face. “I know that going into the observatory again is the first true step to healing but…I just get so panicked everytime I think about it. I’m in there almost every night during my nightmares, and every night I wake up screaming.” Keith had reassured Lance that he wouldn’t let anything happen to him, but Keith understood the fear. And there was nothing he could do to quell it.

“Ugh,” Lance said through gritted teeth. “She’s just so- ah.” He threw his hands up in defeat, clearly recognizing that he wasn’t going to be able to verbalize what he was feeling. Keith just walked over and put his hand on Lance's arm, trying to calm him down through the touch. Lance inhaled at the contact and let out a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He closed his eyes as he did so before opening them up again and sighing. “I just wish…” His sentence trailed off but Keith knew exactly what he was saying. He wished that things could be different. He wished that he wasn’t too afraid to go back to his place of comfort. He wished that his parents would let him go. He wished that everything could just go back to normal.

“I know,” Keith let out softly, squeezing Lance’s shoulder. Once again Keith couldn’t help but think about how this scene would be different if he were Lance’s mate. If he had simple permission to touch him however he pleased to make him feel better. That was Keith’s wish.

Lance looked up at Keith with complete and full understanding on his face. They were in this together, even if they struggled. Lance opened his mouth to speak, but before he could a voice interrupted him. “Oh thank gods you’re okay.” Keith and Lance both turned to see Hunk and Pidge making their way towards them. Right, lunch. Keith let his hand drop from Lance’s shoulder as the two beta’s got closer. “We thought that the queen might smite you from existence,” Pidge said with a snicker. Lance gave them a glare. “Ha ha,” he said in a hard voice. Pidge just smirked. “You’re one lucky fucker, you know. There was no damage to the computer you smacked into. Your big head must have just hit a few buttons to make it go haywire like it did.” Lance let out a squawk, insisting that his head was not big. Pidge continued with their insults, and Hunk worked to try and stop the arguing by suggesting different foods that they could eat for lunch. As one of the castle chefs, he could likely make anything that they wanted.

Keith just watched the trio, a smile on his face as he listened to their antics. He began to trail after them as they made their way down the hallway. Even with his amusement at the scene in front of him, he couldn’t help but think back to Lance’s argument with his mom. Keith wished that there was something he could do for the omega. Unfortunately, Keith couldn’t do anything to try and get Lance off Altea. With Shiro also forbidding him to do anything that wasn’t on the ground, he didn’t have much power. He knew that really, Keith didn’t have to listen to what Shiro said, but he did not want to deal with ‘disappointed dad Shiro’ so he chose to stay put. Still, it was times like these where he wished he could do something more.

It was only as he heard Hunk start to talk about a movie he had recently seen that he got the idea. If he couldn’t take Lance out into the world, maybe he could bring some of the world back to Lance. They hadn’t had one of their movie nights in weeks, and Lance was sure to enjoy bringing the tradition back. And maybe if Keith did it right, he could help Lance overcome his fear of the observatory again.

Keith smiled to himself as his plan came together. He watched Lance as they passed the observatory doors, the wide gates shut tight. The knight could see the longing Lance had to go inside before he turned his head away, making himself focus on Hunk and Pidge. As he moved his head, he caught Keith staring. Instead of feeling embarrassed, Keith held eye contact and Lance just blush, quickly swinging his head to face the front. 

Yeah, Keith knew exactly what he was going to do.

⋆★⋆

It took a few days for Keith to get everything. He had never done anything like it before, and he was nervous that Lance wouldn’t end up liking it. Keith knew that Lance wouldn’t be mean if he ended up not liking what Keith had prepared, but Keith would be able to tell. Lance was very expressive and Keith could read him like a book. So Keith was almost grateful for the days it took him to get ready, knowing that it gave him enough time to fully think it through. The materials had been surprisingly easy to get, thanks to Pidge who showed Keith exactly how to set everything up. They had a knowing smirk on their face, which Keith purposefully ignored and continued to make his way setting everything up. The most difficult part, Keith found, was keeping it a secret from Lance. With Keith as his bodyguard, Lance never went more than a few minutes without Keith by his side, especially now that they were basically living together. Keith had to make up more than one excuse to find a way to escape Lance’s watchful eye. He was sure that the omega was catching on, but Keith planned to be finished before he could connect all the dots.

Now, Keith was trying to plan a way to get Lance to agree to come with him. He didn’t want to lie to the prince, not any more than he had to. He was just nervous that if he brought up the idea, Lance would refuse. The knight watched as Lance fiddled with his book, clearly bored. Today had been fairly boring and the two men had mainly just sat around all day. It was approaching sundown and Lance had been banished to the library. Well, Lance insisted that he had been banished. What actually happened was that he was a little too temperamental at dinner and the king had kindly asked/ordered him to use that energy towards something productive before bed. Rachel had then suggested that he go to the library, something that Lance glared at her for, and the king and queen both thought that was a wonderful idea. Keith and Lance both knew that he didn’t actually have to go, but Lance had dejectedly said “what else are we going to do?”

Keith was actually rather enjoying the book he had picked out. It was about the history of weaponry and was quite interesting. Lance on the other hand, who had filtered through about fifteen books by now, was clearly bored out of his mind. Keith was just waiting for him to break so that he could suggest his surprise. 

Sure enough Lance groaned only a few minutes later, flinging his book to the end table beside him. “Ah, I can't do this anymore. I’m losing my mind. I’d rather just go to bed.” Keith stifled a laugh. He put his book down, closing it and neatly putting it on the table before looking over at Lance. “You know what I was reading was pretty good. Maybe you just haven’t found the right book yet.” Lance rolled his eyes and groaned again. “No, I definitely can’t do this. I can enjoy reading at times, but not when it's practically a punishment.” Keith couldn’t help but smile at the pout on his face, but he quickly became serious as he began to put his plan in motion.

“Listen, I actually had an idea. I just don’t want you to immediately say no.” That definitely peaked Lance’s interest. His hanging head shot up and he looked at Keith expectantly. “What is it? Why didn’t you mention it earlier? Why would I say no?” Keith stood up out of his chair to try and get Lance to stop rattling off questions. “Slow down, Blue. I promise that I’ll tell you. I just- maybe just come with me first,” Keith said, nerves starting to tug at him. “It's a surprise.” Lance didn’t seem to notice and stood up from his own chair, a smile on his face. “A surprise you say.” His eyes were full of curiosity. Well then lead the way, mullet.”

Keith took Lance’s right hand in his and began to pull him out of the library. He started to navigate them towards the direction of the observatory. Lance was practically bouncing as he let Keith drag him down the hall. However, the closer they got to the observatory, the less excited Lance seemed. He definitely knew what was going on.

“Keith,” Lance said, nervousness clear in his voice, “where are we going?” Keith didn’t answer him, not wanting to confirm when they were still a good distance away just in case Lance were to bolt. Not that Keith would catch him, but he hoped that Lance would choose to stay because he wanted to. Keith would never force Lance to go in if he didn’t want to, but he prayed that he would. “Keith,” Lance said again, this time more sternly as he began to try and twist his hand out of Keith’s hold. Keith was stronger though and he held firmly. Even as Lance tried to stop his feet Keith’s movements made it impossible for him not to follow.

When they finally reached the thick doors of the observatory, Keith almost regretted his plan when he saw the look on Lance’s face. He looked utterly betrayed, although there were still hints of curiosity. Like he was trying to figure out why Keith would bring him here without having to ask, but he eventually gave up. “What are we doing here, Keith,” he said resolutely. It almost seemed as if Lance was afraid of the answer. Keith just turned to face the prince and squeezed Lance’s hand. Lance didn’t return the gesture, but that didn’t stop Keith from continuing. “Listen, just remember that I would never do anything that I thought could hurt you. You know that right.” Keith could barely breath in the few ticks it took before Lance nodded his head. Keith let out a sigh of relief and gathered up his courage.

“Look, I know that what happened here was traumatic. Trust me, I know. Everytime I close my eyes I can see that man standing over you. I think about all the time what would have happened if I was just a few seconds late and it kills me.” Lance takes in a shaky breath, definitely getting mad at the fact that Keith was bringing it up. That didn’t stop the knight, though, and he kept going. “But I also know that the only way to face these memories is to make sure that they don’t keep a hold on you. I’m not the best at doing that, and I know that. I’m not the most open and I’d rather forget about my problems than face them. But you Lance,” he sighed, “you are so much stronger than me. Everytime you tell me about that day in the woods years ago I always am in awe of how amazing you are. The courage you had- that you still have. It makes me admire you.” Lance’s cold expression was definitely falling apart at the sweet words Keith was saying, but he still looked guard as he took in the giant doors in front of him. “That’s all good and well Keith but why would you bring me here?”

“You told me that what made you work through Michelle’s death was revisiting the place where it happened. It helped empower you and take back all the bad memories. You also told me that you need to do the same with the observatory.” Lance looked a little upset that Keith was using his own words against him but he didn’t make any motions of trying to stop Keith from talking. “You love this place. And I would hate for you to never step foot in it again because of some assholes.”

He could tell that Lance wanted to laugh at his last comment but he was holding it back. “I just want you to go in. If you immediately hate it then we can go back to your room and go to bed. But I really think this is for the best.” And then, a little sheepishly, Keith continued. “Plus, your surprise is in there.” Lance narrowed his eyes and looked to the doors before looking back at Keith. His face was a lot more vulnerable than it was just a few moments ago. “But what if I can’t do it,” the prince said faintly. Keith just smiled at him and squeezed his hand again. “Then you try again tomorrow.”

Lance considered it for a few seconds. His eyebrows wrinkled together as he thought and Keith held his breath. Finally, after what felt like years, Lance nodded. “Okay, okay. We can go in.” Keith’s eyes widened and he hastily asked, “are you sure?” Lance just scoffed. “I just said yes, you idiot. Now let’s do it before I change my mind.”

Keith nodded his head again in agreement and let go of Lance’s hand to reach for the double doors, pulling them open before Lance ran away. Once they were opened, he turned to see Lance who was staring at the floor, refusing to look inside. His hands were shaking and Keith quickly came back over to him, standing in front so that he was blocking Lance’s view. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Keith grabbed both of his hands, hoping that the pressure would reassure Lance as much as it comforted Keith. Lance hesitated for a moment before he nodded his head. “Yes, I’m sure. Besides, I want to see what this surprise is.” Keith cracked a smile before he began to walk backwards, pulling Lance with him into the room.

Keith knew instantly when Lance saw what was in the room. His nervous and grim expression immediately fell as he took in the room. His eyes widened in glee and wonder and the corners of his mouth began to lift up. Keith himself turned to take in the room as well, keeping one of Lance’s hands tight in his grasp as he let the other one go. 

The observatory was filled with light blue light as the projections of different star systems and galaxies floated around the room. The Altean’s advanced technology made it easy to view other systems, and Keith was never more grateful for it than at this moment. In the center of the room was a giant video screen Keith had borrowed from Pidge. Keith had queued up an Earthen movie that he thought Lance would like. Surrounding the screen was about a dozen blankets and pillows, practically filling the whole space. There were different snacks and drinks scattered throughout it, including those garlic knot things that Lance loved so much. Keith silently thanked Hunk for his food expertise. Keith had tried his best to make sure that the observatory looked nothing like it did the night of the attack, and he was hoping that he succeeded. 

Lance didn’t say anything as he took it all in. He opened his mouth numerous times but he always closed it again when nothing came out. Keith had never seen Lance speechless before and he couldn’t help but warm at the fact that he had caused it. The omega looked around at all the stars, at the movie, at the blanket covered floor before finally coming to look at Keith. Keith could feel the flush rising up his purple skin as Lance’s bright eyes settled on his. The knight stood there, waiting for Lance’s reaction, but it still seemed like Lance didn’t even know what to say. Keith took that as the sign that he should start explaining.

The older man gulped and cleared his throat, hoping that Lance wouldn’t find this weird. “I just- I just wanted to make sure that you would be comfortable. I know how hard this would be for you and I wanted- well I wanted you to be able to enjoy this place again.” Lance still didn’t say anything, almost as if he were in shock, and so Keith continued and began to ramble. “Pidge helped me with all the technology stuff and Hunk helped with the food. Hopefully everything works and tastes good because if it doesn't, I don’t know what to do. And the movie is from Earth! I found it in the old data collections of Outer-Planet films. It said that it had music in it, which I know you like, so that’s why I picked it out. But if you end up hating it then we can just watch something else. Or watch nothing and forget about the whole thing- oomph.”

Keith was cut off as Lance suddenly launched himself into Keith’s arms. Keith felt it as Lance’s hand ripped out of his and found its way around Keith’s neck. The alpha wrapped his arms around Lance’s waist, holding him close as Lance whispered, “thank you,” in his ear. “Thank you thank you thank you,” Lance repeated, his voice getting more excited with every word. Lance was squeezing Keith’s neck so tightly that the knight was almost afraid that he wouldn’t be able to breath if Lance held on any tighter. Even so, Keith didn’t try to remove Lance’s hands and instead kept holding onto him, pressing his face into Lance’s neck. They stayed like this for a few moments, simply holding onto one another as Keith repeated “I love you” in his head over and over again. 

Eventually, Lance pulled away so that he could look at Keith, but his arms stayed swung over Keith’s neck. Keith kept his own hands on the prince’s waist in response. “This is perfect,” Lance said, voice soft and delicate. He looked around the room again to take in all the swirling galaxies. “How did you find time to do all this,” he asked in awe. Keith let out a chuckle. “It wasn’t easy. I had to make up a lot of excuses.” Lance turned his head back to face Keith and the knight could see the younger man go through his memory of the past few days. He had a little out on his face but his eyes still held all the happiness Keith knew he must feel. “Well,” Lance said, dragging out the word, “I suppose I can let all that lying slide then. I won’t behead you today.” Keith laughed and shook his head. “Wow, how kind of you, your highness.” Lance let his mouth transform into a smile and Keith couldn’t help but melt. Lance was looking at Keith like he hung the stars, and he supposed, that at this moment he kind of had.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the video screen begin to turn black due to not being used and it jumped Keith into action. “Did you want to watch the movie,” he asked while directing his head towards the screen. “If we start it now we can finish it before curfew.” Lance stared at the screen before nodding his head excitedly. “Yes.” It came out a bit gravelly and so he tried again. “Yes, Yes. Please.”

Keith reluctantly untangled himself from Lance so that he could go over to set up the movie again. When he turned back around after queuing it he saw that Lance had settled down on the floor, blanket already in his lap. Keith grabbed the remote that came with the screen and sat down next to Lance, putting very little room between their bodies.

“Just remember,” Keith started, “if you feel too overwhelmed to be here we can leave at any time.” Lance shot a tentative look over to the side of the room where Keith had saved him during the attack. He took in a deep breath before he shook his head. “No, I want to stick it out.” Keith opened his mouth to argue but Lance shushed him before he could. “But thank you,” he said sincerely. “I’ll make sure to tell you if I want to leave.”\

Keith nodded his head and left it at that before grabbing the bucket of popcorn Hunk had left and handed it to Lance. Lance gladly took a few pieces and threw them in his mouth. He said something indistinguishable with his mouth full of popcorn and Keith gave him a gross look. “That’s disgusting Lance,” he said, although there was still a smile present on his face. “Plus I have no clue what you said.” Lance rolled his eyes before swallowing, his throat bobbing. “I asked,” Lance said, tone indicating his irritation, “what movie are we watching?”

Keith just smiled and lifted the remote up to press play. The opening credits started to play, revealing a deep blue sky with a golden castle in the center. The music blasted through the speakers Pidge had set up and Keith looked back over at Lance.

“It’s called Enchanted.”

⋆★⋆

“Wait, pause. Did they just have those fancy outfits on hand? They are common people, right? Why do they all have these fancy ball gowns?” 

“They probably bought them, Lance. Specifically for the event,” Keith groaned out. Lance was a talker even through movies, and as much as Keith wanted to be annoyed by it, he secretly found it endearing.

The movie was definitely a success. Lance had been fascinated as it changed from an animation to real people and couldn’t stop staring at all the things in the background, completely in awe of the “New York City” the story took place in. He proudly told Keith that it was a real place, insisting that he read about it in one of the books he read about Earth. Keith had just smiled as Lance got more and more excited with each new thing he learned about the planet through the movie. Lance happily hummed along to the different songs in the movie, and told Keith that he thinks it's some of the best movie music he had heard. Lance’s smile grew as the movie continued, commentating about the different things he liked or didn’t like. Keith thought that he was actually pretty similar to the protagonist, Giselle, with how happy he got with each new revelation. 

They were nearing the end of the movie and Keith could see how excited Lance was to watch it. The characters were attending a ball- something Lance said he was jealous of -and Keith and Lance were both watching eagerly as the love interest Robert began to dance with Giselle. “Oh I hope they kiss,” Lance said enthusiastically. “Wouldn’t it be so romantic if they kissed?” Keith nodded his head but shushed him. “If you don’t be quiet you might miss it.” Lance elbowed him in the side but did stop talking, beginning to watch the screen with intense interest as the music filled the speakers.

So close to reaching that famous happy ending

Almost believing this one’s not pretend

Now you’re beside me, and look how far we’ve come

So far, we are so close

Keith watched as Giselle and Robert danced, their tension clear and heavy. But as they watched, Keith couldn’t help but let his gaze turn to Lance. Lance’s eyes were sparkling and his lips were pursed as he watched the screen. His whole body was illuminated due to the soft blue glow of the observatory. He looked ethereal. 

Lance must have been able to sense that Keith was looking at him because he turned his head to look at Keith. “What,” he asked with a breathy laugh. Fuck, even his voice was delicate. It was as if the atmosphere of the room was making everything soft and hazy and Keith could do nothing to stop it. 

“What,” Lance said again, eyelids drooping due to his tiredness. Keith startled out of his trance and looked forward again. “Nothing, ah nothing.” Keith was embarrassed to be caught staring and hoped that Lance would let it go. He didn’t however and pressed closer to Keith. “No, tell me what?” Keith was silent as he thought of an excuse. “Shh, you’re missing the movie.” It was true. The evil queen, disguised as the hag, was handing Giselle one of the poisoned apples. Lance gave a grumble but turned away from Keith to face the screen again, gasping as Giselle fell to the ground.

The two of them watched the rest of the movie in silence, other than a comment from Lance here and there. They watched with rapt attention as the queen turned into a dragon and Giselle worked to save herself and Robert. Lance let out a celebratory cheer when they kissed on top of the rooftop, grinning from ear to ear. Even Keith, who usually wasn’t the romantic movie type, could admit that Giselle and Robert were a good couple. Keith was happy that they ended up together. As the movie credits began, showing the ‘happily ever afters’ of the characters, Lance moved closer to Keith. “So,” he said, voice low, “are you going to tell me why you were staring at me now?”

Keith began to internally panic. His mind was racing with all the different things he could say instead of the truth, not wanting to make his feelings known. But as he thought about all the different excuses he could make, the alpha came to a realization. With the music of the movie still ringing in his ear, Keith realized that maybe he could be a bit more romantic, even if romance isn't explicitly the intention. Maybe he couldn't tell Lance the extent to which his feelings go, but why can’t he tell him parts of the truth. Keith already tells Lance how much he admires him. Why is this any different?

“I just,” he paused before saying, “you’re beautiful, Blue.” It was said so simply and yet it caused a blush to erupt on Lance’s face. His cheeks and ears grew red and Keith was sure that if he ran a finger over his markings they would be hot to the touch. Lance looked down at his lap and grabbed those bracelets, as he always did to let Keith know that he was nervous. “Gods, you can’t just say stuff like that, Keith,” Lance said, his voice shaking as he let out a jittery laugh. Keith didn’t back down though. “Why not? It’s the truth. You know you’re gorgeous.” Lance said it all the time. He was constantly talking about how attractive he was. Hell, his skin routine alone was an indicator on how much he spent on his appearance. 

Lance shook his head though. “It’s different when you say it,” he said, like it was obvious. “You’ve never said anything like that to me before.” Keith gapped at him. “Yes I have,” he deadpans. Lance shook his head again. “No, you haven't.” “Yes I have,” Keith insisted, looking at him incredulously. “I literally complimented you before we even came in here!” Lance scoffed and sat up on his knees over Keith. “Yeah, but that's about my personality. Not about how I look.” Keith rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry that I never appreciated the superficial shit about you and only the deep, personable stuff.” Keith couldn’t even believe he was having this argument with Lance. But typical Lance, always having to be difficult with anything.

He had said that last line as a joke but Lance still seemed proud of himself for getting Keith to say that. “Thank you,” he said smugly, sitting back down on the ground. He snuggled up to Keith even though the movie was over and they would have to get up soon to make curfew. Keith honestly didn’t even know what just happened. He complimented Lance, which somehow turned into an argument (that Lance clearly thought he won), and then ended with Lance cuddling with him. As much as Keith loved and understood Lance, a part of him knew that Lance would also remain just a little unpredictable.

“I think you’re beautiful too,” Lance said randomly, proving Keith’s point exactly. Keith let out an involuntary noise as he choked a little, completely caught off guard. Lance giggled at Keith’s reaction. Keith spluttered for a few ticks before Lance’s laugh got louder, overpowering him. “What, you can’t take what you give, Kogane?” 

That effectively shut Keith up, a defense swirling in his mind. “That is not it at all,” the knight said sternly. He could feel an involuntary pout begin to form on his face as Lance continued to laugh. “I just,” he paused, trying to get his bearings, “you can’t just say things like that,” he said, repeating Lance’s words from just a few moments before. 

Lance’s laughter immediately stopped and Keith could feel it as the prince held his breath, the rise and fall of his chest stopping. Keith hadn’t fully understood what Lance meant by that sentence, not at first. But now, after saying it himself, Keith realized what it insinuated, at least for him.  For Lance to say something like that so casually was unfair. How could he be allowed to say something that made Keith feel so much? How was he allowed to stay things that made Keith fall harder in love with him?

Keith knew that for him, Lance even so much as looking at him sent him into a frenzy of love and arousal. Keith wanted to soak up as much from Lance as he could and hold it close to his heart, whatever it was. And maybe, if this was how Keith felt, Lance felt the same. Or at least, had the potential to feel the same. Lance was never one to shy away from praise, but yet, he would always become a shy, blushing mess whenever Keith would say anything. That has to count for something, right? Maybe when Lance had started the spat about the compliments what he was really saying was that it was unfair for Keith to make him feel that way too. That it was unfair to make him keep falling for him.

Perhaps their feelings weren’t as different as Keith thought. He was trying not to get himself too excited, knowing that the simplicity of Lance complimenting him wasn’t enough proof to say that the omega had feelings for him. But, it was a start. A beginning.

Keith felt it as Lance let out the breath he was holding, his chest joining in tandem with Keith’s as he began to steadily breathe again. Neither of them spoke, and Keith’s mind was running with possibility.

⋆★⋆

Keith and Lance did not say much after the compliments were shared. They sat there, arms intertwined, until the projector went black and the uneaten food got cold. Keith would have been content to stay there forever, but eventually the curfew warning rang out, reminding them both that they needed to get back to their rooms.

As Keith settled Lance into bed an hour later, the movie long finished and the observatory cleaned up, he couldn’t stop thinking about his conversation with Lance.

It wasn’t much, but it was one of the first things that gave Keith really, concrete hope. The way Lance had looked at him was something that Keith had not seen before. Or perhaps he had and he just wasn’t realizing it until now. Either way, Keith couldn’t get it out of his head. The shine in Lance’s eyes. The softness of his smile. It was all too much.

Lance moved around in the bed, working to get comfortable, and Keith began to retreat into his own room. He doubted that he would be able to sleep,his mind working up with what had transpired just hours before, and would likely not be able to until he came into Lance’s room to pull the prince out of his nightmares.

Almost as if Lance was reading his mind, the prince stretched his arm out to stop Keith from leaving his bedside. “Wait, Keith!” Keith stopped, not daring to rip his arm out of Lance’s clutches, and turned back to face the omega. Somehow Lance still looked like he had been the one caught in surprise, his eyes wide. Keith raised his eyebrow, giving him a questioning look.

“I just,” Lance started, voice soft, “I had a really nice time tonight. Thank you.” It was said with such sincerity that it made Keith blink before stuttering out an answer. “You- you don’t need to thank me Lance.” Lance shook his head. “Yes I do,” he said firmly. “You know that I haven't been back in the observatory since,” he paused and took in a shaky breath, “since the attack. And you know how much I’ve missed it. Without tonight, I don’t know when I would have made it back in there.” He looked up at Keith, a grateful smile on his face. “And that means the world to me.”

You mean the world to me , Keith thought feverishly. Instead of saying that, however, Keith just mumbled another set of nonsense, insisting that Lance did not have to feel any kind of gratitude for him. Keith knew that not everyone would have done it, but he doesn't like to think about Lance not being given the treatment he deserves. At his refusal to take Lance’s thanks again, the prince got a hard look on his face, clearly ready to argue some more. Keith cut him off before he could, shushing him. “Listen, I don’t want to have another silly fight,” he said, drawing back to the moment that had him so winded up in the first place, “so let's just stop before we start. I should get into my own bed for the night.” 

Keith made a motion to walk away but Lance stopped him again. “Actually,” Lance said while blushing, “I was wondering if you wanted to just…stay the night?” Keith didn’t know what Lance meant. He was already sleeping right next door. 

Keith made his confusion clear. “I already live here,” he said slowly. It came out more as a question than a statement, but he was sure that regardless of how he said it Lance would still be rolling his eyes. “Not in the castle you idiot,” Lance said, clearly exasperated, “I meant here. In- in my bed.”

And fuck, that is not what Keith was thinking that Lance would say. His heart raced just at the thought. Immediately he knew that the answer was yes, but in his shock he must have taken too long to respond because Lance quickly began to ramble. “I just mean, you’re probably going to come in here anyways, you know. Because of my nightmares and stuff. So I just thought that instead of making you walk all the way over here it would be easier if you were just already here. Unless that would cause you to get a worse night sleep because of my tossing and turning. Shit, I didn't want that so maybe-”

“Blue,” Keith said, cutting him off, “of course I’ll stay here with you.” Keith saw it as Lance’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, like he had expected the answer to be no, before quickly moving over on his bed to make room for the knight. Keith settled down onto the bed, assuming his usual position. Lance moved closer to him, his tan skin pressing up against Keith’s pale purple one. Once he was comfortable he let out something that could almost be a purr. In any other situation Keith would bring it up, if only to see the blush rise on Lance’s face, but not now. Now, Keith knew that the sound was Lance’s omega admitting that the prince felt secure. That the prince felt safe.

Lance was asleep in minutes, his light breathing blowing across Keith’s skin and sending goosebumps up his arm. Keith tried his best to settle down too but his mind was working overtime trying to decipher the events of the night. Lance’s expression when he saw the observatory, his closeness during the movie, his compliments. It made Keith rethink everything, ideas swirling around in his mind.

Keith had always been ambitious. He was never one to shy away from what he wanted and would put up a fight if he thought that his goals were threatened. On the battlefield that skill was what made him deadly. But in the presence of Lance it seemed to go dormant. Keith had spent so long worrying about Allura and Lance not returning his feelings that he never thought to consider that he should work to fight for Lance. Lance had always made it perfectly clear that he didn’t appreciate alpha’s making decisions for him, and Keith supposed that he had internalized that. If Lance were to develop feelings for him, Keith would want it to be organic, not something that Keith was pushing.

But maybe it would do him so good to work romance into his and Lance’s relationship. Tonight, even though its purpose wasn’t to get Lance to fall for him, had resulted in Lance complimenting him. Maybe if he did things with romantic intention, to show rather than tell Lance that his feelings went farther than just friendship, Keith could gain the confidence to tell Lance how he felt. And maybe Lance would return his sentiments.

Gods, Keith almost sounded pathetic with the way he was lapping up any affection Lance would give him, but the knight didn’t care. He would gladly throw himself at Lance’s feet if it meant that the omega would shower him in praises. He would do anything for the prince.

As he finally began to drift off to sleep, the knowledge that he would surely be back up in a few hours in the back of his mind, Keith realized what he had to do. As nervous as it made him, he was going to have to show Lance how much he meant to him. It was unfair of Keith to keep thinking that Lance was just going to wake up one day and realize that Keith had been waiting for him. Keith was going to make Lance see him.

For the first time in a long time, Keith let himself dream of a happy ending. One that was actually possible. 

⋆★⋆

Despite Keith’s wishes for sweet dreams, he woke up the next night in a cold sweat. He heard himself gasp but he didn’t truly feel it, his mind too focused on the images it conquered up. Bodies flashed in his mind, battered and bloody. Bodies without heads and heads without faces. His fellow soldiers, his comrades, lying on the ground, all life sucked out of them.

Keith closed his eyes, trying to wish the pictures away, but even among the blackness he saw them. He reopened his eyes and looked around Lance’s room, trying to center himself. He was here, in the palace, next to Lance. He wasn’t on the battlefield. He wasn’t in danger.

The alpha repeated this to himself, trying to calm down. He was terribly aware of his breathing and his blinks, almost forcing himself to keep functioning. It’s not real , Keith thought through labored breaths, not anymore.

As Keith worked to push the memories away he felt Lance begin to stir beside him. He realized that perhaps tonight was bad for both of them. He shook Lance awake, hoping that focusing on Lance’s nightmares will help him forget his own, and soon enough Lance was gasping in his arms.

It took longer for Lance to become coherent than normal. Part of which was due to the nature of Lance’s nightmare, which the prince stumbled over his words as he tried to recount it to Keith. The other part was because of Ketih himself, who’s own nightmare caused him to be more nervous than he wanted to be. He tried to remember how to get Lance to relax, but everytime he tried to think his mind would pull him back to the battlefield. Eventually he just settled on repeating what he hoped were soothing phrases, trying to reach both Lance and himself.

“You’re okay, sweetheart. You’re okay. I’m right here.”

It seemed to work, eventually, and he and Lance sunk back into the pillows exhausted. Keith didn’t mention his own night terror to Lance, but he was sure that the omega could tell he was less attending than usual. He didn’t comment on it, however, to which Keith was grateful.

Keith was waiting for Lance to begin his usual post-nightmare conversation, but he frowned when Lance finally began to speak. “Keith, can I ask you something?” He sounded hesitant, and Keith never wanted Lance to ever feel hesitant with him. He squeezed Lance’s body closer to his chest. “Of course, Lance. You know you can ask me anything.” He expected Lance to immediately fire something at him, but the prince paused and didn’t say anything for a few moments. Just as Keith was about to ask him if he was okay, he spoke.

“What is the real reason why you quit?”

And well, that was not what Keith thought he was going to ask. Fuck, it wasn’t one that Keith wanted him to ask. Everytime Lance brought up that night, Keith was always quick to reassure him that it was just him being an idiot and that he regretted it. And those weren’t lies. Keith knew that his actions that night were rash and stupid, and he would forever be grateful that Lance let him back into his life. But he still never planned on telling Lance the true reason as to why. Keith was about to defend himself, trying to reiterate his previous claims, but Lance continued before he could.

“It’s just- everytime I ask you about that night you always brush it off. Insisting that it didn’t have anything to do with me. But,” he gave a hysterical laugh, “I just can’t believe that. The way you behaved before and especially the way you behave now doesn’t line up with someone that didn’t care enough to stay. What happened that night to make you leave me?”

Keith hated the insecurity in Lance’s voice, but he still didn’t want to reveal why. Not only would it sound incredibly stupid, it also would let Lance in on his feelings. And although Keith decided that he was going to work to make Lance realize them, he didn’t want to do it in this way. It was supposed to be romantic, not when Lance was distraught.

“Lance, I just-”

“No,” Lance said, voice rising as he moved to look over Keith. “No, you’re not allowed to keep ignoring this. It may sound stupid or immature but,” he let out a gasp, trying to gather his words, “I think about that night all the time.” It was said so quietly and softly that Keith almost missed the subtle anger in his voice. “I think about how last night everything was perfect. Before the attack, before the Uprising,” his voice cracked, “before you left. And I try not to let it bother me. Because you came back.” Lance shrugged as he said it but Keith could see the emotion creeping over his face. “But it does. It bothers me that you just quit without a word, with a fucking letter,” he was yelling now and throwing his hands around. “And it bothers me that you won’t tell me why.”

Keith wanted nothing more than to stay calm for Lance. He didn’t like it when he and the omega fought, actually fought. Their banter was one of his favorite things about his relationship with the prince, but not this. Not when they were saying things that cut deeper than petty insults. 

Keith took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure and push back the anger he was feeling. He knew that Lance had every right to feel this way, he did. But he also knew that he had his own reasons for not wanting to relive the memory. He began thinking of things to settle Lance down, but the next words out of the prince’s mouth made him snap.

“Don’t you trust me?”

Keith could hardly believe the question. He knew that he would regret what he did next, but his short temper already took control of his mind and words. Maybe it was his lack of sleep, or the nightmare still plaguing his thoughts, because Keith suddenly exploded.

“Of course I trust you Lance,” he growled. “How can you even ask me that after all the shit I’ve told you?” He knew it wasn’t the right thing to say as soon as Lance’s expression grew hard. “Oh like what,” the prince said with annoyance, “you barely tell me anything. I ask and I ask and I ask and you just always give me these half-assed answers.”

“I don’t have to tell you fucking everything,” Keith said, alpha fighting back in his chest. “There are things in my life that I would rather forget and I don’t need you to keep pushing me to talk about them. There are horrors in my life that I don’t want you to know.” Lance rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m a grown man, Keith. I can handle things that aren’t all bunny rabbits and dandelions. You don’t have to treat me like I’m fragile.”

“You know that I have never once treated you like you were fragile.” How dare Lance say that to him. After everything. “Don’t confuse me with the other guards you have had, Lance. I’m not like them, and you know it.”

“Then stop fucking acting like them,” Lance yelled back, hands balling into fists. Keith could see it as he squeezed his nails into his palm before letting out a breath and looking Keith directly in his eyes. “I know,” he said cautiously, “that you aren’t them. But when you’re keeping these secrets from me, I can’t help but think about my time before you. Especially when the secrets revolve around why you left.” Despite his attempts to calm himself his voice got louder. “So I can’t understand why you can’t just fucking tell me?”

“Because I was jealous, okay!”

Keith didn’t mean to say it but the words ripped out of him before he could properly think of anything else to say. He tried not to think about how close his voice had been to his alpha voice, and worked to maintain eye contact with Lance, who looked at him, taken aback.

“I was fucking jealous,” he repeated, although this time was much softer as the fight drained from his body. Lance just gaped at him, clearly not understanding. “Jealous of what?” His voice was still sharp but he wasn’t yelling anymore. Keith didn’t want to answer, but at this point, he had already said too much to ignore it.

“Of you and,” he paused, voice suddenly feeling raw, “and Allura.” Lance just shook his head as his confusion deepened on his face. Keith knew that he would have to explain, and prepared himself for Lance’s reaction.

“I- I know now that you too weren't together.” He was speaking slowly, more for his benefit than for Lance’s. “But at the time, I thought you too were going to get married. Bond.”

“The engagement,” Lance whispered, understanding in his voice. Keith nodded his head. “The engagement. I saw what I thought was you two getting engaged that night.” Lance looked as if he was recalling the memory, looking away from Keith as he tried to put the pieces together. “But then why-”

“Because I couldn’t take it,” Keith said, cutting Lance off. He couldn’t deal with Lance speaking right now. Not when his heart was being forced out and dissected. “I know now that it was ridiculous but. At the time, it felt easier to be away than to watch you guys be happy. Then to watch you be with her .”

Keith could barely handle watching Lance. Even if he wasn’t explicitly saying I love you he was practically delivering Lance a confession on a silver platter. He didn’t want it to happen like this. Keith had just agreed to let Lance know about his feelings slowly. Not yell it at him in the middle of the night. 

Keith didn’t know if he was relieved or afraid when Lance didn’t say anything. He just kept staring at Lance, shock wide on his face. The longer the silence stretched on the more panicked Keith felt that he had just ruined everything. 

“Oh.”

That was all Lance said. It was infuriatingly soft and Keith wanted to scream. How could Lance still make him feel so many things even when he was rejecting him. Just as he was about to try and make Lance understand him, the prince spoke again.

“Keith, I’m,” he paused and Keith felt his heart stop along with him, “I’m sorry for pushing you. I didn’t mean to insinuate that you don’t trust me. I’m sorry.” 

What the fuck. Keith couldn't help but be confused. In all the scenarios where he imagined Lance apologizing, it was because he didn’t share Keith’s feelings. Why was Lance not even acknowledging Keith’s feelings towards him?

“It’s- It’s fine,” Keith stammered, because what else was he supposed to say? “I- I just- Lance?”

Lance had rolled over on the bed, facing away from Keith. And Keith was freaking out, not knowing what to do.

“Listen it’s late, Keith.” Lance’s voice was slightly muffled by the blanket he had pulled up to his face. “And I didn’t want to fight with you tonight. Let’s just go to bed.”

Okay, so what the actual fuck.

Keith looked down at Lance, mouth hanging open as he tried to figure out what to say. Lance had done a complete 180. He went from yelling and berating Keith for information to just laying down and going to bed? After what Keith had just confessed. 

“Goodnight, Keith.” Lance’s voice sounded sad as he said it. But Keith didn’t understand why. If he didn’t return the alpha’s feelings, why wouldn’t he just say it. Lance was never one to shy away from speaking his mind. So why now? And how was Keith just expected to go to bed after this?

Even with these thoughts, Keith still responded. “Goodnight, Lance,” he whispered, more confused than he had ever been.

⋆★⋆

Lance acted cold to Keith when they woke up again later that morning, and the knight was sure that it had to do with his confession. Everytime Keith tried to engage Lance in their usual witty banter, Lance always shut it down, feigning tiredness or insisting that he needed to go speak with someone else, anyone else, in the castle. Keith spent the day trailing after Lance and trying to talk about their early morning conversation, but to no success.

Despite his attitude, Lance still pulled Keith into bed with him that night, something that Keith was grateful for. He didn’t cuddle next to him as usual however, and even put considerable distance when Keith was soothing his nightmare away.

Lance seemed to get over his problem the day after that, but there was still an underlining of strangeness in his behavior. While he used to be overly affectionate and overly talkative, Lance seemed to be restraining himself from both. At least to Keith.

Keith didn’t understand it. He felt like he was walking on eggshells around the prince, trying to figure out how he felt. It didn’t seem like Lance was upset with him for his feelings. If he were Keith was sure that he would tell him. No, this was something else.

A few scenarios ran through his mind. One, Lance was simply ignoring the fact that Keith had feelings for him, or two, Lance didn’t realize that Keith had feelings for him. Which, neither one sounded quite possible. Lance was never one to not tell someone how they felt. Although he had never officially courted anyone, Lance did have a slew of admirers. And while he would dance and flirt with them, at the end of the night he always made it clear that they didn’t have a future together. Keith was sure that the omega would extend the same courtesy to him, which gave way to the next point. Lance was somehow too oblivious to realize that when Keith told him that he was jealous, that meant that Keith had romantic feelings for him.

In a twisted way it made sense. Lance had been jealous when he thought Keith was going to accept another job offer. Maybe he thought that it was similar with Keith. It was no secret that if Lance had married Allura, he would have moved to the Northern kingdom to reside in her palace. Oftentimes royalty switched their staff, including their knights, during those alliances. Could Lance have thought that Keith was upset with the fact that he could be replaced? Or maybe Lance simply thought that Keith was talking about their friendship?

It still didn’t make much sense, but it was the only reasonable solution he could come up with. Lance must not have realized what Keith meant. As brilliant as the prince could be, Keith knew all too well how easy it was for him to overlook things.

As soon as Keith realized this, he also realized that his earlier deduction of making Lance know about his feelings still stood. He thought that his plan to subtly introduce the idea to Lance was torn away from him, but if Lance still had no idea about how Keith truly felt, then maybe this was the perfect opportunity. So long as Lance didn’t connect the dots to his jealousy, Keith could still tell Lance how he felt on his own terms.

Doubts still flooded Keith’s mind, ones about how Lance already did know and was just trying to let Keith down easy, but he worked to push them away. If Lance wanted to reject him, then he was going to have to say it to his face. Not through passive aggressive methods. And if he didn’t know, then well, Keith was going to make him. Even if Lance was too oblivious for his own good.

Somehow, somehow, Keith was going to tell him how much he loved him. He just had to figure out how to do it first.

Chapter Text

Keith realized very quickly that trying to do huge romantic gestures were easier said than done. Especially with Lance. 

It didn’t help that Lance was still acting weird around him. It was hard to describe how he was acting. The coldness Keith experienced at first had thawed, but there was still hesitation in Lance’s actions. If Keith knew for sure that Lance understood his feelings, he would assume that the prince was trying to put distance between them so that Keith’s feelings would go away. But Keith was still sure that Lance didn’t know the extent to how he felt. He couldn’t. So Keith tried to ignore it, and it was getting better as the days went by, but the prince still wasn’t acting in his usual affectionate way. His behavior just further confirmed that Keith needed him to fully understand the depth of his feelings.

In deciding that he was going to work his way up to explicitly telling Lance how he felt, Keith had begun some research about ways to court someone. Which essentially meant asking Shiro what he did when he was courting Adam.

It was actually pretty embarrassing, with the way Shiro practically began to plan the wedding when Keith asked him for some advice. Keith had tried to get Shiro to calm down, insisting that he hadn’t even done anything yet. But Shiro, naturally, was completely convinced that Lance already had feelings for Keith and that as soon as Keith “actually put effort into trying to be happy” all the pieces would fall into place. Keith argued with him, telling him all about how Lance had not commented on his feelings when Keith told him about his jealousy with Allura. Shiro had just laughed, insisting that Lance was probably trying not to get his hopes up. “It was the same when we first talked about this, Keith. You also ignored any sign that Lance may have feelings for you because you were scared of getting hurt. I’m sure it’s the same with the prince.”

Keith had refuted that, but gratefully listened to what Shiro had done to win over Adam. He had let out a gritted thank you, cheeks burning as Shiro teased him out the door.

The advice Shiro had given him was great. Keith could match it up with stories he had heard at the front lines when the alpha’s would start to miss their mates, and knew that they would be successful. Or well, they would be if Keith didn’t decide to fall in love with the most difficult omega in the galaxy. 

Lance was just very particular. His strong personality was what Keith admired about him, but it also made courting him difficult. He also was the prince, which didn’t help matters. Some of the acts of service Shiro had talked to him were things that Keith already did. He couldn’t exactly call fetching Lance a blanket when he was cold or taking a walk around the gardens romantic when it was things that Keith just did as his guard. Or maybe that wasn’t necessarily true. Keith knew that those actions went beyond normal guard duties. However, they were still things that Keith had always done, so he couldn’t exactly turn it into something new now. 

Keith knew that love letters were a very common procedure during courting. It was one of the things that made Keith so adimate about Lance and Allura, believing that the letters they shared were ones of romantic affection. But technically Keith and Lance were not officially courting. To write a letter with such emotions and passion would fill Keith with too much embarrassment. Not to mention Keith and Lance were around each other almost every second of the day. They were even sleeping in the same bed now for fucks sakes. To give Lance a letter would be completely ridiculous. 

Keith had thought that perhaps the best, and most obvious answer, could be gift giving. Keith had never been particularly good at it, but he figured that it couldn’t be too hard to find something Lance would like. It would be inconspicuous enough that Keith wouldn’t immediately be confessing his feelings, but also something to show Lance that he cared about him. However, even this proved to be a challenge. Keith had tried to find something Lance would like, but being stuck in the castle most of the time made it difficult. He couldn't very well give the prince something he already owned.

He had thought that genius struck him when he and Lance were taking a walk in the gardens. Lance had been recounting memories from his siblings' birthdays, with his own only being a little more than a week away, when Keith’s eyes had caught on a familiar shade of blue. It was a bundle of flowers, bright and blooming. Keith had no idea what kind it was but he would recognize the color anywhere. It was the same shade as Lance’s eyes. 

Keith had carefully plucked a few from the stem before turning back to give them to Lance. However, as Keith stuck out his hand to give Lance the self-made bouquet, Lance had just looked at him with confusion. “What are you doing,” Lance had said, voice assertive and confused. Keith had froze, the thought that this had not been a good idea racing in his mind. “They’re, um, they’re for you.” Mortifyingly Lance had then asked why and Keith stammered out a useless excuse about finding them on the ground, the thought of telling Lance he picked them specifically was too daunting. “I just thought you would want to see them since it’s your garden…”

Lance had taken the flowers out of Keith’s hand slowly, almost as if he were afraid they would combust. As soon as they were out of his hand Keith turned away, willing his face to go back to its usual color. He heard Lance mumble a ‘thank you’ but when Keith turned back around he no longer had the flowers in his hand. Keith was sure that they would be back on the grassy ground behind them, but he dared not to turn around, knowing that it would just fuel his embarrassment if they were. 

The Flower Incident, as Keith was calling it, had been three days ago now and it still made him flush every time he thought about it. It had been a complete failure. He had completely written off trying to find another gift for Lance, knowing that it would likely cause him more stress than it was worth. Even if he found something perfect, he couldn’t guarantee that Lance would even accept it. Not with how he was acting. And the first failure under his belt, Keith had essentially gone back to where he started: with nothing. 

He just didn’t even know what Lance would even want during courting. They had never talked about it before and Keith didn’t want to assume. Keith had constantly surprised him and he was sure that this was no different. 

Keith was getting so desperate that he even began trying to bring back the clumsy Lance of a few months ago. He remembered how confused he had been at Lance’s behavior and how Shiro had insisted that it meant Lance had feelings for him. That was of course before everything went to shit, but Keith was hoping that if he could spark Lance’s past staring and tripping, it would at least give him a vague confirmation. The only problem was that Keith didn’t really even know what sparked it in the first place. Keith hadn’t been doing anything unusual the first time it had happened, and he couldn’t exactly replicate nothing. The only thing he did remember was that Shiro said Lance had gotten distracted when Keith had put his hair up. And well, Keith was desperate.

He felt a little self-conscious as he walked into the observatory, hair pulled back into a ponytail. Lance was already there, having been escorted by another guard while Keith had talked with Shiro about the Uprising investigation. Hunk was also in there, helping Lance choose which galaxy to look at today. Since Keith had gotten him back to the observatory Lance had begun to frequent it again. He was still having nightmares, and it often took him a few minutes to fully relax in the room, but he was making fast progress. 

Neither of the younger men looked up as Keith walked into the room. Keith dismissed the other guard, and watched as they both continued to prattle on about what star chart they should look at first.

“Well we could always start with Bode’s Galaxy, and then move our way over to the Condor. Or, you know, we could always do the Milky Way.” His tone was suggestive and Hunk quickly stopped him. “Not again, Lance. We should look at something different,” Hunk insisted as he rapidly began to move his fingers across the keypad, likely looking for something new to choose. “But the Milky Way is so fun,” Lance insisted, a pout forming on his face. He moved so that his back was the control panel, resting his body against it. “I’m not saying it's not,” Hunk said, his focus solely on the screen in front of him, “but I’m sure that Keith and I would both appreciate observing something different.” Lance rolled his eyes. “I’m sure Keith’s fine.” He began to look up, finally acknowledging that the knight was in the room. “Isn't that right Keith…”

His voice tapered off as his eyes caught Keith. Keith could see it as he physically gulped as his eyes darted between Keith’s eyes and his hair. Keith wanted to shy away, but he forced himself to keep looking at Lance, hoping to figure out what the omega was thinking. It was the first time in days that Lance looked at him, actually looked, and he wanted to relish it. He tried not to imagine what it would be like to have Lance’s hands in his hair. Playing with it as they laid in bed together. Tugging it lightly as Keith pressed his lips onto his. Tugging it hard as Keith took him apart with his-

No, Keith could not go there. Unless he wanted to pop a knot in the observatory, those thoughts had to be off limits.

Hunk, noticing that Lance had stopped talking, looked up to see Keith as well. As soon as he realized Keith’s hair was not in its normal display, a smirk overtook his face. The beta smugly looked over to his friend before turning back to face Keith, smile growing wider.

“I like the new hair, Keith,” Hunk said, looking back at Lance. “Don’t you agree, Lance?” It was clear that Hunk was teasing Lance over his reaction and Keith bit back a smile. Lance just silently nodded, still clearly trying to get his reaction under control. Eventually he spoke, “Yeah,” he said, voice gravelly, and he quickly cleared it, “I mean yes. Yes, it looks good. More than good.” He said the last sentence a bit quieter than the others, but Keith still heard it. He felt like he could preen. The last time he got a real compliment from Lance had been when they were watching ‘Enchanted’ in this very room, and he wanted to soak up anything he could get. Keith could feel the blush travel down his now open neck and he forced himself to respond.

“I just- It’s getting so hot outside that I just…needed it out of my face.” And Keith wasn’t lying. The late summer heat was unbearable at times. Despite all the technology the Alteans had, not even they could find a way to defeat the heat. Lance nodded in agreement before turning back to the control panel, picking a random galaxy. “Let’s look at this one,” he squeaked out. He shuffled to where the stars were now being displayed, the room filling with the cool light. Hunk just wanted him with amusement, eyes shifting between Keith and Lance every few seconds.

Keith himself was trying not to get too excited. This had to mean something, right? Lance’s reaction was not normal. Especially not after how they had been interacting the past few days. Hunk had barely given his hair a second thought, well until he noticed how Lance was fairing. Obviously Keith knew that it wasn’t concrete proof. But it was something. And Keith could work with something.

Keith began to focus on the different constellations now floating around him. He didn’t bring up Lance’s reaction to his hair, nor did he say something about Hunk’s teasing look as he left for the kitchens an hour later. The knight didn’t mention anything when Lance’s breath caught in his throat when Keith redid the pony tail a while later.

And Keith definitely didn’t comment on the way Lance stared at him the rest of the day. 

⋆★⋆

Keith tried to hold onto Lance’s reaction to his hair as long as possible, but the excitedness soon faded. The next couple days were spent with Keith desperately trying to elicit another reaction from Lance to no avail. Unfortunately, the prince’s mind was elsewhere.

His birthday.

Now one would expect Lance to be excited for his birthday. He had been talking about it for weeks, and had told Keith everything about his birthday’s in the past. However, this year, the threat of the Galran Uprising was overshadowing it.

Shiro was still working hard to integrate the prisoners, but even he was losing steam. None of them had revealed any useful information and were still dead set on their beliefs. Luckily the king and queen, now that they were aware of the threat, were doing their best to reach out to as many people as they could. Planets all over the galaxies were being contacted, both to find information and to help prepare planets for the Galran troops. It seemed that as more planets and kingdoms became aware of how large the threat was, the less power Zarkon had.

Keith knew that since that attack on the southern palance, Zarkon had made quick work of conquering different kingdoms and planets. He had managed to control more than anyone would like, but Keith was sure that they would get them back.

Shiro hadn’t told him this yet, but Keith heard whispers that King Miguel was beginning to prepare troops to send out and fight. The knight knew that the only reason his brother didn’t tell him was in fear that Keith would sign up. But Keith wouldn’t, at least not right now. He didn’t want to leave Lance, especially with a war underway. But, he couldn’t lie to himself and say that he wouldn’t want to in the future.

With the war underway, the castle was still under lockdown. Which meant that Lance’s birthday couldn’t be the usual affair that it was. Normally, there would be a ball in Lance’s honor, much like the one’s for his parents and siblings. The tradition had stopped during the war with Northern Altea, and had just recently begun again once peace was made. Lance was excited to have permission to dance away with his friends in honor of him, rather than his other family. However, Queen Nancy had officially declared that it wasn’t possible. At the news, the omega finally began to open up to Keith again. Lance told Keith that he was trying not to let it bother him. He was disappointed, but he understood. With the war going on, it was hard to justify hosting a huge party. ”As long as the people I care about are there,” Lance had said, trying to assure Keith that he was fine, “that’s all that matters.”

Except that ended up becoming a problem too. Lance’s parents were more than busy, and although they promised to be there for his birthday dinner, the rest of the day had to be allotted for council meetings and Uprising debriefings. Lance had of course said that it was fine and that he understood. When he caught Keith glancing at him with a sympathetic expression he insisted that it didn’t bother him. He told Keith that it really wasn’t that abnormal. They were the king and queen after all. 

Then Lance’s siblings also said their regretful apology. While they obviously would spend time with their brother, none of his brothers or sisters had enough time to enjoy a full time celebration. While Lance often complained about doing nothing, his siblings all found things to occupy their time now that they were stuck in the castle. As the future king and queen, Luis and his wife Lisa were in the middle of the war efforts. As the next oldest siblings, Marco and Veronica were also enlisted to help (much to Lance’s jealousy). Rachel, although not a part of the council, was still busy with her days as she began to help with Silvio and Nadia’s education. Lance tried to help when he could, but he wasn't as structured as his sister was and often pulled his niece and nephew away from their studies rather than towards. As such Rachel had all but banned Lance from attending their lessons.

But again, Lance insisted that it didn’t bother him. “ It’s not like I’m a child. They don’t have to spend the whole day with me.” Keith still wasn’t convinced. He knew that it wasn’t even really about Lance’s family not being able to properly celebrate his birthday. It was the fact that while they were all busy, doing important things, Lance was still stuck doing nothing. No matter how much he had begged his parents to give him some responsibility, they still refused. Keith personally didn’t understand it. If Lance was so desperate, at least give him research to do. He would be safely tucked in the library while still being able to contribute. Even though Keith knew that that wasn’t what Lance wanted, it would still be better than nothing.

Still, Keith couldn’t make those decisions, so it wasn’t worth thinking about them. He had insisted that Lance could still have an amazing birthday with his friends. Lance perked up at that, realizing that Keith was right, and went right along to planning a long movie marathon. He had been happy, as happy as he could be, before that fell through too.

Three days before his birthday the scientists and engineers made a breakthrough on the new battleship they were testing. They were trying to make it be able to withstand the magic Honerva seemed to possess, and they apparently had made significant progress. Everyone in the castle was excited by the news and hopeful that this new weapon will help to shut down the Uprising. However, with this advancement, it meant that Pidge needed to be in the lab. Even on Lance’s birthday. Lance tried his best to convince the beta that they could take just a few hours off, but Pidge insisted that if they were on the cusp of making the ship even better, and they needed as much time in the lab as they could. It didn’t help that Allura, who originally was planning on coming back to Altea for the celebration, told Lance that she would not be able to attend. Apparently she and Lotor had answered a distressed single in another galaxy thanks to the princesses ability to create wormholes and it was taking longer than they initially thought. She sounded very apologetic in her letter, and Lance had written back saying that he understood, but Keith knew he was still upset. 

With both Pidge and Allura essentially out, the only person left to properly celebrate Lance’s birthday outside of Keith was Hunk, who had his own duties in the kitchens to attend to. He promised that he would be able to take off early, but it still left a sour note for Lance.

Keith could see how hard Lance was trying to appear unbothered. He insisted that he understood. But under the cover of night when the two of them laid together under the prince’s covers, Lance would whisper about how disappointed he was.

“It makes me look like a brat, not having my birthday all about me. It’s just that with them not letting me help with the war efforts and literally locking me up in this castle, I- I just feel like I’m being pushed in the background.”

Keith hated it and wanted nothing more than to make Lance feel better, but he didn’t know how. He couldn’t exactly make the Uprising go away. He tried to tell Lance that he wasn’t being pushed away and that he had value, but Lance was clearly hesitant to believe him. Keith also tried to assure him that he would still have a great birthday, but that failed to pick up his mood as well.

Keith knew that because it wasn’t truly about his birthday, nothing he said about it could make Lance feel better. He just wished that he could do something, anything, to show Lance that he was valued. But Keith was coming up with blanks every time he tried to think of something.

He ended up outsourcing for ideas, which essentially just meant talking with Shiro and Adam. Or well, Adam, because he could not deal with Shiro teasing him again.

“That is a predicament,” Adam said after Keith had finished explaining it all. Keith had managed to separate from Lance as the omega had dinner with his family, enlisting the help of another guard to take over for him. He imminently went to his old home and began to ramble on to Adam.

“I know,” Keith groaned out, covering his face with his hands. “I just don’t know how I can make it better. I mean no one is planning to properly celebrate with him.” He let out a sigh. “Plus, I’ve been trying to be…more romantic, I guess. To try and get Lance to recognize my feelings for him. And to get him to warm up to me again. There has been a weird energy between us since I told him why I quit before the attack. I was hoping that if I could put something together for his birthday, it might double as a gesture.”

Adam took a few minutes to contemplate what Keith was saying before sighing and shifting in his chair. “I think that the best thing you could do Keith is to just be there for him.” Keith opened his mouth to argue but Adam quickly continued, putting a hand up to stop him. “I know that it may not seem like much, but trust me, sometimes you just need to know that someone supports you. I know that when Shiro and I were having a rough patch, all I wanted was for him to acknowledge my feelings and be there for me. Luckily,” Adam let out a small smirk, “he quickly realized that he was being an dick and pulled his head out of his ass.” Adam let out a quiet laugh before continuing. “I know Lance would appreciate it if you were just there for him to begin with.”

Keith thought about what Adam was saying. He knew that he was right, but Keith was already there for Lance. And Lance knew that. The problem was that he needed everyone else to be there for Lance. He needed them to pull their heads out their asses.

And then suddenly, it was like a lightbulb went off in Keith’s head. That was it!

“Adam, you’re a genius,” Keith said as his eyes widened in realization as he shot up from his seat. Adam, looking startled at Keith’s sudden movement, chuckled. “Well I know that. I’m just glad you agree with my…advice.” He seemed hesitant to say it, almost as if he could already tell that Keith was not going to be following his suggestion. At least not directly.

“No, you gave me a perfect idea. I need to make everyone else realize how they are making Lance feel. Then I can get them to properly celebrate Lance's birthday.” 

Adam shook his head, concern showing on his face. “Wait, no, Keith. That’s not what I- oh nevermind,” he mumbled, giving up. “You’re going to do whatever you want anyways.” Keith just thanked him again as Adam huffed out “alphas” with a roll of his eyes before picking up his book again.

As Keith exited his old home, he began to put the pieces of his new plan together.

⋆★⋆

Keith realized that he was a little over his head.

He was never one that was big on birthdays. While he had fond memories of celebrating with his dad, Keith never managed to reignite the joy other people saw in them after he died. He of course celebrated other people’s birthdays, Shiro and Adam being big on them, but he never had the same excitement that he knew others did. His own birthday usually was a quiet affair, at his request, and all his birthdays during the war were only ever mentioned by Shiro in passing.

So trying to throw Lance a party in just a few quintants made Keith realize that he was out of his element. Luckily, Hunk had been more than excited when Keith hastily told him his plan when he left Adam, and had taken over most of the actual party planning. He was covering all the food and drinks, and making sure that everyone they needed to help was aware that it was happening. And that they couldn’t tell the prince.

Keith knew that he could tell Lance what he was planning but the fear of not being able to make it happen stopped him. The last thing Keith wanted to do was disappoint the prince further. So instead, the alpha chose to tip-toe around Lance, making up meetings and lying about requests to see him. He could tell that Lance knew he was planning something. Lance even mentioned his strange behavior and referenced how he was acting when Keith had planned the movie surprise. But the prince didn’t interrogate him, likely to do so while still trying to keep his distance. Keth tried not to let it dishearten him, knowing that this had the potential to get them back to where they were before they fought. Keith also figured that Lance wanted to see what he was planning, his curiosity to see what happened winning over his curiosity to know that moment.

With Hunks help with the actual planning, Keith began to work on the guest list. He hit Pidge first, who after multiple pleas and reminders about what Lance did for their birthday, agreed that maybe they were being too closed minded earlier. They agreed that they could take off a few hours from the lab to properly celebrate Lance’s birthday, and Keith left the lab happy. Next was Lance’s siblings. He hit Rachel when she was with Silvio and Nadia, who helped to convince her of their excitement for a party. Veronica and Marco were next. They took more convincing, but after Keith explained how Lance was feeling with everyone being too busy to properly celebrate, they got won over. Keith knew that all of the siblings had a soft spot for Lance, with him being both the youngest and an omega, and so the knight tried his best to play that, insisting that their baby brother only turned twenty once. The hardest was Luis, who was very concerned and overwhelmed with the Uprising. However, Lisa reminded him that it would be good for both of them to take a break, and this could be the perfect opportunity. After a hard press about the security of it all, Keith walked away with all four siblings in attendance.

Despite this, he knew that his hardest task was still ahead of him: Lance’s parents.

With Luis’ permission, Keith no longer had to worry about getting reprimanded for the party. But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t not ask the king and queen to be in attendance. Lance would be more than happy with the party, but having his parents, who insisted that he couldn’t celebrate the way he wanted to, would put it over the edge.

Keith made his way across the marble floor, back straight and stare hard. He tried to gather all the confidence he had and hold it as he made his way closer to where the king and queen stood. He had requested an official audience with them, much to their surprise. Normally, Keith and the royals would engage in quick, short conversation when Lance was around. Rarely had they ever talked to him in such an official manner, unless it was about official palance security. 

“Keith, good afternoon,” King Miguel said, smiling. Keith offered a bow. “Good afternoon, your majesty.” The queen sent him a smile as he stood up and commented, “we were quite surprised at your request to meet with us. You’re not leaving again, I hope?” She raised her eyebrow as she said it, worried dancing in her eyes, but Keith quickly assured her. “No, no. Nothing like that, your majesty.” Queen Nancy nodded but her confusion stayed. “Then what is this meeting about?”

Keith took a deep breath. He knew that he wouldn’t be punished for his idea. And he knew that even if they didn’t like the idea, the king and queen wouldn’t stop it. But not interfering wasn’t enough. He needed them to be there.

“Well, as you know, Prince Lance has been quite disappointed that he is unable to properly celebrate his birthday tomorrow.” King Miguel opened his mouth to interject but Keith quickly continued, not wanting to lose his momentum. “We all know how much Prince Lance loves to be around people, and by not allowing him to have a ball or leave the palace, he has become quite reserved about his birthday. He understands why, of course, but that does not stop his feelings. I do not mean to break his trust, but he has told me how much it hurts him that you two will be unable to celebrate with him. I understand how important this uprising is, I do. But I also implore you to take some time to spend with your son.” 

King Miguel’s face grew hard. “Did you come here just to berate my parenting skills,” he said, voice icy. “You think that if we could give Lance the most lavish ball, we wouldn’t? Of course we would! But there are circumstances here that he needs to understand.” Queen Nancy put her hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down, but Keith could see that she too was upset by what Keith was insinuating. 

Keith shook his head. “Please, my king, I understand all of that. I know that everything you do is to keep your family and your people safe. But,” he took a step forward, trying to make them both understand, “Lance feels neglected. You won’t let him do anything to help stop the uprising. The last war just ended, and as someone that was on the front lines, I can tell you that I don’t want another one.” Queen Nancy’s eyes shifted to the wide scar on his face. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but you are wasting Lance’s talents. He is incredibly brilliant and compassionate. You know that if you would allow him to be an ambassador and help crumbling planets he would be your best asset.” Keith could feel his anger rising up, his alpha trying to crawl out and protect his omega. He worked to push it back down, locking his alpha inside, knowing that it wasn’t the time or place to argue this. “But,” he said, letting out a laboring breath, “I didn’t come here to say those things. You already know them. I came here because even if you don’t mean too, you’re making Lance feel like he’s worthless. And tomorrow, he couldn’t care less about having a grand ball. What he wants is to spend the day with the people he loves. With you.”

Keith could see the shock over what he said on their faces. King Miguel still looked angry, but Keith could see as the sadness and realization made its way onto both their faces. After a few moments it was clear that neither of the royals were going to respond, so Keith continued.

“We are having a party for Lance tomorrow,” he said, throwing out all protocol or titles, “at six so that everyone can be back in their rooms before the curfew. It will be all your children and some of Lance’s friends. I came here to ask you to be there as well. I’m not asking for your permission,” the knight said when he saw King Miguel start to say something again. “Lance deserves this and it will be happening whether you are there or not. But I really hope you chose to draw away from your work to come celebrate. You know how much Lance loves and respects you both, and it would mean the world for you to be there.”

As soon as his argument was over, Keith stood there, awaiting their answers. The king and queen didn’t respond to him and instead turned to each other, having a silent conversation with one another. Keith couldn’t possibly know what they were telepathically discussing, but he prayed to all the gods that they were going to agree.

After a long pregnant pause, it seemed that the two monarchs reached a decision. King Miguel turned back to Keith and cleared his throat. “I can’t say I appreciated you yelling at us,” Keith winced but did not shy away, “but you are right. It seems that my wife and I have been prioritizing our other duties rather than our ones as parents.” The king looked back to his mate and Queen Nancy nodded in agreement. “It is clear that you care deeply for our son, and we are glad he has someone like you to look out for him.” He saw the queen give him a knowing glance. His mind flashed back to their conversation at Lance’s bedside and Keith had to refrain from blushing. She didn’t bring up what they discussed during that night, but Keith could feel what she was trying to communicate with him. “We cannot promise anything as we do not know what tomorrow will bring, but we can try our best to be there.”

Keith wanted to give a celebratory smirk, but he kept his composure, the anger form before still tingling in the back of his mind. He nodded his head and thanked them, insisting that Lance would appreciate it if they were. The king nodded his head in acknowledgement and Keith took that as a sign that he was being dismissed. He bowed once more and made his way to the door. Right as he reached it, hand pulling on the handle to crack it open, a smooth “Keith” rang out in the room.

The alpha turned back, looking at Queen Nancy expectedly. “Thank you,” she said softly, a kind smile on her face. Keith just nodded, a smile of his own gracing across his face, before stepping out the door to continue his planning.

⋆★⋆

Keith was startled awake as Lance cried out, his arms and legs thrashing.  Keith quickly sat up to grab Lance’s shaking body, working to wake him up. As usual, it took a few calls of Lance’s name before the prince shot up with a shout. Keith made quick work of calming him down, using his usual methods of soothing words and motions. It seemed that when Lance was dealing with the aftermath of his nightmares, he forgot that he was trying to put distance between them, and Keith was far from complaining. Each time Lance jumped into his arms, Keith knew that he was one step closer to having Lance realize his feelings.

Keith had gotten so used to their routine that he almost forgot how out of his element he really was. The Keith from a year ago would never dream of doing this kind of stuff and would panic at any mention of human interaction. Even now, Keith wasn’t overly fond of having to communicate with people. But with Lance, he always tried to set aside any of those feelings. And because of Lance, Keith felt less like the broadening teenager he once was and more like what he was now: a man. An alpha.

Lance rested his body in Keith’s lap, whispering about what the nightmare was about tonight. The contents were not anything out of the ordinary and Lance was able to distinguish that it wasn’t real rather quickly, although the shaking and sniffing remained. Keith began talking, knowing that Lance would ask him to soon enough. He told the story of how he stole Shiro’s hoverbike the first time they had met, and how it had amused the alpha so much he sought Keith out the next day.

“I was annoyed at first,” Keith said, voice low. “I couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t just leave me alone. But eventually, he sat me down and told me that he liked me and wanted to help me. He explained how if I wanted, I could come live with him and his boyfriend.” 

“Adam,” Lance whispered, trying to keep focused on the story. Keith nodded his head and a slow rumble filled his chest. “Yes, Adam. I told him that I needed to think about it. Except the next day, Shiro didn’t come back to talk to me. It totally freaked me out and I thought just another person was abandoning me.” Lance let out a whine at what Keith was saying and nuzzled closer to him, clearly trying to provide some comfort. Keith just laughed. “It’s okay Blue, it was a long time ago. And obviously, Shiro came back. Apparently he was just trying to give me the space to think over the decision. When I saw him climbing up the steps of the orphanage I ran out and cussed him out. Shiro really is the strongest alpha because he just laughed at me and messed up my hair. And I’ve been living with him ever since.”

“Until now,” Lance said. Keith could’t see his face but he was sure that he was smiling. “Yeah, until now.”

He patterned off after that, insisting that they should both get some sleep. He checked the time, always liking to know when they were getting back to bed so he could calculate how much sleep they’ve had. It wasn’t until he settled down, his body facing Lance as they both laid on their side, that the realization struck him.

“Lance,” the knight said urgently. When Lance didn’t respond Keith said it again and used his left hand to nudge him. “Gods, what,” Lance said with fake annoyance as his eyes reopened. “I thought you wanted us to go back to sleep?”

Keith nodded his head and smiled. “I do, it’s just- it’s your birthday, Lance.”

Lance’s eyes widened and he rolled over to look at the clock himself for confirmation. As he came back around it was clear that he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

“It’s my birthday!”

It was cute how excited he was. Keith couldn’t help but stare at him, completely enraptured by his expression and his beauty. Lance was all encompassing, even in the early morning light, and there was nothing Keith could do to stop from leaning closer to him.

“Happy birthday, Blue.”

⋆★⋆

Despite how disappointed Lance was at what he thought would be a celebratory-less birthday, Lance was still bouncing off the walls the moment he and Keith woke up (again). The omega got dressed in his finest outfit, insisting that it was the best for the occasion. It consisted of dark pants and a deep blue shirt that exposed his neck, something that made Keith’s mouth water as he caught sight of his unmarked mating spot. He tried to ignore it, but he couldn't deny how delectable Lance looked. Although his courting plans were paused due to the unprompted surprise party, Keith was still searching for ways to reveal his feelings to Lance. And in that, Keith couldn’t stop fantasizing about them together. Most of them were innocent, cute dreams of them relaxing in the observatory or walking in the gardens. Others were not so innocent and usually ended with Keith stroking himself in the bathroom, ears red from knowing that Lance was usually on the side of the door. Those fantasies aside, Keith watched as he put some glitter onto his face, ears, and collarbone (which definitely did not help with Keith’s horniness), and slid on his signature bracelets.

Lance spent the day discussing what he was hoping to get as gifts and Keith just hummed in response. He grew worried for a moment when he remembered that he hadn’t actually gotten Lance anything. He had been so busy with planning the party that getting Lance a gift completely slipped his mind. However, with his track record, it was probably best that he didn’t try. Besides, some would call planning the ball for Lance a gift in itself. And hopefully Lance felt the same.

Keith had also been worried about how to get Lance to the ballroom in time for the party. As his guard, Keith had been assigned as the “Lance distracter” for the day by Pidge. He made sure that Lance didn’t question too hard about the disappearance of his friends and family. Because he had already expected them to be busy Lance wasn’t that suspicious. Hunk also made sure to break away from baking to spend some time with Lance as he originally planned to keep the prince off the trail. The rest of the day was spent in the observatory and the gardens, Keith trying to give Lance a good birthday even before the festivities. Finally, six o’clock began to approach, and Keith had to start getting Lance to the party.

“What’s your rush Keith,” Lance said as Keith dragged him by the hand towards the ballroom. “I’m not meant to have dinner with my family for another hour.” Keith just nodded, hoping that his face wouldn’t give anything away. He had been told that he had a “resting bitch face” by Lance during the early days of their relationship, so he knew that the chances were slim. Still, Lance could always read Keith like an open book.

“I know, but I figured you would want to get there early. Be able to scope out the scene.” Lance raised an eyebrow at him. “Scope out the scene? In my dining room? That doesn’t even make any sense.” Keith just shrugged. “Just trying to make this a good birthday.” At least that part was true. Lance didn’t seem convinced though. “Well as much as I appreciate the sentiment, that’s not what’s going on. So come on, spill.” He looked at Keith expectantly. “What’s going on, mullet?”

Keith began to try to come up with an excuse, cursing himself for not thinking on one earlier. He decided the best thing to do was to just not answer Lance and continue walking, but Lance wasn’t having it. He tugged back on Keith’s hand to get him to stop and make the knight face him. “No, seriously, what's going on? You’ve been acting suspicious the past few days and I want to know why.”

He knew that he shouldn’t get mad at the question but the way Lance said it set Keith off. “Oh, like you have been acting completely normal?” It was the first time Keith acknowledged Lance’s behavior and the prince seemed embarrassed to have it be brought up. “I,” Lance stammered, clearly not knowing how to defend himself. “I- that’s not what we're talking about.” So there was something to talk about then? Keith raised his eyebrow but Lance continued, trying to steer the conversation away from his behavior. “It’s my birthday and so I deserve to have some answers.”

It was funny, really, the way Lance looked like a child pouting over a toy. Keith half expected him to stomp his foot along with his words. He gave Lance a look and tried to refocus him, choosing to not push him for answers about the way he had been acting. Keith knew that that conversation could either end in a fight, or in Keith yelling again about his feelings. “Lance, you do know that you're twenty now? Don’t act like a child.” And well, it wasn’t what Keith meant to say, but he didn’t matter now. Lance was already opening his mouth to argue, anger on his face. “I’m not acting like a child, gods. I hate it when people say that. You know I hate it when people say that.” He hit Keith in the chest to emphasize his point and kept ranting. “I’m allowed to wonder what is going on within my own castle. Especially,” he gave Keith a pointed look, “when it concerns my knight. So I’m serious Keith, what is going on?”

It was moments like these that Keith wondered how he fell in love with Lance. As much as he loved the omega’s personality and confidence, he couldn’t lie and say that sometimes he wished the prince was just a bit more flexible. But he knew that if he was being kept in the dark he also wouldn’t have the best reaction. It would probably be worse, in all fairness.

Keith sighed and gave Lance a tired look. “You’ll know soon enough, okay Lance.” Lance’s eyebrows wrinkled together but Keith stopped him before he could say anything else. “Don’t you trust me?”

And maybe it was because Keith repeated the exact words Lance had said those nights ago, or maybe it was because of Keith’s pleading look, because he let his shoulders drop, body almost collapsing on himself. “Okay,” he whispered, nodding. “Okay, I trust you.”

Keith nodded his head in thanks, relieved that Lance wasn’t going to fight him on this. He turned back to continue leading them to the ballroom, hoping that Lance wouldn’t come to the conclusion before they made it there. As they approached the doors he looked at the clock hanging on the wall. They were now just a few minutes late, and Keith hoped that Pidge would not make a big deal about it.

“Keith,” he heard from behind him, “what are we doing here? I don’t need anymore reminders about how different this birthday has been.” Keith hated the tone of Lance’s voice, all the disappointment he had been trying to keep in leaving him in a single sentence. Keith just turned and grabbed the prince’s hand again, not caring about whether or not he wanted the touch. He started into Lance’s eyes, weaving his way through the emotion the omega kept in it.

“Just- happy birthday, Lance.” Lance didn’t have another moment to question what Keith meant by his words because the knight was already pulling open the door, letting the lights of the room bask over their forms.

“Surprise!”

Keith watched as Lance’s face went from sadness to confusion to pure joy as he took in the room. The whole ballroom had been decorated with gold accents, creating a glowing effect. The food Hunk had been slaving away for were along one wall, the prince’s favorites front and center. Keith watched as Lance swept over it, eye’s brightening when he saw some of the earthen food he liked. He also looked in awe at the champagne fountain near the edge of the room. Keith couldn’t help but smile as he saw Lance’s eyes begin to pool with tears as he finally took in who was there.

Hunk and Pidge were in the center, and around them were all of Lance’s siblings, Silvio and Nadia at their feet. A few of his other friends from around the castle were scattered across the room, watching as the prince took in the scene. Lance let out a laugh of disbelief and kept flicking his eyes over everything and everyone. “What- I- I don’t-” Lance helplessly turned to face Keith, the tears beginning to drip down his cheeks. 

“Did you do this?” Keith just shrugged but let his smile widened. “It was my original idea but Hunk and Pidge helped a lot,” he said, not wanting to take all the credit. “I just didn’t want you to feel like people didn’t care about you. You mean so much to everyone here and I-”

His explanation was cut off as Lance jumped into his arms, wrapping his arms around his neck. Keith let his hands fall to Lance’s waist, holding him up and working to set him back down to the ground. “It’s perfect,” Lance whispered against the shell of Keith’s ear. “This whole thing is perfect.” Lance pulled away to gaze at Keith, his Altean markings beginning to glow with all the emotion he was feeling. Keith could smell it as his scent grew, the sweetness of it almost overpowering. If Keith wasn’t so captivated by Lance he would have thought of something to say in return, but Lance was pulling out of their embrace before he could gather his thoughts. Keith wanted to pull him back but he saw the prince head towards his siblings, mouth moving fast as he asked them how they could find the time to be there. Keith just let a smile settle over his face, knowing that it would likely be there all night.

⋆★⋆

The party was a huge success. Lance couldn’t stop smiling. Keith watched as he flitted around the room, making sure to try a bite of every food Hunk and the kitchen had made and grabbing a champagne flute everytime he passed the fountain. Normally Keith would be more wary about Lance drinking so much, but he was trying to let the prince have his day. Besides, Lance had made sure to tell him that he was going to stop at seven, not wanting to risk forgetting a single moment of the night.

They had prepared music, much to Lance’s delight, so that he could dance around the room with his family and friends. He took turns taking his sisters on the dance floor, and giggled as he twirled around with Silvio and Nadia. The other party guests also took to the floor, and although it was small, Keith knew that it resembled the big ball Lance was supposed to have, which was all Keith wanted. That, and to make sure Lance knew how much everyone cared about him.

The night only got better about halfway through the event. Lance had been dancing with one of the guards, Kiral, laughing after she must have said something particularly funny, when Keith caught sight of two people out of the corner of his eyes. Just as he was about to get Lance’s attention, he heard Lance gasp and run off of the dance floor.

“Mama! Papa!”

Lance barreled into his parents arms, swinging both his arms around them to pull them close. Keith watched as the queen immediately pulled Lance into her embrace. King Miguel seemed more surprised at Lance’s hug, but he too quickly reached to hold Lance to him. Keith couldn’t hear what they were saying to each other as they pulled away, but he could imagine as he saw the emotional expression of all three of them. Lance seemed to be asking them how they were here, gesturing around the room, and he watched as the queen’s eyes flickered over to Keith. Lance swung his head around to look at Keith, shock and happiness flitting over his face. Keith blushed at being caught and turned away. He peaked back to see Lance turn back to his parents, most likely speaking about how glad he was that they were there.

It was a few moments later that Lance came up to Keith, interrupting the knight’s conversation with Matt, Pidge’s brother. He was another scientist at the palace, and had been with Shiro during the attack that led to the loss of his arm. Keith and Matt did not know each other that well, but they periodically talked to each other when they crossed paths. Usually Matt would check in on him, not so subtly weaving one of Shiro’s  agendas into conversation. Despite how much it annoyed Keith at times, he still did enjoy his occasional conversation with the man.

“Keith,” Lance said as Matt walked away, giving Keith a knowing look. “I can’t believe you did this.” He said it with such emotion in his voice that Keith struggled to find a way to respond. “Of course, Lance,” he eventually said, “it’s your birthday. I just wanted to make it special.”

Lance rolled his eyes, but it was clear that it was done fondly. “You did more than make it special, you made it perfect.” He reached up to place his hand on Keith’s arm and the knight could feel it as his alpha practically purred at the thought of making his omega feel happy. “Planning this, getting everyone to come. Getting my parents to come.” Lance squeezed his arm, smiling. “They told me how you yelled at them to come to their senses.” Keith huffed out a laugh and mumbled, “I didn’t yell at them,” even though he totally did. Lance just sighed. “Either way,” he said, tilting his head, “it means a lot to me. The only thing that could make it better would be you finally giving me that dance you promised me at the last ball.”

Keith shook his head but laughed, pinching his lips together. Lance also let out a giggle but it quickly died down, the man growing quiet. Keith was about to respond when he caught Lance bite his lip, gnawing at it like he was trying to hold himself back from speaking more. Keith gave him a confused look, preparing to respond, when Lance began to speak again.

“And listen, I,” he paused and took in a breath, “I owe you an apology.” Keith just looked at him, waiting for him to continue. “I know that I’ve been acting weird since…since you told me why you quit that night. And it’s not fair of me. I was the one that kept insisting you tell me and just because it wasn’t what I expected doesn’t give me a right to act weird towards you. And so I’m sorry. Especially because while I was being a dick you were planning me the most amazing birthday ball ever.”

Keith could see the guilt building up in Lance’s eyes, the omega clearly distraught at the idea that he had been treating Keith poorly while the knight had been doing such a kind gesture. Keith just shook his head and moved Lance’s hand off his arm and into his palm, squeezing it. 

“I know I should apologize too. I shouldn’t have blown up at you like I did. I let my anger get the better of me, like usual, but I shouldn’t have. And I also didn’t want to make you uncomfortable with my…confession.” Keith didn’t know exactly what to call it. He was still unsure if Lance understood the true meaning behind it, and he didn’t want to enlighten him before he was ready.

But Lance just shook his own head, squeezing Keith’s hand back. “You didn’t,” he promised, “I was just being stupid. Your feelings are your feelings and just because they make me,” he paused and cleared his throat, “make me feel…well weird, doesn’t mean I should take them out on you.”

Keith started to nod but Lance’s wording caught up to him and he froze. His feelings. Lance had acknowledged his feelings and acknowledged that they made him feel weird. That means that Lance did know how Keith felt. He did know, and he didn’t feel the same. And worse, he felt weird about them. He felt weird about Keith liking him. About Keith being in love with him.

“My- my feelings,” Keith stuttered out, his hand slipping out of Lance’s in shock. Well, if Lance really had known how Keith was feeling all along, then he hopes that talking about it now will let Lance finally reject him. As much as he knew it would hurt, Keith just wanted it to be over with.  Lance looked up at him and nodded his head solemnly. “Yeah. When you told me that you were jealous I freaked out. I don’t really even know why,” he said, moving his hands around for emphasis. “I mean, it’s not like you could be with her anyways, with Lotor and all. Oh wait, sorry, that was insensitive.” Lance blushed but Keith was trying to figure out what he meant. What girl was Lance thinking he would be with? “I just mean that, you having a crush on her doesn't really affect me, but I guess I was just…jealous in my own way. And I took that out on you, and I shouldn’t have.”

Keith desperately wanted Lance to stop talking but he could’t find the words. How was it that Lance misunderstood him so entirely? So much so that he thought he had a crush on-

“Allura,” Keith questioned. “You think I have feelings for Allura?” Keith felt completely confused at this situation. How did they get here? Lance just slowly nodded his head and said, “Well, yes. You told me that- that you were jealous of me when you thought we were together. And that was why you quit.” He looked up at Keith, his own face mirroring the older man’s confusion. “Wasn’t it?”

Keith suddenly knew how Lance felt when he had insinuated that he and Allura were together. The thought of him and Allura, was frankly, too gross and odd for Keith to even imagine. Sure, Allura was lovely, but Keith was obviously very, very gay. And, also obvious to everyone but the man himself, very much in love with Lance.

And gods, this meant that Lance was even farther away from realizing Keith’s feelings than the knight originally thought. Keith couldn’t believe how far their communication had been misunderstood and almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity. However, the matter at hand made him stop. He had been wanting a way to show Lance how much he meant to him, and this seemed like the opportunity for it. Now, he wasn’t being forced into telling the omega. Now, he could clearly state what he had been wanting to do.

“Lance,” he said slowly, trying to find his courage, “I do not have feelings for Allura.” Lance just moved back from him in surprise, clearly trying to make sense of what Keith had just said. “But then-”

“I wasn’t jealous of you, Blue. Allura is…sweet, but I am gay. Like, completely.” It was the first time he had said it outloud, but Keith had always thought that it was obvious. Especially when he was specifically very very gay for the man in front of him. Lance looked at him with understanding, clearly embarrassed. “Oh,” he said meekly, voice squeaking. Keith just chuckled and Lance hit his chest, clearly trying to get him to stop. Keith’s laugh only got deeper as he gazed down at Lance’s embarrassed face. “Wait,” Lance said suddenly, cutting off Keith’s laughter. “But you said that you were jealous that night. And that's why you quit. Which, by the way, really is a stupid reason. I mean, seriously, what were you thinking? By all the gods I-” 

“Lance,” Keith interrupted. He took in a deep breath as Lance looked at him, waiting for him to speak after stopping him from finishing his sentence. It was now or never. “I was jealous.” Lance opened his mouth to no doubt continue his rant but Keith finished before he could. “I was jealous. Just- just not of you.”

It was silent between the pair for a moment before Lance’s eyes began to widen in understanding. Keith wanted to shy away but he forced himself not to, trying to tell Lance how much he meant it through their stares. He could feel himself growing hot, knowing that his scent was likely starting to rise farther than normal. Lance just kept staring, eyes moving rapidly, searching for answers in Keith’s eyes.

Just as Lance opened his mouth to respond, a voice cut across the room. 

“Lance, come over here,” Rachel shouted, coming over to pull her brother away. “It’s time for your cake.” 

Lance was helpless as the beta tugged him to where the giant chocolate cake was sitting, its white and gold frosting bouncing off the accents of the room. Lance looked helplessly at Keith before he turned away, moving with his sister as his other siblings and parents came up to surround him.

Keith could do nothing but stand back, watching as Lance blew out all twenty candles resting on top of the buttercream. To anyone else, Lance would look completely content and happy. But Keith could tell that he was shaken from what Keith just revealed. His eyebrows were slightly clenched together and his eyes kept darting to Keith every few seconds. Keith let his shoulders relax and tried to get himself to calm down. Lance didn’t reject him, not yet. He hadn't been given the chance.

However, Keith could slowly feel his hope building as he watched slices of the cake be passed around. He still wasn’t confident that Lance had feelings for him but he knew that he at least wasn’t mad. Or at least, didn’t seem mad. Keith knew when Lance was mad or upset, both from witnessing it and from being on the receiving end of his rage. And Lance’s expression when Keith had told him the real reason he left hadn’t seemed angry. More curious. And Keith hoped that later, once they were alone and there was no one to interrupt them, Lance would take Keith’s confession well.

Keith never thought that he would be in the position where he would confess his love to someone. Even once he fully realized his love for Lance, he never thought that he would be itching to tell the omega how he felt. And part of him was still nervous. But the other part, the alpha part, just wanted his omega to know how he felt. Even if he doesn’t feel the same. Because suddenly, the thought of continuing to hide his feelings from Lance just seemed completely exhausting. He thought back to the movie he had wanted with Lance, about how Giselle and Robert almost lost each other because they weren’t honest with how they felt. Keith didn’t want that to be him. He almost lost Lance once when he was foolish enough to leave him. He didn’t want to risk that again. And even if Lance ended up rejecting him and falling in love with someone else, Keith promised that he would be there to witness it. He would gladly watch Lance live his life alongside another alpha if only it meant that he could live his beside Lance. Even if it was from a place of a guard.

Because Keith wasn’t about to lose this. He was so close, and nothing now could keep him away.

⋆★⋆

It seemed that no matter how hard they tried, Keith and Lance weren’t able to find time to talk during the remainder of the party. They often made eye contact with each other, but every time either of them started to make their way over to the other, someone else got in their way. Keith felt like he talked to practically everyone in the ballroom other than the one person he desperately wanted to speak with. However frustrating it was, Keith knew that by the end of the night, it would just be Lance and him. He tried to stay patient, although he could feel himself growing more and more irritated with every new person he was forced to conversate with.

Lance on the other hand seemed perfectly content with everything. Keith knew that he too was itching to talk to Keith, but Lance was still always the extrovert. He happily engaged in conversation with anyone who came up to him and often took the opportunity to drag them to the dance floor.

Eventually, the fun began to come to an end. The curfew was rapidly approaching, and King Miguel and Queen Nancy had insisted that everyone begin making their way back to their own quarters. Luis and Lisa had already left to put Silvio and Nadia to bed, and it seemed that others were close behind. The king and queen offered one last ‘happy birthday’ to their son before retiring themselves. With the monarchs gone, everyone too quickly began to leave. Everyone stopped to give Lance more birthday wishes and Lance accepted them grateful. The omega was completely beaming by the time the final guest left, leaving only his imminently close circle and his siblings. Veronica, Marco, and Rachel all gave Lance one final hug. Veronica ruffled Lance’s hair, laughing as he huffed while trying to fix it. Keith watched them interact, noting how clearly proud his siblings seemed of Lance.

Hunk and Pidge also said their goodbyes. Hunk got a little teary eyed as he picked Lance up, hugging him tight. “Happy birthday, man!” Lance just smiled and hugged him back. He then went to Pidge and made them give him a hug, despite their protests. However, he eventually pulled the birthday card and the beta just rolled their eyes as they gave in. Keith could clearly see the smile on their face, however. Eventually they grumbled that they needed to get back to the lab and untangled themselves from Lance’s hold. Lance just laughed as they walked out the door, Hunk trailing behind them.

As the heavy doors to the ballroom slammed shut, Lance turned to face Keith. They were both acutely aware that it was finally just the two of them left. Keith made his way towards Lance, his boots thudding across the marble of the floor. Lance just stayed still, almost frozen as he watched the knight get closer to him. Keith saw the omega gulp, his throat bobbing as he took in a sharp breath. “So, we should probably get out of here,” Lance said, looking towards the door. “To make curfew.” Keith could tell that he was nervous for the conversation that would happen once they were outside the doors and Keith wanted to comfort him, but he was just as nervous.

“Actually,” Keith said slowly, drawing Lance’s attention, “I had one more surprise for you tonight.” Lance just looked at him, his eyes twinkling despite his confusion. “Keith,” he started, clearly about to protest despite the clear excitement he had. Keith just laughed. “Just call it your official birthday present.”

With that, he pressed the button of the remote that controlled the facilities of the room. The lights dimmed, letting the warm, golden glow overtake the ballroom. Lance just watched him, clearly still not understanding, when a soft melody began to fill the room.

The chimes and piano rang out of the speakers and Keith held his breath, waiting for the realization to come to Lance. Keith could see it on his face as he tried to place the music, but it wasn’t until the smooth lyrics began to play did he look up at Keith with understanding.

You’re in my arms

And all the world is gone

The music playing on for only two

“Keith,” he whispered in amazement, mouth open as he took in the song. “How did you-”

“I have my ways,” Keith interrupted, smiling. “You talked about how much you would love to dance to this song when we were watching the movie and,” Keith bowed and stretched out his hand, “I do believe I owe you a dance.”

It was braver than anything Keith had ever done. All his fighting during the war, his actions during the rebel attack, his whole life, nothing compared to this moment. He felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He had originally planned to play the song during the party and let Lance dance about with his friends. But then, well, then the conversation happened, and Keith suddenly didn’t want Lance to dance with anyone else but him. Not to this.

When he didn’t feel Lance take his hand he looked up, nervous that the prince was going to reject him. But when he looked up all he saw was Lance staring at him, completely and utter admiration swimming across his features. The moment Lance’s eyes met Keith’s, the omega smiled and took his hand.

“I believe you do.”

Keith pulled Lance into his arms, settling one hand around the omega’s waist while the other held onto Lance’s hand. Lance rested his own free hand on Keith’s shoulder. They were so close that Keith could feel the air Lance was breathing out, the hot wind hitting his collarbone. As soon as they were in position, Keith made the first step, pulling Lance with him.

Keith wasn’t a very good dancer by any means, but he let the music take him. He and Lance stepped around the room, doing nothing but looking at each other. Because gods, Lance was the most beautiful thing Keith had ever seen. Even if Lance didn’t feel any romantic affection towards him, Keith will have considered himself lucky to even be in the presence of the prince.

As they began to set a rhythm, Lance broke their silence. “This whole night has been completely perfect, Keith.” Keith just smiled, beginning to find himself completely overwhelmed. “I just- I wanted you to be happy.” It was such a simple thing to say. Nowhere near the almost poetic words Keith had thought to himself about Lance before. But despite this, Lance just smiled, his white, pearly teeth glinting against the darkness of the room. “I am.”

With that, the silence over took them again, both men content to twirl around as they listened to the music radiating throughout the room.

So close to reaching

That famous happy ending

Almost believing

This one's not pretend

And now you're beside me

And look how far we've come

So far we are, so close

Gods, Lance was just so beautiful. Keith felt like his entire brain was going fuzzy. Every second that he kept staring at Lance the more he wanted to kiss him, to hold him like this forever. The words to the music stopped and the instruments began to swell, making the whole room buzz with electricity. Keith couldn’t keep his eyes off Lance’s, the blues looking stunning as they sparkled with the twinkling lights above them. Lance was looking at him with the same intensity, almost vulnerable in the way his face looked completely open and soft.

As the music rang higher, Keith took to flinging Lance out before spinning him under his arm. As soon as Lance faced him again, he reached for his waist, pulling him back even closer than before. Keith let his eyes gaze down Lance’s neck, pausing at his open bond mark, before forcing himself to look away. As he made his way back up Lance’s neck, he caught Lance staring at his lips, and everything began to click. All the memories the two men had shared since Keith had first gotten his job ran through his head in a second.

Their banter. Their fights. Their warm, relaxed moments in the forest and the observatory. Lance’s heat. Lance’s drop. Keith’s moments of realization over and over again. The moments late at night when they both clung to each other for solace from their nightmares. Now.

It hit him so suddenly he almost paused his movements. Even though it was the plan all along, Keith couldn’t take another moment of Lance not knowing exactly how he felt. The affection he held for the prince seemed to be bubbling up, and Keith knew that he would explode if he couldn’t express it soon.

As the lyrics started up again, Keith felt himself sag, any last defense crumbling. “Lance,” Keith says, breathless with the amount of pure emotion he was feeling. “I need to tell you something.” Lance just looks up at Keith with his big blue eyes and Keith practically melts. Keith tried to gather what he was going to say but all thoughts that weren’t about Lance’s eyes seemed to disappear from his mind. “I-” 

He cut himself off, not even knowing how to continue. Lance, sensing his struggle, moved his hand out of Keith’s grip to caress his face. Keith let his now empty hand drop to join his other on Lance’s waist.

“I know,” Lance said as he brushed his thumb against Keith’s cheek. “Gods I know.” And that was all Lance said before he suddenly was pushing himself on his toes, smashing his lips together with Keith’s.

Keith barely even registered the logistics of what was happening, too busy moving his lips against Lance’s. He couldn’t think about how sudden it seemed, or how he didn’t even know how Lance truly felt. All he could think about was how much he loved the man in front of him and how much he wanted to give him.

Lance’s lips were soft, perfectly fitting against Keith’s as they moved together. They had stopped dancing, letting the music wash over them as they kissed. Despite the volume of the music, Keith could still hear the gasp Lance let out as Keith tugged him closer. Keith used the opportunity to slip his tongue into Lance’s mouth, almost moaning as Lance let him in without any resistance. Keith could feel Lance’s hand slide from his shoulder to his hair, tugging it slightly at a desperate attempt to get closer. Keith just let him, his alpha ringing in his chest at finally being able to hold his omega. To taste him.

Lance eventually began to pull away, fighting for air. Keith reluctantly let him, breathing heavily as he tried to make sense of what he had just experienced. He opened his eyes and imminently found Lance’s. His eyes were illuminated by his markings, which were glowing a tender blue. Keith knew that Lance’s markings only glowed when he was experiencing extreme emotion, and tried to contain his smile. 

So close, so close

And still so far

As the song began to end, the music dying down and lyrics ending, Keith couldn’t help but lean back to Lance. “Fuck,” Keith breathed, “please tell me I’m not dreaming,” Keith said while whispering against Lance’s lips. Lance let out a content sight but quirked his lips into a smirk. “You telling me you dream about me, Kogane.” Keith just gave a quiet laugh and shook his head. “Shut up,” he said, molding his lips back onto Lance’s as the song came to an end. Lance let him, and moved his own mouth feverishly against Keith's.

Keith didn’t know how long they stood there, the only noise left in the room being the soft huffs of their breaths and the quiet moans Keith worked to pull out of Lance. As they kissed, Keith knew that they would have to properly talk about it. About the past couple days, hell, about the past couple months. Everything seemed to cultivate to this moment, and Keith couldn’t let himself stop basking in it.

A loud clang rang out, causing both men to jump. Keith looked for the cause of the noise, hand already reaching for his blade, before he realized what the culprit was. “Curfew,” Lance whispered, confirming Keith’s thoughts. Keith nodded his head, turning back to Lance with a smile. “I guess it’s time to head back,” Lance said, his lips puffy. Lance made a motion to get out of Keith’s arms, body moving towards the door, but Keith stopped him. “Wait just,” he said, pressing his lips against Lance’s once more. Lance kissed him back, but Keith was quick to pull away. Lance whined at the sudden loss of contact and Keith’s lips quirked into a smirk. “Okay,” he said, pulling Lance out the door as he turned off the lights to the ballroom. He knew that there were still many things that they needed to discuss, but that could be addressed later. Right now, all Keith needed was to get Lance’s mouth back on his.

⋆★⋆

The pair quickly made their way to Lance’s chambers, not wanting to wait another second before they could be alone again. Even though they technically weren’t out past the curfew, they still made their way down the hallways as quietly as they could, trying to bypass any guards or lingering maids.

As soon as they reached Lance’s door, Keith flung it open and pulled himself and Lance inside. Lance let out a gasp of surprise when Keith pushed him against the closed door. Keith felt the wall and flipped the switch to turn on Lance’s lamp, filling the room with a low light. He slipped his tongue into Lance’s awaiting mouth and moved to place his knee in between Lance’s legs, smirking at the feeling of the slight bulge. Lance moaned at the contect, giving Keith more access to his mouth in the process. The prince moved to tangle his hands in Keith’s hair. Lance gave the black locks a rough tug as Keith began to move his mouth down Lance’s neck, letting his teeth scrape against his mating mark.

“Oh gods, Keith,” Lance moaned out, trying his best to catch his breath. Keith pressed light, opened-mouthed kisses all along the omega’s neck, fighting the urge to leave a mark. The knight inhaled deeply against Lance's scent gland, taking in the sweet smell of the omega.  He then worked his way back up to Lance’s face, reconnecting their lips. He felt Lance rut against him as his hips bucked, his growing hardness searching for friction against Keith’s thigh.

A sudden stab of clarity pulled on Keith’s mind, working to get him to pause his attacks on Lance’s lips. “Wait, Lance,” he said as he pulled away. Lance began to follow him, searching blindly for his mouth. When he realized that Keith wasn’t coming back he opened his eyes, searching in Keith’s. Keith once again was stunned by the prince’s beauty and tried to remember what he was going to say. “I just- I want to make sure that we are on the same page. That we both want this. I don’t want to rush into anything.” Lance just smiled and gave a roll of his hips, grinding further into Keith’s thigh. “Trust me, I want this.” Keith smirked at the movement but he still didn’t move any closer. “I just want to make sure, Lance. I don’t want you regretting anything in the morning.”

That was probably Keith’s biggest fear. That this would all be a one-time thing driven by nothing but lust and convenience. Keith knew that there was a possibility that some of the champagne from earlier was still in his system, and didn’t want to accidentally push Lance into doing something he didn’t want to do. But the way Lance was looking at him now, like Keith held the entire universe in his hand, made him understand that that wouldn't happen. Lance moved his hand so that it was encompassing Keith’s face again, trying to let the contact sooth the alpha. “Trust me Keith, I won’t regret this.” And the quieter, “I never regret anything with you.”

And that was all the confirmation Keith needed. He moved back in, kissing Lance even harder than before. He worked to put all the emotion he had been feeling for the past few months into the kiss, letting Lance learn everything through his mouth. I love you , he silently kissed into Lance’s skin. I love you.

Lance let out another moan, which only grew deeper as Keith moved his mouth to his ear. Keith nibbled on the earlobe, smirk growing wider as he felt Lance’s cock grow harder against his leg. Slowly, he whispered into the omega’s ear. “Let’s get on the bed, baby.”

He reluctantly pulled away from Lance so that the omega could make his way to his large bed, pulling off his shoes and socks before laying down. Keith, after removing his own shoes, began to stalk towards Lance. Lance was looking up at him, eyes wide and hair disheveled, and Keith thought that it was the picture of beauty.

Keith sat down on the bed next to the prince, eyes not leaving Lance’s. He motioned for Lance to come closer, a silent understanding falling between them. Lance sat up and swung his legs around, locking Keith in between his thighs, straddling him. Keith let his hands fall down to Lance’s waist but began to play with the edges of his soft blouse. “Why don’t we take this off?”

Keith’s voice was already low and he felt Lance shiver above him as he spoke. It took a few seconds before Lance nodded his head, reaching to pull the blue fabric over his head. As soon as his smooth, tan chest was visible to Keith, he immediately began to run his hands up and down, letting his fingertips leave ghosts of simulation along Lance’s body. Lance shivered again as he flung his shirt somewhere in the room, letting out a gasp as Keith began to run with mouth along Lance’s body.

Keith started at the omega’s neck, once again mouthing over his bond mark. He sucked on the skin before moving farther down Lance’s chest, offering a mix of sweet peaks and opened mouth kisses. Keith took one of Lance’s nipples into his mouth, rolling the bud with his tongue as he pinched the other one with his hand. He heard Lance gasp from the touch, and he felt as he started to shift from the pleasure. Keith couldn’t tell if he was trying to get closer or get away from Keith’s ministrations, but the knight didn’t care. As he pulled away from Lance’s nipple, he blew hot air over the hardened bud before moving his mouth to the other.

“Ah, fuck, Keith,” Lance moaned, back arching as Keith sucked and bit at his skin. He let out more pants, twisting his fingers into Keith’s hair. As Keith let go of his other nipple with a pop he couldn’t help but moan as Lance’s movements rubbed their clothed cocks together. Gods, why did they still have clothes on?

Lance seemed to be thinking the same thing because he started to tug at Keith’s shirt. “Off,” was all he said, mumbling his words against Keith’s jaw. Keith went to pull it off, but Lance blocked him, too busy peppering kisses to realize that he needed to move to feel Keith’s skin. “Lance,” Keith said urgently, “if you want my clothes to come off, you need to give me room to do it.” This seemed to snap Lance out of his trace and he pulled back, cheeks flushed. “Right, sorry.” Keith just chuckled and tore off his shirt, throwing it in the same direction Lance did with his. He knew that Lance would grumple about trying to find their clothes later, but right now neither of them cared. 

As soon as his shirt was gone, Keith saw as Lance’s eyes grew wider at his milky, lavender chest. Keith couldn’t help but smirk. He knew that he was attractive. He had to be in perfect shape during battle, and he always set a strict training regiment for himself. Even now Keith still maintained his schedule, both for the retinue and for his current job. Lance often made fun of him when he sneaked away to training, insisting that he was already in fine shape. However, it didn’t seem like Lance knew how fine until this moment.

Lance licked his lips and pulled his bottom one in between his teeth, gnawing at it. Keith wanted to laugh at his expression, it being something akin to how one would look at a buffet, but there was nothing funny about the situation. Keith watched with a baited breath as Lance just kept staring at him before he finally jutted forward. “Fuck, you’re so hot.”

With that their lips collided together again. Their tongues danced together, mimicking their steps from just a few moments ago, and Keith just sighed into Lance’s mouth. He could start to smell their scents permeate the air, their sweat and arousal filling the room. Keith let out a loud groan when he realized that the scent was likely also due to Lance’s slick.

He still couldn’t fully believe that this was happening. Just a few hours ago he was worried about how to tell Lance his feelings and how the prince would take it. Now, he had a withering Lance in his lap and on his tongue.

Keith couldn’t tell how long they spent just kissing each other. Everytime one of them would pull away for air the other would immediately reconnect their lips as soon as the breath was inhaled. It was everything and also nothing like Keith imagined. Kissing Lance felt like Keith hadn’t even been breathing up until this moment. He doesn't know how he survived twenty-three years without Lance’s mouth on his. Keith would be content with staying like this for the rest of the night, their heated kisses transforming into slow, languid ones. However, Lance seemed to have other plans and soon enough he started to tug on Keith’s belt. “I want-” Lance breathed, a sharp gasp stopping him from finishing as Keith bit his bottom lip. After a few seconds Lance started again, pulling harder on Keith’s belt. “I want to suck you off.”

Keith pulled his face away from Lance’s roughly to look him in the eye, completely astounded at what he just said. “Lance,” he started cautiously, not wanting to make Lance feel like he had to do anything. Lance just shook his head, stopping him. “No, I want to.” And then, “Please, Keith?” 

And fuck, how could Keith deny him anything when he asked so prettily. Keith just nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak, before giving Lance one final peck. Lance pulled away, moving down the bed to give Keith room to stand up. As soon as he was off the bed Keith unbuckled his belt, pulling it out of his pants loops with a snap. He then pulled down his trousers, leaving only his boxers left on his skin. He could see the outline of the bulge of his cock, desperate to escape its confines. He reached down to pull them off as well but Lance’s hands stopped him. Keith looked down to find Lance sitting up on his bare knees, having taken the opportunity to rid himself of his pants as well. “Wait,” he said seductively, “let me.” And well, who is Keith to deny him.

The alpha nodded his head and watched with hooded eyes as Lance reached up to grab the waistband of his underwear. He hesitated for just a moment and Keith was about to insist that he didn’t have to, but then Lance looked up at him with a smile and pulled the cloth down.

Keith’s cock bounced out, it’s purple head dark from being compacted for so long. Keith let out a hiss as the cold air of the room hit it. It was almost completely hard and Keith knew that the moment Lance got his mouth on him it would be all over.

Keith looked down at the prince, making sure that he was still comfortable with what they were doing. Lance, however, was focused on the knight’s cock, throat bobbing as he took in the size. Keith wasn’t exceptionally large. He actually had an average sized penis by Galra standards. However, Galra were typically bigger than most other species. They often towered over their peers, both in height and in body mass. And Keith was no expectation.

Lance looked back up at Keith, his eyes full of a hunger that Keith didn’t expect to see. He had been afraid that Lance would regret asking to give him a blowjob, but Lance looked even more enticed than before. “Lay down,” Lance said, making room for Keith to get on the bed again. “Bossy,” Keith muttered, although he did what Lance said. As soon as he was propped up against the headboard Lance began to crawl towards him. “Well,” Lance said as he slid his hands up Keith’s legs and thighs, “it is still my birthday. And I believe that means I can be as bossy as I want.” Keith started to laugh at his words but it quickly turned into a gasp as he felt Lance’s hand flutter over his cock. “Plus,” Lance said, clearly aware of the effect he was having on Keith, “I am the prince. Being bossy is in my job description.”

Before Keith could respond Lance gripped the base of his length and sunk down, giving the head a lick. Keith just gave another gasp, trying to maintain his composure as Lance continued to press kitten licks around the purple cock. Lance let out a huffed snicker at the knights reaction. Keith just twined his fingers into Lance’s hair in response, giving a sharp tug to make Lance look at him. “You didn’t ask to tease,” Keith said, purposely making his voice raspy, “you asked to suck. So suck.” With that, Keith pushed Lance’s head back down, forcing his lips to connect with the alpha’s cock. At first Keith worried that he had gone too far, with Lance hesitating for just a moment. But then, Lance opened his mouth and swallowed Keith, going as far as he could.

Keith groaned as the wet heat of Lance’s mouth enveloped his cock. After the initial push, Lance pulled back and began to work over his dick slowly, taking it in inch by inch. The prince swirled his tongue around the head, making sure to pay it special attention whenever his lips dragged back down the shaft. Keith tilted his head back to gaze at the ceiling as he felt one of Lance’s hands grip the remaining length that he wasn’t able to fit, moving up and down with an occasional squeeze. Keith was working to refrain from bucking his hips, not wanting to choke Lance on accident. 

He felt Lance gag as the omega took a little too much. Lance pulled away for a second to catch his breath, before immediately continuing his ministrations. Keith looked down at Lance, reassurance on his face, but froze when he took in the scene before him. Lance’s body was folded at the knees, his ass sitting in the air to give him a better angle. His lips were stretched around Keith’s cock, drool slightly leaking out, and his cheekbones hallowing as he sucked along Keith’s length. Almost as if he could tell that Keith’s attention was on him, Lance looked up from under his eyelashes and Keith couldn’t hold back from thrusting farther into his mouth at sight. Lance’s eyes were brimming with tears, but Keith could hear the moan he let out as Keith began to deep throat him. Keith watched as his throat flexed, getting used to the new feeling in his mouth, but he didn’t pull away. Lance just continued to move his tongue along the sides, taking anything that Keith would give him.

“Fuck, Lance,” Keith said, speaking for the first time in minutes, “you’re so fucking beautiful. So pretty for me.” Lance hummed at the praise and the vibrations went right back to Keith’s cock, making the knight let out another moan. Keith could feel himself getting closer to his release, his orgasm building up with every lick of Lance’s tongue. But Keith wanted this moment to last. 

He gently tugged on Lance’s hair, pulling his mouth off of him with a pop. Lance looked up at him with confusion, clearly wondering why Keith wasn’t letting him finish the job. His lips were shiny with precome and his eyes were blown out, and Keith thought he never looked more beautiful. Keith worked to wipe the spit that escaped Lance’s mouth away, then moved his hands down to Lance’s shoulders, gripping them to pull the omega back up to him. “Don’t want to come too soon,” he murmured before pressing their lips together. Lance melted against him as he settled himself back into Keith’s lap, letting out soft pants as Keith’s hands moved along his body. Keith’s hand brushed over his still covered cock and the alpha couldn’t help but smirk as Lance let out a high pitched whine.

“You want these off,” he teased, fingers ghosting over the bulge. “Want me to touch you?” Lance just nodded his head, pushing his forehead up against Keith’s. “Please.”

Keith responded by flipping them over, Lance’s back hitting the mattress with a soft thud. Now that Keith was propped over Lance he could see the full flush that started at his face and traveled down the expanse of his chest. He was breathing heavily and he just stared at Keith, waiting and watching for the older man to make a move.

“Did such a good job,” Keith whispered as he pressed his mouth to Lance’s jaw. His hands trailed down towards Lance’s underwear, playing with the waistband as he spoke. “Made me feel so good, baby.” Lance squirmed under Keith’s attention, wiggling his hips. Keith kept dragging his lips over Lance’s skin, not doing anything more than gently pulling on Lance’s boxers. “Just fucking get on with it,” Lance breathed out, his impatiens starting to bubble up. Keith just nipped at his skin in response. “Don’t give me that attitude.” Lance just scoffed, although it came out hot and flustered. “You-ah,” Lance panted after Keith bit particularly hard on the stop behind his ear, “you know that you love it.”

And that was too close to the truth for Keith to deny it. Keith didn’t respond, not trusting himself to not spill all his feelings from the past few months. Instead, he just hummed in acknowledgement and he lifted up his head to gaze into Lance’s waiting eyes. As soon as his deep purple ones met the blue, he slowly began to pull Lance’s boxers down. Lance breathed in deeply as the fabric slithered down his skin. He lifted his hips slightly to allow Keith easier access to slip the underwear off his body. Despite how much Keith wanted to look down, he kept his eyes focused on Lance’s face, not letting them waver until the boxers had been completely removed and thrown to join the rest of their clothing.

As soon as Lance’s now bare skin hit the sheets, Keith could smell the overpowering scent of his slick. It smelled like the omega’s usual scent of the ocean and starfruit, but this was so much sweeter. It seemed to be permitrating through the air, and making Keith then times harder than he already was. Keith took in a sharp inhale, both to calm himself and to get a bigger whiff of the delicious scent. Lance must have noticed Keith’s reaction because he broke eye contact and let his own eyes travel down his body. When they came back up to Keith, Lacne gave a little quirk of his head, inviting Keith to take his own look.

Slowly, as if afraid everything would disappear the moment he let Lance’s face, Keith trailed his eyes down the prince’s form. He lifted his body up, allowing himself the room to properly take a look at Lance. And what a sight it was.

Lance’s cock was flush against him, hard and leaking. Bits of precome drizzled out of the tip and Keith had to refrain from immediately bending down to taste it. Keith watched hungrily as it twitched in the open air. Lance gave a jerk of his hips, trying to search for the friction that was there just a few ticks ago. Keith moved his left hand to push down on Lance’s hips, stopping them from bucking up. Before Lance could complain, Keith wrapped his hand around the prince’s cock, not being able to wait any longer. Lance let out a cry at the touch, back immediately arching to push into Keith’s touch. Lance let out another whine when he realized that Keith was keeping him still.

Ignoring Lance’s silent pleads, Keith kept his left hand firmly aginsn’t Lance’s hips as he gently squeezed the omega’s cock. It wasn’t as big as Keith’s, but that was already to be expected. Even if Keith wasn’t Galran, omegas were typically smaller than alphas, and Lance was not the exception. Still, his cock was nothing to scoff at, and Keith didn’t wait another moment before he began to stroke it, offering quick pumps to make Lance’s breath hitch.

“Fuck, Keith,” Lance mummbled, moans spilling out of his mouth. “Feels so good. So good so good so good.” Keith wasn’t too surprised to find that Lance was just as much of a talker during sex as he was in any other situation. Lance kept mumbling out words of his enjoyment, only even interrupted by moans as they ripped out of him. Keith just kept stroking, offering different twists of his wrist to ignite new noises from Lance. Eventually, he began to slow his movements, moving to place feather-light touches on the prince’s prick, before he took his hand off all together. Lance whined at the loss of contact but Keith shushed him as he moved back to hover over Lance, face to face. Lance pressed his head up, lips pursing as they sought out Keith’s own mouth. Keith didn’t deny him, offering him a chase kiss before pulling away again. He didn’t want to lose focus. 

“Lube,” he whispered against Lance’s lips, “where’s the lube and condoms?” Keith didn’t bother asking if Lance even had them, knowing all too well that he would. Expecting to get a quick response, Keith was surprised when Lance didn’t answer him. Keith pulled his head back, making sure that he was able to see Lance’s entire expression. He looked distant, like he was lost in thought.

“Blue,” Keith said softly, trying to draw Lance’s attention back to him, “what’s wrong?” And then after another beat of silence, “you know we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do?” Keith didn’t want to push him onto anything. Lance was never one to not say no if he didn’t want to do something, but Keith knew that this was different. Keith didn’t want Lance to think that he owed him anything, even if he had insituanted that they would sleep together. “We don’t have to go all the way,” Keith said, petting his hand against Lance’s neck. “Or we can stop right here and just go to bed. Whatever you want.”

At Keith’s words Lance’s expression shifted, his mouth forming into a smile. His eyes still held Keith back from returning the smile, the blues turning murky as Lance clearly still mulled over what made him stop to begin with. “No, it’s not that. I want this,” he said earnestly, “I want you.” Keith was almost embarrassed at how the words made his cock twitch with interest. Keith didn’t speak though, letting Lance gain the confidence to say what he needed to.

Lance brought one of his hands up to Keith’s chest, laying it down on his bare skin. “I just- I want all of you.” He was clearly referencing something, his tone indicating that Keith should have worked out what he was asking. But Keith didn’t quite understand, his eyebrows joining together in confusion and worry. Lance was breathing out in soft pants, waiting for Keith’s response. “I don’t-,” Keith started with a shake of his head, letting Lance know that he needed more of an explanation. Lance seemed embarrassed  that Keith was making him say it, taking a few extra moments before he spoke again.

“I want you to knot me.”

Keith’s mouth couldn’t help but drop open slightly at Lance’s request. A rush of heat traveled down Keith’s body as his alpha pushed him to agree. His cock throbbed at the thought of him and Lance being locked together by his knot, of being able to fill Lance up with his come.

The only thing stopping Keith from immediately agreeing was the fact that he did not know where he and Lance stood. Obviously there was attraction, having been proven by their actions for the last half hour. But what if that was all there was, at least of Lance’s side. While the action of knotting wasn’t as significant as it was in the past, it still wasn’t a thing that many people did lightly. For some, knotting was something they only did with their mate or serious partner. And while others didn’t care quite as much, knot blocking condoms were still always on hand. Keith himself worked to avoid it as much as he could. As good as it felt in the moment, he dreaded being stuck together with his lover afterwards. However, with Lance, that idea didn’t seem so bad. But not if Lance didn’t feel the same. Keith often didn’t care about the symbolism of what popping his knot meant, more thinking of it just in terms of sex. But the thought of being locked together with Lance when the prince didn’t feel the same felt like a cruel torture.

“I mean, if you don’t want to,” Lance said, voice thick, “then that’s fine. Obviously. But my suppressants act as a birth control, so we don’t have to worry about that. And I just thought that it would be nice to…you know. But I didn’t mean to put pressure on you. If you’re not into it then we can just forget it.”  And Keith couldn’t help it as he shook his head, the thought of his omega thinking that he didn’t want him was unbearable. “No, no,” he said urgently, “that’s not it at all, Lance.” A wave of relief washed over the prince’s face and Keith could feel the tension leave his shoulders as he relaxed into the bed. “Of course, I want to. It’s just-” Keith stopped, trying to find the right words. “It’s just,” Lance prompted, a question tacked onto the end.

“There is still so much that we need to talk about.” It was the truth. They had been moving so fast up until this moment, the heat and intensity of each other's skin touching leaving the rational thought behind. 

Suddenly Lance sat up, forcing Keith to move back to avoid them hitting their heads together. Before he could ask about the sudden change of position, Lance shrugged and set his mouth into a determined line. “So let’s talk about them now.”

Keith blinked back in surprise. “What?” Lance nodded his head. “You heard me. If you want to talk about our new- whatever it is, then let's do it.” Keith couldn’t help it as his whole face scrunched in confusion. “Lance, we’re naked,” he said, gesturing to where both his and Lance’s hard cocks were hanging out. Maybe he should be embarrassed that his cock was still hard even after their heated moment had stopped, but he couldn’t find himself to be. Lance just shrugged again. “So?” When Keith just gestured again the prince rolled his eyes and moved closer to him so that they were sitting in front of each other.

“Listen, in the next hour I want to be fucked and knotted so hard that I’ll feel it for weeks afterwards.” Keith choked slightly at Lance’s bluntness, but couldn’t ignore the way his dick twitched with interest. “So if you want to talk about where we go from here, then let's do it.” Lance looked down at his lap for a moment before looking back up with a chuckle. “Preferably before my hole dries up.”

Keith ignored his words, choosing not to comment on his vulgarness, despite the fact that they were about the fuck just a few moments ago. Keith was suddenly on the spot and he didn’t know what he was supposed to say. He couldn’t just blurt out that he was in love with Lance. Not when he was naked and his precome was still embedded on Lance’s lips. 

Lance seemed to notice it as Keith tried to grapple with what to say because he sighed. “Fine, I’ll start.” As he started talking he began to inch closer to Keith, moving to settle himself back into Keith’s lap, straddling him. 

“Should we start at the beginning,” Lance said, placing his hands on Keith’s thighs to balance himself. “Do you want to talk about how much it irritated me when you turned out to be different from all the rest of my guards? How much it frustrated me that you simply bounced back from all the insults I gave you with your own? Or maybe, do you want to talk about how that frustration soon turned in respect and excitement over our daily interactions?” Lance was sliding his hands up Keith’s body, light fingers feeling like velvet against Keith’s skin. 

“Do you want to talk about how I started watching you out of the corner of my eye, trying to understand how someone could make a mullet look attractive?” Normally Keith would refute the mullet insult but his mouth felt dry. He didn’t think he could speak even if he tried to. Lance leaned forward, allowing himself to whisper against the knights. “About how I couldn’t stop thinking about you during my heat? About you over me, touching me,” and then quieter, “in me.” 

Keith could barely contain the moan that was threatening to get out. Lance had somehow brought dirty talk back into their conversation, reminding Keith and his cock what was happening just a few moments earlier. Keith could feel the wetness from Lance’s slick dripping onto his thighs, proof of how affected Lance was as well. Before he could even move, Lance had already pulled back, looking Keith in his eyes. His face was filled with a blush, his markings glowing slightly. Despite the absolute filthy words he had just said, there was a certain vulnerability in Lance’s expression.

“Or maybe,” he continued, voice suddenly shaky, “you want to talk about how no matter how hard I tried to get you out of my head, I couldn’t? How I just kept falling and falling and falling, even when I knew that I shouldn’t have? How,” he paused, his breath catching. “How even when I thought I hated you for quitting on me, I knew that I hated myself even more for wanting you back? And how ever since you saved me the night of the attack, I just find myself falling deeper and deeper everyday?” Lance was impossibly close now and Keith could feel it as he stopped breathing.

“Because with every nightmare, every surprise, and every dance, I can’t help but love you even more.”

Keith felt as if his whole body was frozen. A million thoughts ran through his head. How stupid he had been. How many signs he missed. How much time they lost because they were both to blind to see what was right in front of them. But through all of that, the loudest thought was how much he loved the man in front of him.

Lance seemed to be taking Keith’s silence as a rejection and began to pull away from him. As soon as the knight realized this, Keith grabbed his face and rushed forward, forcing their lips together. Lance seemed surprised at the reaction but he immediately responded, moving his own mouth against Keith’s. The kiss was softer then the previous ones had been, Keith making sure to set the pace slow and languid as he took in everything. Lance allowed it to happen, not trying to speed it up or pull away.

After a few moments, Keith let his mouth disconnect, pulling Lance’s bottom lip out slightly with his teeth before letting go to whisper the thing he had been wanting to say for months.

“I love you.”

Lance pulled his face away, eyes darting around Keith’s face, trying to find any hint of insincerity. His eyes were blown wide, almost as if he didn’t expect Keith to share his feelings. Keith just stared back, unwavering. They sat there, naked and looking at each other before a smile crept up on Lance’s face and he threw his arms around Keith’s neck, hugging him close. Keith just hugged him back, wrapping his hands around to hold the dip of his back, pulling him closer. “I love you,” Keith repeated, tugging Lance close. “I love you. I love you. I love you.” It seemed like it was the only thing Keith could say, the words ringing out in his head and heart.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, just content with holding each other close. Keith could hardly believe that this was real. Having Lance, like this, in his arms, the words I loved you shared between them. Keith squeezed Lance closer, not wanting to risk letting him move away.

Eventually, Keith loosened his grip and Lance moved back so that they could face each other again, eyes meeting and smiles both widening. Keith almost forgot about their previous activities, but Lance’s happy expression turned something seductive.

“So,” he said, dragging out the word, “now that we’ve…talked,” he let out a little giggle, the euphoria of them being in love settling over him, “I believe that there were other…things that we were doing.” He wiggled his eyebrows and Keith couldn’t stop the laugh that erupted from him. Lance started to lean back onto the mattress and Keith followed him, helpless. “You’re insatiable” Keith whispered against Lance’s lips, not quite kissing him but just basking in his presence. Lance giggled again. “Well, can you blame me? You’re the hottest thing I've ever seen and you just confessed your undying love for me. That is the perfect combination for sex.”

Keith just laughed again although he didn’t deny it, knowing that his emotions were at a euphoric level. He just responded by pressing their lips back together and moving his hands along the prince’s body, working to get them back to the state they were a few moments ago.

It was different this time. Less rushed and urgent and more sweet as they both realized that this wasn’t going to be just once. They were in love, and they could have each other over and over and over again. Keith practically moaned at the thought, and could feel his cock growing harder. He moved one of his hands to brush past his and Lance’s cock, grabbing them both and working to jerk them together feverishly. Lance choked out a garbled moan, removing their lips from each other to let the noise escape him.

Keith let out a pant at the friction, mouth open as he pressed more kisses across Lance’s face and neck. He felt Lance squirm underneath him and when he pulled back, Lance darted over to his bedside table. Keith watched as he rustled in a drawer, and couldn’t help but let his gaze fall to his ass, trying to catch a glimpse of his slickened hole. He was disappointed as Lance turned back around before he could, but it was short lived as he saw what the prince held in his hands.

Keith took to lube from Lance, rolling the half empty bottle between his hands to make it warmer. He couldn't help but imagine all the reasons why the package was not full, and he groaned at the thought of Lance pleasuring himself.

Lance whined from under him. “Please, Keith, hurry up,” he begged, wiggling his hips to entice the knight. Keith just petted at his skin, trying to calm him. “Patience, sweetheart, patience.” But Keith didn’t want to wait another second either, the thought of entering Lance too sweet to ignore. But before he could travel down to where Lance wanted him most, his eyes caught on the glint of Lance’s bracelets. Keith knew that they acted as a certain protection for Lance, a comfort item that kept him grounded. But now, with the love revelation still swirling powerfully between them, Keith didn’t want any barriers, even metaphorical ones. With care, the alpha reached up to slowly pull the golden bangles off, giving Lance the opportunity to stop him if he wanted to. He didn’t, however, and just watched with hooded eyes as Keith tore them off before carefully placing them on the bedside table.

As soon as the bracelets had been removed, Keith finally moved down to put his face parallel to Lance’s leaking hole. The rim was glistening with his slick, and Keith couldn’t help but want to taste it. Slowly, Keith grabbed one of Lance’s ass cheeks to push him open further. Lance moved his legs so that they were bent at the knees, allowing himself to be spread out. Keith then moved his free hand closer to the omega’s hole and dragged two of his fingers through the mess of his slick. Lance moaned at the contact, body withering even at the slightless touch. Keith ran the tip of his fingers over Lance’s puckering hole, before removing them completely, much to the prince’s dismay. Keith just hummed and brought his fingers up to his mouth, tasting Lance as he swirled his tongue around the digits. The slick was sweet, its taste exactly like the smell. The taste of starfruit exploded on Keith’s tongue, and the slight saltiness from the ocean scent somehow mixed perfectly. Keith wanted to dive in fully and lick every drop of slick that left Lance. He knew though that Lance was growing more desperate every second, and that that action would have to wait. Keith couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the fact that there would be a next time. 

As Keith sucked the last bits of slick of his fingers, he opened up the bottle of lube, cap coming off with a pop. Really, Keith probably didn’t need it with how wet Lance was. But he wanted to do everything as safe as possible, not wanting to risk hurting the omega for even a second.

He coated his fingers with lube before bringing his fingers back down to Lance’s shiny hole. He circled the rim for a few seconds, enjoying the pants escaping Lance’s mouth as he prepared for the insertion. With careful precision, Keith slowly pressed one of the fingers in. Despite how slick Lance was, it was still a tight fit. Keith groaned at the thought of being inside him; of Lance’s tight heat wrapping around his cock.

“Ah, Keith,” Lance croaked out, voice starting to grow hoarse. He let out little pants as Keith began to move his finger in and out, slowly working him open. Lance continued to whimper as Keith added another finger, spreading them wide to stretch the prince out. “Fuck, Lance,” Keith grunted, “you’re so tight. Practically swallowing my fingers.” Keith pulled his fingers all the way out before pushing them back in, causing Lance to moan at the drag. “Look at that,” Keith said with marvel. “You're already taking my fingers so well. I wonder how you’ll take my cock?”

Another moaned punched out of Lance. “Mmh, please Kei- ah- p-please Keith. M’ready.” Lance’s begging was going straight to Keith’s cock, but he didn’t want to rush it. Not anymore. He dragged his fingers against Lance’s inner walls before adding a third and final finger, watching with amazement as Lance sucked it in like all the others. “I think you just need a little bit more,” Keith urged, shoving his fingers in farther. He began to pump them in and out, spread them to open Lance further. Lance continued to squirm, mouth falling open as he let out little gasps of pleasure in between his requests for Keith fuck him.

“I am fucking you,” Keith said smugly and he knew that Lance was probably rolling his eyes out of irritation instead of pleasure. “You know what I mean you- mmmph- ah, fuck Keith, right there right there right there.” Keith had found Lance’s prostate, and the Altean had immediately stopped his insult to let Keith know how much he liked it, begging the knight to go further. Keith happily agreed, pushing his fingers against the button, relishing in the moans and slick Lance let out. Keith watched as the omega’s cock sputtered out bits of precome, the prince pushing back his hips to chase Keith’s fingers. Keith could feel his own cock twitch with arousal. He knew that they both were dangerously close to coming. That feeling only got stronger as the next words came out of Lance’s mouth.

“Fuck, please alpha.”

Keith felt his whole stomach swoop, his alpha vibrating in his chest from being called out so intimately. If knotting was supposed to represent familiarity, then this was something even more. Typically, calling someone by their wolf's title was the ultimate sign of respect and attachment. Keith had never, never, had anyone call him that and never figured that he would. But now, after hearing it said in Lance’s sweet voice, he wanted to hear it again and again until he drowned in it.

“Fuck, baby,” Keith groaned out, pulling his fingers out so roughly that Lance whined at the loss. “You want me so bad don’t you,” he mocked, wrapping his hand around his own cock to stroke it. Lance was watching him with hooded eyes, but Keith could see the begging words on the tip of his expression. “Want me to give you my cock, omega?” 

Keith had been unsure about calling Lance that, despite the fact that Lance instigated it first. But Lance just moved his head back as he withered against the pillows, nodding his head rapidly. “Yesss,” he whined, “please please please alpha. Please .”

And Keith couldn’t deny him any longer. He picked up the bottle of lube again and squirted some on his hand before rubbing it along his cock. By now Lance was surely more than prepared, but Keith knew that the first few moments of penetration were going to hurt, no matter how stretched he was, and he was going to do everything in his power to make it as easy and smooth as possible.

Keith took his hand off his cock, deeming it wet enough. He crawled up the bed to bring himself back over Lance, the prince’s legs bracketing him as Keith put his hips flush against Lance’s. His cock brushed against his ass, getting wetter at the pure amount of slick that was leaking out of Lance. Keith brought his face closer to Lance’s, letting their lips brush together. This moment felt too consequential, and Keith could feel the emotion building up.

“I love you,” he whispered against the other man’s lips. He could feel Lance smile, and Keith pulled back slightly just to look at his favorite eyes. “I love you too,” Lance said softly before, “now please, fuck me. ” And well, Keith wasn’t going to be told again.

Keith slowly began to enter Lance, letting out a pant as the tip of his cock caught on Lance’s rim. Lance let out a gasp from underneath him and Keith looked at him urgently, trying to find any semblance of uncomfort or regret. “Are you okay,” he said cautiously, pausing his movements. But Lance just nodded, although his face was still slightly scrunched in pain. “Yeah, yeah, just- just keep going.” Keith was hesitant, but he listened, pushing his cock further in. He stopped every couple seconds, letting the prince adjust to the intrusion. 

Finally, Keith’s hips pressed flush against Lance’s. It was taking everything in him not to thrust in, Lance sucking him so tightly it was almost unbearable. But he wouldn’t move again until Lance gave him the okay. It took a few doboshs, but eventually Lance’s huffs of breaths turned into quite moans of pleasure and he began to roll his hips. Keith took this as permission, and he slowly pulled back out before pushing in sharply, smirking at the grunt Lance let out. 

With that, Keith began to set a brutal pace. He moved his cock in and out of Lance at an increasingly rapid rate, letting out ragged groans at the way Lance was squeezing him.

“Fuck, Blue, you’re so fucking tight.” He said it up against Lance’s ear, tracing the shell of his ear with his lips. “So fucking perfect for me, omega.” He heard Lance’s breath hitch before the prince let out another stream of moans and cries of pleasure. “Harder, Keith” he begged, beginning to push his hips down to meet the Galran’s thrusts. “Harder- ahh, please.” Keith accommodates his whines, pushing in harder with a snap of his hips. Keith moved to capture Lance’s lips for what felt like both the first and hundredth time that night. Lance responded immediately, mouth open as he accepted Keith’s tongue without any resistance. 

Their kiss was too messy and wet for it to realistically be enjoyable, but neither of the men cared. They just continued to weave their lips together, each swallowing up the sounds that escaped from the other. Keith moved his hands along Lance’s body, tweaking his nipples for a few seconds before he felt Lance begin to reach in between them, hands going for his cock. Keith moved to grab Lance’s hand with his, bringing them back up and pinning the younger man to the mattress.

“Not yet,” he whispered, driving his cock harder into Lance. Lance let out a pathetic whimper, but didn’t try to escape Keith’s grasp. Keith used his other hand to maintain his position above Lance, continuing to crack his hips. 

After a few more minutes, Lance let out a sudden choked moan, letting Keith know that he had found his prostate again. “Fuck, alpha,” Lance began to cry, withering underneath Keith. “Ahh, you feel so good inside me. Making me feel so good. So full.” Keith could barely understand how Lance had enough consciousness to be saying so much. Keith felt like the only thing he  could do was offer hushed grunts and a few, separated words. He just continued to aim at the spot that made Lance gasp so prettily, pounding at his prostate with a vigorous pace.

The noises filling the room were obscene, and the scents were almost worst. The stench of sex was in the air, mixed with the coolness and heated scents of Lance and Keith’s respective scents. Really, their scents shouldn’t smell as good as it did, with how different their bases were. But yet, it was just another surprise in showing how compatible Keith and Lance really were together, even if they shouldn’t.

“Mmh, Keith, I’m close,” Lance keened, panting against Keith’s lips. He tried to give the knight a few gentle kisses, but they both were too lost in their pleasure to properly move against each other. Keith squeezed Lance’s hand that he was still pressing up against the sheets before moving his empty one down in between their bodies, holding himself up with his knees and putting a light pressure against Lance. He gripped Lance’s cock with his hand, thumbing at the tip before sliding his hand up, spreading the precome around it. Lance huffed harder against him and contracted his body, squeezing tighter on Keith cock.

The alpha moved faster, now pairing his speed with his movements on Lance’s cock. “ Alpha ,” Lance moaned, tears beginning to slide down his cheeks from the pleasure. Keith didn’t know if it made him sick, but he couldn’t help but reveal the fact that he could bring Lance to tears from the pleasure he was giving him. That was probably something that he should explore later. For now, he was so close to letting go to his release, and was trying to get Lance to get there too.

Lance began to let out a mix of Alpha and Keith , moaning in between the gasps as Keith worked his cock. Keith responded with his own grunts, pushing deeper and deeper. He watched with delirious amazement as Lance’s Altean marks began to glow, filling the room with a soft, blue glow.

“Ah, Keith, Keith, alpha,” Lance rambled, pleasure building up. With another stroke of his cock, Keith leaned down against Lance’s ear. “Come, Lance. Be a good omega and come for me, baby.”

It was like a cord had snapped and suddenly, Lance was coming, shooting in between their bodies into Keith’s hand. The glow of his markings exploded into the room, covering the walls in blue. He opened his mouth in a silent scream as Keith continued to pound into him, seeking his own release. He felt Lance’s come cover his hand, transferring to both Lance’s and his stomachs as Keith continued to thrust into him. He was so close, and he could feel his knot beginning to swell.

“Keith,” Lance whispered, still reveling in his high, “I love you.”

And that was all it took for Keith to let go. He pushed in for a final time, knot locking into place as he came with a strangled grunt. He pushed his head into Lance’s neck, using his last bits of consciousness to stop himself from biting into the prince’s bond mark as his orgasm rushed over him.

The knight barely recognized the next few moments, too busy feeling Lance suck every bit of come from his cock and into his hole. When his mind finally began to emerge back, he couldn’t help but let out the soft moan at the feeling of his knot pushing against Lance’s rim, keeping them connected and locked together. He thought about what it would be like if he could have sunk his teeth into him. To be able to connect them in both body and mind, and reemerge as partners. As mates.

He had collapsed on top of Lance, and even though the prince wasn’t complaining yet, Keith knew him too well and didn’t want to give him the chance. He carefully rolled them over, careful not to jostle them too much less he accidentally pulled his knot. Lance let out a gasp of surprise, but quickly settled back down on top of Keith, nuzzling into this chest.

“That was perfect,” Lance murmured as he began to trace patterns onto Keith’s skin. Keith hummed, both he and his alpha growing more content as Lance whispered the praises. “Made me feel so good.” Keith just tightened his arms around Lance in response. “Shh, let’s just sit.”

They fell into comfortable silence, both men content with just basking in each other as they waited for Keith’s knot to go down. They did not seem to care about the ache of their muscles or the come that was drying in between them. Keith’s mind was reeling with emotions, his love for Lance and his happiness being at the forefront. There were still things that needed to be discussed, like how they were going to navigate their new relationship and further talk about all the miscommunication that occurred over the past few months. But that could all wait. Keith just wanted to enjoy this moment, and enjoy Lance.

Eventually Keith’s knot began to deflate and Lance squirmed at the feeling. Keith kept still for a few ticks, trying to commit everything to memory, before finally rolling them onto their sides. Keith carefully pulled out, petting at Lance’s skin as the omega winced. As soon as he and Lance were separated, Lance rolled onto the bed on his back, letting out a content sigh. However, the sigh soon turned into a whine as Keith stood from the bed. 

“Wait, where are you going,” Lance asked, his voice underlined with upset and nervousness. Keith just kept walking, entering the ensuite bathroom. As he came out again, Lance had an angry pout on his face which transformed to a sheepish look of understanding when he saw what Keith was holding.

Keith made his way back over to the bed and began to slide the rag against Lance’s skin, removing the dried come and lube that was all over his body. The knight carefully ran it along Lance’s hole, wiping away the last remains of Keith’s come. His alpha raged a bit inside him at the thought of removing himself from Lance, but Keith quelled it, blushing slightly at the possessive nature.

As soon as Lance was cleaned up Keith went back into the bathroom, wetting the towel again to wipe down his own body. Once he deemed himself free of bodily fluids, he threw the dirty rag into Lance’s hamper, content with leaving it there tonight. As he made his way back to the bed, he looked around the room, trying to search for his boxers in the low light. He and Lance really did throw their clothes everywhere, but he soon found them hidden underneath Lance’s vanity chair. He rolled them on before coming to join Lance back on the bed, who had also taken the time to find and put on his own underwear.

Keith crawled into the bed, taking up his usual position. Except, different from the usual, Lance’s bare chest immediately cuddled up to his own. Keith sighed against him and brought his arms around to incase Lance, holding the omega close to his chest.

“Thank you,” Keith whispered, rubbing his fingers along the length of Lance’s arm. Lance just hummed lazily. “What for?” Keith smiled, continuing his path on Lance’s skin. 

“For loving me.”

Keith would probably blanch at the idea of anyone else saying this, or for him to say it to someone else. But with Lance, it was like all his dark, brooding energy was replaced with a hopeless romantic. Hopeless for Lance.

“You don’t need to thank me for that,” Lance said, a smile in his voice. “It’s- well it’s not exactly easy,” he teased, poking at Keith’s chest, “but it’s worth it. Always.”

Keith could stop the smile on his face from growing, compelled and overwhelmed by the man in his arms. Keith squeezed him again, silently letting Lance know that he felt the same. No matter how much Lance could tease or confuse him, Keith would still choose him again and again. Always.

Silence fell over them again, both men tired after the events of the day. Keith, for one of the first times, could feel his eyelids drooping as he began to fall into sleep easily. It was something that only seemed to happen when he was in Lance’s presence. Probably something to do with how calm and peaceful Lance made Keith and his alpha.

“You know,” Lance said quietly, tangling his legs together with Keith’s, “I think this was the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten.” Keith let out a snort, already knowing from Lance’s tone that this wasn’t going to be a sincere compliment. “Oh yeah,” he murmured, pressing his nose against Lance’s hair. “What did I get you?” Lance laughed and nuzzled closer to Keith. “The gift of orgasms, of course.” Keith couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him, Lance’s words too funny and disbelieving not to. Lance giggled along with him, their voices blending together. 

“Is that so,” Keith said tiredly, beginning to give in to the drag of sleep. He felt Lance nod. “And well, I guess confessing your undying love for me was a close second too,” the omega hummed. Keith couldn’t help but snort. “I don’t think that’s exactly what I said.” He didn’t mention that it was true. Lance didn’t need to know that.

Lance let out another giggle. “I think that’s exactly what you said,” he sing-songed. Keith didn’t have any more fight to give so he just relaxed further into Lance and let his eyes flutter closed. 

“Okay, Lance.”

Lance must've noticed how tired he sounded and let his own body relax, sighing into Keith. After a few moments, Keith had thought that Lance had fallen asleep, with breathing evening out. However, the prince gave a final quiet whisper.

“I love you.”

Keith smiled and brushed his nose against Lance’s hair again, taking in his sweet scent as his mind drifted into darkness.

“I love you too, Blue.”

Chapter Text

It took a few moments for Keith to make out his surroundings. As he woke up, he knew that he was in Lance’s bed, like he was every morning. He knew that Lance was wrapped around him, and he knew that somehow, neither he or Lance had woken up from a nightmare. But he could feel something at the back of his mind, something tugging at him to remember through the haze of his sleep. He groggily filtered through his memories, trying to find what could be so important.

And then it came to him.

Lance’s birthday. Their dance. Their kiss. 

Their confession.

Because what made this morning different from all the other mornings Keith had awoken in Lance’s bed was that this time, Lance knew that Keith was in love with him. He knew all the hidden feelings Keith had been hiding and building up, ready to set and explode when given the opportunity. 

And Lance loved him back.

He could feel Lance slowly breathing against his chest, and Keith remembered other factors about the night. The feeling of Lance’s skin against his. His hot breathing as he let out gasps and moans. Lance’s whispers of Keith’s name. The whispers of ‘I love yous.’

Somehow, them sleeping together seemed less monumental than them confessing their love for each other. Keith had known he was attracted to Lance, physically at least, from the moment he saw him. A part of him, although it was small, thought that perhaps in another universe he and Lance would still end up like this, naked chests pressed against each other. The only difference would be that that's all it would be. A night of just pure carnal desire. But here, now, it was more. They were more. More than just lovers or companions. They were partners. Mates.

As Keith ran over the events of the previous night he felt Lance begin to stir in his arms. He was slow to open his eyes, instead choosing the nestle further into Keith’s chest. However, after a few moments he shot back, likely going through the same process as Keith in remembering everything that had transpired the night before.

They just stared at each other for a few ticks, both taking in the fact that they were here at this moment. Slowly, a smile began to creep on Lance’s face, the whites of his teeth stark against his dark, bitten lips. Keith could feel himself begin to smile too, unable to stop it as he took in Lance. The sun was filtering softly through the window, showering them both in a golden glow. Lance’s hair was fanned out and messy from sleep and the previous night's activities. Keith was sure that his own hair was far worse but couldn't find himself to care. Not when Lance was looking up at him, face and body so angelic it almost took Keith’s breath away.

“Hi,” Lance whispered, looking up at Keith with an expression that couldn’t be anything but reverence. Keith just stared back, knowing that he likely had a similar expression on his face. “Hi.”

He knew that he should say more in response, but how could he think of anything to say when such beauty was laying right in front of him. Keith was never good with words, and Lance practically made them all mute.

Lance however, never had a problem in coming up with things to say.

“So…last night was…” He trailed off, almost as if he was nervous to continue. Keith had been wondering how long it would take them to bring it up, and apparently Lance didn’t want to lose any more time.

“Perfect,” Keith said, answering Lance’s unsaid question as his confidence grew. Lance looked slightly startled at the quick admittance but he relaxed at the words, a breath of hot air drifting over Keith’s arms as he exhaled. “Perfect,” Lance repeated, unable to keep the smile out of his voice.

Carefully, Lance began to wiggle out of Keith’s hold to sit up. Keith opened his mouth in protest, neither him nor his alpha wanting the omega out of his arms, but closed it as he watched Lance lean down before slotting his mouth against his. It was a sweet kiss, so different from the heated and rushed ones they had shared before. This one was clear in its messaging - they had all the time in the world to do this. The kiss only lasted a few seconds as Lance pulled away to whisper against Keith’s lips. “I love you.”

At those words Keith reconnected their mouths, not giving Lance the opportunity to say anything else. They maintained the slow pace, both content with pressing sleepy kisses against each other's lips. It should have been gross, considering neither of them had brushed their teeth and likely still had the reminisce of come in their mouths, but neither of them cared. Keith couldn't help but smile more into the kiss, thinking about how soft and domestic it seemed.

Eventually Lance pulled away again, giggling softly. Keith looked at him with an affectionate but questing look, wondering what could be so funny. Lance just shrugged as he noticed Keith’s confusion and breathed out, “I just never thought that I would get to do that.” He seemed entirely too pleased to be wrong, and Keith couldn’t help but share the same sentiments. “Me neither,” he admitted with a shake of his head.

Lance pressed one last chase kiss onto Keith’s mouth before moving to lay back down, allowing Keith to wrap his arm around him again. The alpha did so happily, pressing his face into Lance’s hair to inhale the prince’s sweet scent. While doing so, he also worked to subtly rub his own scent onto the omega. Lance must have noticed what he was doing because he just giggled again, offering a slight shake of his head.

“Not even twenty-four hours together and you’re already trying to stake a claim on me, alpha?” Keith tried to ignore the way his stomach swooped at the title, memories of Lance moaning the word finding a place in his mind. “Of course,” he responded easily, “With how long I’ve wanted you, I’m going to take any opportunity I can.”

Lance seemed to think about the statement for a moment before he asked, “How long have you been wanting me?” It was said quietly, almost like he didn’t really want to know the answer, but Keith knew Lance too well. The prince was one of the most curious men he had ever met. He really did want to know.

“I guess since the beginning,” Keith answered honestly. Lance moved so that he could look at Keith, disbelief clear in his face. “Seriously,” Lance said, clearly not believing that Keith could have wanted him since they met. Keith just shrugged in response. “I mean, yeah,” he said lamely. Lance’s eyebrows raised up, signifying that there were more questions left on his tongue. Keith raced to answer them before he could ask, finding it easier to just explain than try to figure out how to answer the way Lance directed him.

“At first, it was just general attraction.” Keith saw a twinkle spark in Lance’s eyes and the knight couldn’t help from rolling his eyes. “Yes yes, believe it or not I find you attractive,” Keith said jadedly, knowing that Lance was just fishing for compliments. Lance’s lips pursed together but he didn’t say anything, letting Keith continue.

“And so I always knew that I was physically attracted to you. But the more time I spent with you, the more I became attracted to the kind of person you are.” Lance’s grin widened and he wiggled in Keith’s arms. “Oh yeah,” he teased, “and what kind of person am I?” Keith looked down at him and once again rolled his eyes. “Well,” he said slowly, beginning to drag one of his hands up the length of Lance’s arm, “you’re very charitable and compassionate. I remember how in awe I was the first time I accompanied you to the orphanage.” Lance seemed ready to protest, no doubt about to say that helping out at the orphanage wasn’t something to be praised for, but Keith shushed him and continued his words and movements.

“Then watching you with your family, how eager you always were to help them when they needed it. And even when you would argue with me over trivial things, I couldn’t help but enjoy it because I liked seeing you riled up.” Lance blushed at that and a pout formed on his lips.

“They aren’t trivial,” he muttered, causing Keith to laugh. “Sweetheart, you once started an argument because you insisted that me liking cottage cheese was a sin.” Keith just chuckled again as Lance’s pout grew deeper. “It is,” the prince said pompously, shuffling as if he were going to pull himself out of Keith’s hold.

The knight stopped him though, just pulling him closer. “But even then,” Keith said, his voice still slightly gravely from sleep, “I still fell in love with you.” 

Lance smiled again at the acknowledgement of Keith’s feelings and he let out a hum. “When did you realize?” And then after a pause, “Like exactly?” Keith thought for a moment, even though he already knew the answer. He just did not know how Lance was going to take it. Keith let out a sigh, knowing that even though it might be a bit embarrassing for him, he didn’t have it in him to lie to Lance. 

He mumbled out the answer, head turning away slightly. “What?” Lance said, “I didn’t get that.” Keith just sighed again and said it louder, turning back to the prince. “That day your old guard cornered us in the square and you told me about Michelle.” Lance looked at him with wide eyes, clearly not expecting that answer. It was such a long time ago that Keith was almost surprised himself. It did not feel like he had been harboring his love for Lance for so long, but that memory was proof. 

“What,” Lance said quietly, clearly not believing. “But that was-” he paused, racking his brain for the timeline. “Months ago,” Keith answered, confirming Lance’s thoughts. The knight did not say anything else, waiting for Lance’s reaction. He still seemed to be thinking over everything, eyes moving back and forth as he no doubt replayed memories in his head. Finally, he looked back up at Keith, searching his eyes for any insincerity. 

“You’ve loved me for that long?”

He was clearly just looking for confirmation, trying to make sure that he was not just making this all up. Keith gulped but nodded. “Yeah,” he said while shrugging. “Or well,” he stared, backtracking for just a moment to provide more clarity. “I don’t know exactly when I fell in love with you but,” he paused and took in a deep breath, “that was the day that I finally admitted to myself that I was falling. I just remember how much my alpha was screaming to protect you, and that was when I knew that you were it. That I wanted you to be my mate.”

It was a scary confession. Despite the fact that Lance already knew that he was in love with him, revealing that he wanted them to bond someday was a different kind of revelation. What if Lance didn’t want that? What if he decided that it was a dealbreaker and pushed Keith away?

All of Keith’s fears were misplaced, however, because suddenly Lance was pressing his lips against Keith’s. It wasn’t a very good kiss with how surprised Keith had been, but it still helped soothe the alpha’s worries. Lance pulled away almost as quickly as he had connected them, a smile forming. “I would love that,” he whispered, voice taunt with emotion. “To be your mate. To be your omega.”

Keith knew that the ‘someday’ was silently resting on Lance’s tongue, but it did not matter. The promise of that someday was enough to make Keith’s alpha roar with pleasure, and a light feeling growing inside Keith’s heart. Keith moved down to take in Lance’s lips again, this time infinitely better than the last. They moved together slowly, and Keith felt like everything was finally falling into place. Keith did not know how long they stayed wrapped up in eachother, lips and arms intertwining. They were both still riding the high from the night before, and every scenario appeared like it would end like this; them pouring all their emotions into a kiss.

When they eventually pulled away from each other, Keith couldn’t help but ask, “What about you?” Lance gave a confused hum, prompting Keith to elaborate. “When did you realize your feelings for me?” The prince pulled away farther, allowing them to properly look at each other again. He was silent for a few ticks, clearly thinking.

“I’m not quite sure,” he said slowly. “I mean I knew that I liked you pretty early on, but to be honest I was in denial about my feelings for a long time.” He chuckled and let out a soft exhale at the memory. “But I guess it was when the Northern Alteans came to visit that I finally accepted my feelings for you. Allura kept teasing me about you, and as soon as Pidge and Hunk got wind of it, it was all over.”

Keith took in the omega’s words, working to line them up with his own memories and experiences. He supposed it made sense. The weirdness from Lance resulting from his finally realizing that his feelings for Keith went deeper than first thought. As he ran through the memories, a smirk grew on his face as he recounted the different bouts of their miscommunication.

“Speaking of Allura,” he said teasingly. Lance moved to cover his face with his hand, blush beginning to erupt on his face. “No, please,” he begged, but all that resulted was Keith laughing. “You thought that I had feelings for her?” Saying it allowed when they were half naked against each other made the thought seem all the more humorous, despite the torment it had caused them for the days leading up to Lance’s birthday. Lance let out a groan. “I know that it was stupid, you don’t have to say it.” Keith just laughed again and reached to grab Lance’s wrists in one hand, dragging his hands away from his face. Lance’s cheeks were bright red, and Keith could see the tips of his ears growing pink as well. Keith looked at him expectantly and Lance just rolled his eyes. 

“Hey, you thought that I had feelings for her first,” Lance argued, trying to divert Keith’s attention. Keith just shook his head. “Yes, but to be fair I had half the court whispering it into my ear. What was your excuse?” Lance frowned at the counter, clearly realizing that the evidence was stacked against him. He was silent for a few moments before he finally explained. “I guess I just had it worked into my head that you didn’t like me,” he grumbled, rolling over so that he could see Keith better. “And so when you told me that you were jealous, it was easier to think that it was because you had feelings for Allura rather than for me.”

It did not make a lot of sense, but Keith knew that he was not necessarily in the best place to judge. He too had made a lot of stupid mistakes because he couldn’t accept the fact that Lance could feel the same. 

In response to Lance’s admittance, Keith just shook his head. “We are both idiots,” he said while laughing, deciding that it was better to be amused at the situation than sad at all the lost time they had. Lance seemed to agree with Keith’s silent sentiment, although that didn’t stop him from arguing. “Well, you might be,” he said in regards to Keith’s label, “I myself am a genius.” Keith just hummed. “Mmm, are you now?” He began to trail his hand back up Lance’s arm, leaving goosebumps in his wake. Lance giggled and nodded his head. “It is just one of the many things that made you fall in love with me, I’m sure.” Keith chuckled but he was in no place to refuse. “That it is, baby.”

Their laughter died down and Keith was ready to continue to lay in silence. However, Lance’s soft voice rang out again.

“I like it when you call me that,” he said, hints of shyness in his voice. Keith made a noise of confusion, leading Lance to explain. “Baby,” he said, rubbing his head closer into Keith’s chest. “And sweetheart. Although, I didn’t take you as a pet name kind of guy.” Keith just shrugged, recalling when he had the same train of thought. “I’m not,” he said simply, not stopping his movements against Lance’s arm, “but you seem to make me do a lot of things I don’t normally do.” Lance let out a delicate giggle, clearly pleased. “Well, I like it,” he said definitely. “Makes me feel special.”

Keith knew that he could have responded with something cheesy and cliche like “you are” or “you are to me” but it felt too staged in a moment that was so raw. Lance already knew how Keith saw him, and although he would gladly sing his praises any day, the knight knew that their lazy morning glow didn’t need it.

“I love you,” he said instead, resting his head on top of Lance’s as best he could from their still laying down position. Lance just snuggled closer to him, letting out a soft whimper of contentment. “I love you too.”

They stayed like that for what felt like hours, both perfectly happy with just resting in each other's presence. Keith could feel it as his alpha sighed blissfully, feeling calm in the company of his omega. Keith was sure that Lance was feeling something similar, the prince practically melting against his hold.

Keith knew that he could surely fall back to sleep like this, but he also knew that there was a whole day waiting for them outside of Lance’s chamber door. Even if he never wanted to move from this spot again, Lance’s family would no doubt come looking for him if they stayed here for too long. 

Slowly, Keith began to tear himself away from Lance’s hold, stopping as he heard the loud whine that emerged from his lover. “No,” Lance groaned, his tan hand coming up to stop Keith from moving any further. Keith paused but didn't move back down. “We have to get up, Blue,” he said, nudging Lance’s still form. “You know we do.” Lance shook his head, eyes clenching shut to try and ignore what Keith was saying. “Your family is gonna come looking for you soon.” And then, after a glance at the clock, “It’s already almost noon.”

Lance just groaned again but he did open his eyes. He turned his head to look at the clock himself, before going to look at Keith, upset that he knew the knight was right. He groaned again but moved to sit up, allowing the blanket to fall from his chest. Keith stood up as he did so, watching as Lance pulled himself to his knees. The omega then wrapped his arms against Keith’s neck, the knight forced to hunch over slightly, knees against the bed. 

“You’re right,” Lance said, but Keith knew him too well to accept that the prince was going to comply. He was right as he saw a smirk make its way onto Lance’s face. “But you know,” he said, a seductive tone slipping into his voice, “it’s already this late into the day. I’m sure nobody will notice if we are another thirty minutes late.” His eyes sparkled with mischief as he moved one of his hands down the length of Keith’s chest, only stopping when they reached the waistband of his boxers. Keith knew that he shouldn’t give in, knowing that Lance’s siblings would expect them for lunch. But all other thoughts seemed to drift away as he felt Lance’s smooth fingers toying with the cloth, moving so that he was making his way towards Keith’s cock.

“Well,” Keith grunted out, already feeling too overwhelmed. “I suppose you are right about that.”

Lance smirked at his answer, knowing that he won, before removing his hand from Keith’s underwear. He reached back up to pull Keith back down on the bed, and Keith could do nothing but follow him and reconnect their lips, completely helpless to his omega.

⋆★⋆

The weeks following Lance’s birthday were filled with nothing but kisses and words of affection.

Lance had decided that even though they shouldn't think about all the time that they could have been together, they should still try to make up for it. Every moment not spent in the presence of members of the court or palace employees were spent with the two men wrapped around each other. Keith had lost count of how many times an innocent kiss had turned into a heated affair. Whether they were in Lance’s bedroom, the library, or the observatory, Keith could barely keep his hands off of Lance. The prince didn’t seem to mind though, and always responded back with similar vigour, pulling Keith down to meet his lips.

The only times where they were not grasping each other was when they were with Lance’s family. As soon as they left his bedroom for the first time after their confession, Lance had wanted to immediately tell everyone the news. However, Keith was a bit more reserved, questioning if it was the best idea.

“It's just- I’m in charge of protecting you Lance. And I’m afraid that if your parents knew about…us, they might not feel like I could do my job correctly.” Lance countered that, insisting that if anything they should feel better because Keith’s feelings for him made him more inclined to protect Lance. The knight had agreed but still shook his head, pleading. “Can this just be ours for now, at least?” Secretly, Keith knew that the queen would probably understand, having already made it clear that she knew how deeply Keith felt for the youngest prince. But he also remembered how the king had reacted when Keith pushed them to attend Lance’s birthday party, and he was worried that he would have an even worse reaction if he learned that Keith was fucking his son.

Lance was a bit disappointed at not being able to show Keith off, but he understood where Keith was coming from. Besides, despite the fact that they had been in love with each other for what felt like forever, their actual relationship was barely a day old. They deserved to have some time to figure out how to manage their relationship, and how it could affect their already existing dynamic. 

It was revealed that it actually did not change much. They still bantered back and forth, half-hearted insults thrown at each other as they argued. Lance still got himself into different amounts of trouble and Keith still followed him, trying to make sure that he didn’t hurt himself in the process. The only difference now was that Keith was actually allowed to grab onto Lance and kiss him to shut him up. And even though Lance would refuse to admit it, Keith knew that he liked it when the alpha would use his mouth to put him in his place. And he knew Lance liked it even more when Keith would use his cock.

But even though the change was slight, that didn’t mean that it wasn’t immenseable. 

Keith and Lance had agreed to keep their relationship a secret from the latter's parents, and by extension that meant the rest of the palace too. If someone saw them, they didn’t know who and who wouldn’t tell the king and queen. And although they did plan to tell them eventually, Keith knew that Lance wanted to be the one to do it. So, they tried their best to keep it a secret from everyone.

However, it turned out that they were the worst at keeping a secret relationship. 

Hunk had noticed immediately. The two men hadn’t even done anything super romantic, but Hunk seemed to have an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. They had been down in the kitchen, watching as Hunk worked to bake some dessert for the night's dinner. Lance had been trying to sneak a bite, hands reaching out to snag some of the filling. Keith had grabbed Lance’s wrist, pulling it away before he could contaminate the food and scolded him. In response, Lance had just rolled his eyes and smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. “Oh come on, just a taste.”

He didn’t even say it super seductively or enticing, but Hunk still let out a gasp. Keith and Lance had both whipped their heads around to look at him, and it was then that Keith realized he had a goofy grin plastered on his face from Lance’s words. He quickly wiped it away, but it was too late. Hunk was looking at them with wide eyes and a smile grew over his face. 

“You two are together!” He shrieked and Lance rushed over to slap his hand over his mouth, looking around to see if anyone heard. Luckily the businesses of the kitchen kept anyone from listening too hard to what the beta had said, and both Lance and Keith sighed in relief.  Lance then slowly removed his hand from Hunk’s mouth, insisting that he stay quiet before he confirmed. Keith still didn’t know how Hunk even knew to begin with, but as soon as Lance told him it was true he began to bounce around. 

“Ah, I knew you guys would get your shit together,” he said happily, throwing bits of batter around with his whisk. “I’m so happy for you both.” He had then emerged them both into a big group hug, and became the first person to officially know about their relationship.

After that, it seemed like everyone else began to follow suit. Hunk had told Pidge, of course, and they had just grumbled out a “finally” before turning back to their work. But because Pidge couldn’t help but gossip, they told Matt. Who told Adam. Who told Shiro.

Shiro had been upset to learn that Keith had told Lance about his feelings and didn’t notify him. Keith tried to explain that they were trying to keep it a secret, but Shiro still insisted that he should have told him. Tired of arguing, Keith eventually just agreed. As soon as he did, Shiro shot him a sly look and insisted that he tell him everything. And even though Keith had been embarrassed, he still recounted the night's events. Although, he still made sure to leave out the fact that they had slept together, although from the blush on his face, Keith was pretty sure Shiro was able to figure out that detail anyways.

But all these people knowing really did not matter. Lance wanted them to know anyways, and even Keith could admit that it was nice to not be paranoid about if he was acting too affectionate towards Lance. They still tried their best to be discreet, but when Keith noticed Rachel throwing Lance a thumbs up after Keith grabbed onto his waist, he knew that they were not doing a good job.

After only two weeks, it seemed as if everyone in the castle knew about Keith and Lance except for the king and queen. And even though Lance had initially wanted to tell them, he had confided in Keith that it was a little fun keeping the secret.

“It’s like I’m a spy and you’re my mission,” Lance giggled as he pulled Keith into his bedroom. They had just come back from dinner with Lance’s family, and the monarchs were blissfully unaware that Keith had his tongue down Lance’s throat just hours earlier. Keith shook his head at Lance’s analogy. “I don’t think it's quite like that,” he disagreed. Lance just rolled his eyes and began to pull his shoes off, throwing them haphazardly into his closet. “You know what I mean,” he insisted, coming back to stand in front of Keith. “It’s fun, is all.” He shrugged before reaching up to place his hands on Keith’s chest. “And sexy.”

Keith just laughed before letting it dissolve into a hum, already reaching to settle his own hands on Lance’s lower waist. “Oh yeah?” he murmured, reaching down for a kiss. “Yeah,” Lance nodded, own voice delving into a whisper as he stood on his toes to press his mouth to Keith’s. The alpha gratefully accepted and slipped his tongue into the prince’s awaiting mouth, drawing a moan of pleasure out from him.

Keith moved to push Lance towards the bed, grabbing at the end of the omega’s shirt as he shuffled them. When he felt Lance’s legs hit the side of the mattress, they pulled away for a moment to discard their clothes before colliding back together, falling naked on the silk sheets.

Maybe Keith should be concerned about how often they seemed to find themselves in this position: naked and grinding against each other, but he couldn’t find it in him to. Lance was the perfect combination of sweet and sexy, and as long as Lance wanted him to, Keith would gladly give him his cock over and over again. Besides, it wasn’t as if they only had sex. Keith talked to Lance more than he ever had to anyone else before, and the omega probably knew Keith better than he did himself. 

So who cares if they ended the day with them moaning into each other’s mouth.

As if to prove his point, Lance let out a gasp as Keith reached to pinch one of his nipples, discounting their mouths for a moment as he inhaled sharply. “Keith,” he said, arching his back into the touch. Keith just smirked, continuing to roll the bud in between his fingers before switching to the other one. The prince let out more breaths of hot air, withering underneath Keith from the pleasure.

Soon, Keith moved on and dragged his hands further down the span of Lance’s body. After one last peck to Lance’s mouth, he began to press kisses along the rest of the prince’s body, stopping to bite and suck at different pressure points. Lance was letting out the sweetest sounds for him, and Keith could feel himself getting harder, cock twitching in interest.

When Keith finally reached the omega’s leaking hole, he didn’t hesitate from pressing his face into it. Keith has had the opportunity to taste Lance numerous times by now, but he knew that he would never grow tired of it. He offered quick bites around the prince’s entrance, reveling in how Lance gasped at the sensation. He began to press down onto Keith, silently begging for Keith to touch him the way he wanted. Keith, not warning to deny him for too long, happily complied.

Lance let out an unhappy whine as Keith pulled away, but the knight just tapped on his hips. “Turn over,” he said gruffly. Lance obeyed, moving to place himself on his hands and knees. Keith took a moment to admire him, his smooth, freckled back and his nice, plump ass. His thoughts were broken, however, as Lance whined again, shaking back slightly to let Keith know what he wanted. The alpha smirked and moved back towards Lance’s hole.

“I’ll give you what you want, baby,” he said soothingly, “just be patient.”

He took his hands to spread Lance open, watching as his hole spurted more delicious smelling slick onto the awaiting sheets. Lance let out another high pitched keen and Keith decided that he had waited enough. He moved his face to the prince’s leaking entrance, inhaling the sweet scent, and let himself fall further.

At the first lick of Keith’s tongue against his hole, Lance let out a wonton moan, arching his back to push himself farther into Keith’s mouth. At the movement, Keith moved one of his hands to grip Lance’s hips. “Don’t be greedy,” Keith murmured, tightening his grip to make the prince still. Lance moaned again, although this time it was from disappointment. Keith ignored him, and went back to his ministrations. He flattened his tongue against Lance, offering spurts of long and quick licks to keep Lance on edge. Keith pulled his mouth away, blowing more air on the puckering hole before diving back in. He let his tongue trace the rim, enjoying the sounds and squirms Lance was displaying.

Slowly, Keith put more pressure on the rim, working the tongue inside. At the intrusion, Lance let out a wail, head falling forward at the pleasure. “Keith,” he gasped as the knight began to move his tongue around inside. Keith pushed his tongue in and out in quick thrusts, fucking Lance throughly with his tongue. The omega let out more moans of Keith’s name, panting as his arms and legs began to shake.

Keith himself felt like he was in heaven. Lance tasted sweet, the rich flavoring of his slick making Keith’s dick twitch at every lick. The knight knew that he was making a mess of both himself and of Lance, the slick running from his mouth and dripping onto Lance’s nice sheets. Keith was sure that the maids were horrified everytime they came to change the prince’s bedding, and flushed slightly at the fact that he would have to face them. They were just another one of the many people who they were not able to keep their relationship secret from.

“More,” Lance panted, pushing back farther into Keith’s touch. Keith could tell that he was getting close, the high pitched whines being just one indicator. Keith pulled away for just a moment to look at Lance’s heavy cock, its red tip sagging as the knight pulled him closer and closer to his release. Keith just smirked at the effect he was having on the prince. 

Deciding that he had prolonged Lance’s orgasm enough, Keith moved back in, pressing his tongue flat against Lance’s skin and licked up his perineum before sticking his tongue back into his hole, fucking him faster than before. Lance keened as Keith suddenly stuck in one of his fingers alongside his tongue, using nothing but his spit and Lance’s slick to smooth the sting.

“Ah, fuck,” Lance panted out, his arms begining to shake so much that he fell forward on the bed. He caught himself before his face could smack into the mattress, leaning up on his elbows. “Fuck Keith, so good.” The alpha hummed at the praise, letting the vibrations ring against Lance’s skin as he worked his finger farther into Lance.

Once he was up to two fingers, Keith began to set a staggering rhythm. As he pulled his mouth away, the knight made sure to press his fingers deeper, curling them to draw out more pretty sounds for Lance. He then mirrored the action, pushing his tongue in as deep as it could go whatever he pulled his digits back. Lance was shaking so badly, and Keith could feel the warmth rising from his body as he became more and more overwhelmed. The prince was begging for it, stuttering words escaping his mouth as he whispered how much he wanted to come.

Knowing that Lance needed just a little something extra to fully let go, Keith suddenly yanked them closer to the edge of the bed, ripping his fingers out for just a moment. Lance lost his balance at the quick grip of his hips, a noise of confusion escaping him. However, once Keith settled them again, Lance let out a moan of appreciation as his cock rubbed against the mattress. The earlier position did not provide him much friction, but now he was free to jerk against the bed, giving himself much needed simulation to his untouched cock. As soon as Lance started rutting against the mattress, Keith moved his fingers back into Lance’s hole, stretching a third into the omega. He let his mouth trace around the puckering rim, offering slight nibbles at Lance’s skin to make him jump before grinding back down, withering against the sheets.

With a few more thrusts from Keith, Lance came with a shout, spilling onto the silk beneath him. “Fuck,” he wailed, squirming as Keith continued to bite at his skin and push his fingers in. “Keith, alpha, alpha.” The prince continued to let out soft moans of pleasure at his release and Keith could have whined at the sound. His own cock was throbbing, wanting so desperately to be sheathed inside Lance’s warm, tight hole.

As Lance continued to ride out his high, Keith pulled his fingers back, allowing the omega a moment of release. Lance just shuddered at the emptiness, and Keith’s cock twitched at the thought of filling him again. He knew, however, that Lance was sensitive from his orgasm, and could very well not want any more simulation. Which Keith would be more than okay with. The picture in front of him alone would be enough to get him off. Lance was a vision.

After a few moments, Lance rose off the bed, his limbs shaking, and Keith raised to place his hands on the other man's hips to steady him. However, Lance moved out of his hold, crawling back up the bed. Keith saw the sticky mess he made of the sheets, a mix of slick, spit, and come beginning to dry on top. The knight just swallowed at the sight before turning his attention back to Lance. He was back on his knees, leaning down on his elbows once again, ass in the air. Now that Keith was looking at him without being an inch away from his glistening entrance, he could see the symbolism in how he was laying.

Lance was presenting to him.

Traditionally, the stance was one that was done when an omega accepted their alpha. A classic mating position. And while Keith knew that Lance wasn't asking him to bond them together, he also knew that the meaning didn’t go unnoticed by either of them. After a few ticks of silence, Lance moved to look over his shoulder. It was the first time Keith had seen his face in minutes, and he couldn’t lie about how it took his breath away. His eyes were glassy, tears from the pleasure threatening to spill over. His lips had been bitten raw, likely from trying to hold back his moans. Although, for what reason, Keith didn’t know. He loved Lance being loud, and Lance knew it.

“Well, are you gonna finish what you started, samurai?” His voice was seductive, but Keith could hear the hints of exhaustion in it from the activities just moments earlier. He hesitated for just a moment, wanting to double check that Lance was sure. As if Lance could sense the question of the knight’s tongue, he rolled his eyes and wiggled his hips. Keith could see his formerly soft cock beginning to harden again between his legs, his arousal clear. Keith licked his lips at the sight, tasting the last remaining bits of Lance’s slick that remained on his mouth. “I’m not getting any younger.”

Keith grimaced at the condescending tone and the nickname, eyes narrowing. Lance just smirked and turned back to facing the headboard, hanging his head and pushing his ass up higher. At the action, all of Keith’s resolve snapped and he quickly made his way up the bed, propping himself up on his knees so that he could align his cock to Lance’s leaking entrance. He gathered a bit of Lance’s slick and rubbed it along his shaft, knowing that Lance was stretched enough from the attack of Keith’s fingers and tongue to not need anymore prep. 

Both men groaned as Keith pushed his way inside Lance. He stopped every few seconds to allow Lance to adjust, but soon his hips were flush against the omega’s, his cock grinding into Lance’s hole. Lance gasped at the feeling, and Keith let out his own groan. “Fuck, you’re so tight, baby. So wet and open for me.” Lance just moaned as his words and pressed his hips back against him, seeking more friction. “Please, Keith.”

At his pleads, Keith began to fuck him in earnest. He set his hands on the omega’s hips, and pulled out before snapping his hips back in, punching another gasp out of Lance. The alpha then set a brutal pace, moving in and out of Lance, searching for the spot that would make him scream. He knew as soon as he found it, Lance letting out a howl of ecstasy. “Yes yes yes,” he began to chant, trying to match Keith’s movements. The knight tightened his grip on his hips, making sure that he stayed in control.

After working to find Lance’s prostate again, Keith bent over the prince’s back, pressing them even closer together. He moved so that his mouth was right next to the younger man’s neck, pressing his nose up against his scent glands. “Smell so fucking good,” he whispered, barley heard over the slapping of skin and their combined moans. “Always so good, Blue.” Keith didn’t know if he was still talking about his scent, knowing that everything about Lance was always good. Somehow, Lance seemed to pick up on this, because the words seemed to be punched out of him. “Alpha, I- ah, I love- oh fuck .” Lance’s words were cut off as Keith reached one of his hands around to grip his neglected cock. Keith knew that he was still sensitive from his previous orgasm. Lance hissed as the alpha thumbed at the head, spreading the already existing come around the length. Lance began to shake in Keith’s arms, letting the knight know that he was close to the edge once again. Keith just sped up his movements, both of his hips and the hand on Lance’s cock, working to get them both to their release.

With a final push, Keith found himself coming into Lance, thrusting his head into the crook of Lance’s neck with a gasp to mouth of the omega’s bond mark. He felt it as his knot began to expand, pressing right against Lance’s prostate. As his knot popped, Keith heard Lance moan at the feeling before the prince shot into his hand, his second orgasm sending shivers through his body.

They stayed in that position as they both came down from their highs. However, as much as Keith would have loved to say like that forever, it wasn’t the most comfortable position, especially for Lance. After two orgasms in less than ten minutes, Lance was no doubt tired, and holding himself up would not help with that.

Keith rolled them over carefully, very mindful of the fact that they were still connected. Once they were laying down on their sides, Lance’s back pressed to Keith’s chest, they both fully relaxed. Keith tried to ignore the fact that their sticky, bodily fluids were surrounding them on the bed, and chose instead to focus on Lance’s labored breathing, the prince trying to calm down.

After a few minutes of silence, Lance turned his head around as much as he could to look at Keith. “That was perfect,” he said smiling, “as always.” Keith smirked at the praise and leaned down to offer a quick peck to the omega’s lips. “Thanks for the review.” Lance just laughed and turned his head back around, letting his body relax further into Keith and the mattress. “Just had to let you know. Can’t have your performance start to drop.” 

Keith shook his head and chuckled, the vibrations ricocheting against Lance's form. “We both know that will never be a problem.” As if to prove his point, his cock gave a slight twitch from where it was still inside Lance. The prince didn’t say anything at the movement, but Keith could practically feel the eye roll he no doubt was giving. 

A comfortable silence fell back over them as they waited for Keith’s knot to go down. One would think that it was inconvenient, and at certain times it was, but secretly Keith liked the waiting moments. It allowed him the opportunity to simply bask in Lance’s presence, connected in the strongest way, save for mating. It made him feel closer to the omega, emotionally as much as it did physically. 

Keith could feel it as Lance’s breathing began to even out, a sure sign that the prince was beginning to fall asleep. How, Keith didn’t even know, and he moved to shake him awake. “Blue, we can’t have you falling asleep with my knot still inside you.” Lance just gave a nonconsequential hum and wiggled farther into Keith’s hold. “Sure you can. Your dick will still be there when we wake up.” Lance’s voice was clearly tired, although that did not stop the hints of arrogance being woven throughout it. Keith just sighed and tried to shake Lance again, but the prince just sank further down. “Just a quick power nap.”

Keith wanted to remind him that it was almost time for bed, not a nap, but he figured it would be useless. If Lance wanted to sleep, then he would sleep. Keith supposed that they could deal with the mess they made when they woke up, either in the morning or from a nightmare. 

Besides, Keith could never deny Lance anything.

The alpha let himself snuggle close to Lance, keeping his arms wrapped around him. He felt it as Lance drifted off the sleep, his alpha rumbling at being able to hold and protect his omega as he fell into slumber. Keith stayed awake long enough for his knot to go down, gingerly pulling out of Lance as to not wake him. As soon as they were unattached, he pressed his chest back up against Lance. Keith settled his face into the crook of the omega’s neck, and let himself drift off to sleep alongside his omega.

⋆★⋆

“Where would be the first place you would go?”

Lance thought about it for a moment, trying to answer Keith’s hypothetical question.

“Well,” Lance said, his voice thoughtful as he pondered, “if I am ever given the opportunity to travel the universe, the first place I would ideally like to see would be Earth.” He pointed up to where a hologram of the Milky Way hovered above them, their backs flush against the floor of the observatory. “But from all my research they don’t know about the rest of the universes and planets out there.  There are a bunch of movies and books about other races coming to their planet. In most of them the Earthens freak out and try to kill them all, so it might not be the best place.” He chuckled, although Keith could hear hints of disappointment in his voice.

“You could always wear a disguise,” Keith offered. ‘If you hide your ears, the only main difference would be your markings. And you could just pass them off as make up or something.” Keith knew that it wasn’t that good of a plan, but at this point, it was all imaginary anyways. Lance’s parents were still clear that they wouldn’t allow Lance out of Southern Altea for the time being.

Lance shook his head and nudged Keith’s foot with his own. “Yeah, but what about you? I don’t think purple skin and glowing yellow eyes are that common on Earth.” 

“Hey, my eyes only glow sometimes.” Keith was so quick to defend himself that he almost didn’t notice the implication in Lance’s words. Obviously Keith would follow Lance to the end of any universe, both as his lover and as his guard. But to hear it said so blatantly by Lance still made a fire erupt in his veins and his alpha let out a happy rumble.

“Yeah, well, still,” Lance said, scoffing slightly. He let silence fall over them for a few ticks before he spoke again, foot pressing back up against Keith’s, although softer this time. “I guess, if I had to choose, I would probably want to go somewhere that needed help. Like what Allura is doing. If I’m given the chance to see the world, I want to be able to do good in it too.” He shrugged, and Keith felt it as his hand brushed the knight’s arm.

“This war isn’t going to go away any time soon. Even if we manage to defeat Zarkon, the fact that he was able to build up such a following is concerning. There is going to be a lot of rebuilding after the Uprising is over, and it would be foolish not to be a part of that.”

Keith knew that what Lance said was true. The Southern Altean troops were beginning to make headway, fighting hard to keep planets across the galaxies independent. Keith knew that they were doing the best they could, but Zarkon was moving fast. Shiro was right in his theory that this had been building up for a long time. So many planets had already fallen to the Galra, and Keith was worried about what that meant for the future of Altea, Daibazaal, and the rest of the galaxies.

He couldn’t deny any of the things Lance said, so he just stayed silent, letting the quiet hum of the projector fill the room. Lance did not say anything else, and a silent understanding passed between them. They were both worried, and hated that neither of them could truly help. Keith only wished that there was a way for him to get them both off Altean. To give Lance the chance to do the good that he wanted, and for Keith to use his own skills to help defend the planets. But alas, there was no such solution. At least not now. Now, the only thing they could do was worry. Worry and pray.

⋆★⋆

Keith shot up with a gasp, sweat drenching his body as he tried to calm his breathing. 

The nightmare isn’t real , he tried to tell himself, clenching his eyes shut to try and focus his body and breathing. Except, it was real. Everything that had happened in his latest night terror was drawn from his real experience. The bloodied bodies, the screams of pure pain and fear. Keith had been there for it all. And even though his mind shaped and warped the memories, dramatizing them for purposes of scaring him, they were still just that: memories.

Ones that he could never seem to shake.

He opened his eyes and swung around the bed, letting his feet hit the cold floor. He moved carefully so as to not wake Lance who was still sleeping beside him. Usually by this time Lance would have awoken with his own nightmare, but it seemed that they decided to plague Keith tonight. The knight moved his way to the bathroom, feet pattering against the solid ground. He moved inside the small room, only turning on the light once the door was closed. He rapidly blinked as the yellow glow hit him, blinding him for a moment.

As soon as he was able to stand the bright light, Keith stared at himself in the mirror. His hair was a mess from the tossing and turning he likely did in sleep, and his eyes were rimmed red. He didn’t necessarily feel like crying, but he knew that his emotional fuse was short, shorter than it usually was. Keith eyed the long scar that took up his right cheek, and shivered as the nightmare came back to him.

Trying to quell the memory, the alpha reached to turn on the sink’s tap, using his hands to splash water against his face. He grimaced as droplets fell onto his black sleep shirt, and turned the water off. He was hoping that the coolness of the water would help bring him back to reality, but it just put him more on edge. He set his hands against the counter, bracing them to hold himself up as he let out deep, heavy pants. He didn’t know why these nightmares still affected him so much. At this point, he had been having them for most of his life. Although, perhaps that wasn’t quite fair to say. The ones that involved his fathers death and teenage life were more normal, something that he would have experienced even had he not gone to war at eighteen. But every one since then seemed to bury themselves far into his mind, wrapping around him and just waiting for the perfect moment to squeeze.

With a sigh, Keith straight up again, taking in his haggard appearance once more in the mirror before turning off the light. Standing here thinking about the nightmares wasn't going to make them go away. It was best if he tried to go back to bed.

He softly creaked open the bathroom door again and prepared to make his way silently back into bed. However, as soon as his eyes adjusted to the dark again, he noticed that he wasn’t the only one awake.

Lance was sitting up, blanket falling onto his lap as he stared at Keith. Keith couldn’t make out the prince’s expression from where he stood, the dark and the distance making it hard to decipher. Keith rushed over, worry overtaking his features.

“Are you okay,” he asked urgently, fearing that Lance did have a nightmare after all. Lance just shook his head in response and looked up at Keith, who was standing over the bed. “I- I’m fine,” he said, although he seemed hesitant. Keith moved his head forward, silently asking Lance the question again. The prince seemed to be thinking hard about something, his eyebrows pinched together, and Keith desperately wanted to know what it was. 

“I just-” Lance paused, almost as if he were rethinking his words. Keith urged him to finish, moving to settle back down on the bed. “I just want to know if you’re okay?”

Keith startled back, the duvet falling out of his hand and onto his lap as he took in Lance’s question. In truth, the answer was no, and he should feel loved because Lance noticed it. But instead, Keith just felt caught, like he had been seen doing something he wasn’t supposed to do. He knew that he shouldn’t feel that way; that it was stupid for him to feel anything less of comfort when in the presence of Lance. But yet.

“Yeah,” Keith lied, trying to school his expression, “I’m fine.” Lance gave him a look, one that conveyed that he clearly did not believe him. “No, I really am,” Keith insisted, laying back down on the bed. “Let's go back to sleep, Lance. I’m sorry I woke you.” Keith was hoping that Lance would agree, letting this night join so many others where Keith tried to forget the things he had seen, but as always, the gods were never on Keith’s side.

“No,” Lance said sternly, although he moved to lay down as well. They both rolled on their side, allowing them to sit facing each other. Their faces were only inches a part, and Keith could see Lance's determined expression. The hardness of his eyes. The thin line of his lips. “I heard you in the bathroom, Keith. And you didn’t sound okay.” Keith cursed at himself for being too loud, his heavy breathing as he tried to calm himself down most likely being what alerted Lance. Keith still tried to hide this fact from Lance, seeing if there was still a way to escape this.

“It was nothing,” Keith said with a shake of his head. He tried to put a humorous inflection into his voice. “Just had to get up for a moment. No big deal.” His voice fell flat at the end, his voice betraying him. Lance caught it, and he pushed closer to Keith. “No, don’t lie to me,” he said, moving his eyes rapidly as he searched in Keith’s for the truth. “I know that you had a nightmare. I know the signs. What I don’t know is why you won’t tell me about it?”

Keith froze, trying to come up with an explanation that sounded plausible. “I just-” he stared, pausing as he tried to get his bearings. Eventually, he decided that it was easier to just give in. At least enough to let Lance drop this. “I just don’t like talking about them.” Lance relaxed at Keith’s words, clearly content that Keith had admitted to it, but still pressed on. “And I get that,” he said quickly, “but I can’t help but think that you’re doing yourself more harm than good by keeping everything bottled up.” He was starting to sound like Shiro, and Keith opened his mouth to argue against it. He didn’t need to talk about his nightmares. He lived them. 

All he said was Lance’s name, it drawn about to reflect how he was definitely not going to follow the advice, but Lance plowed over him. 

“No, you can’t just keep ignoring it. Or me. I’m not trying to pressure you,” Keith gave him a look as he said it, because that was exactly what the prince was doing, but Lance ignored him, “but you know that I’m here for you. You comfort me after every nightmare I have. I just want to do the same for you.” Lance moved his hand so that it was caressing Keith’s face, moving to the cheek that was pressed up against the pillow. His thumb tracing Keith’s scar.

And maybe it was the exhaustion of the night. Or Lance’s kindness or the fear over the war. Or maybe it was the way Lance was touching the exact place where his trauma stemmed, unknowingly trying to chase the demons away. Keith didn’t know. But whatever the reason, Keith could not stop himself from crumbling.

Keith didn’t even realize that he had begun to cry until it was too late, tears silently trailing down his cheeks. They were clearly long overdue, and the alpha could not stop them even if he tried. Lance must have felt the wetness of Keith’s cheek, it still being too dark for him to properly see. Keith felt it as the prince glided his thumb further across his cheek, spreading the tears along the purple skin.

“Oh, Keith,” he said, his voice full of pity. Keith hated it. It was exactly why he had not wanted to talk about it with Lance. Not even a few ticks in and he was already crying like a baby. Despite his anger at himself for falling apart so easily, Keith didn’t fight it as Lance pulled him to his chest. Lance settled Keith’s face near his collarbone, giving himself the ability to wrap his arms around the knight and hold his head close. His fingers began to card through Keith’s hair, whispering reassurance. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Just let it all out.” Their role reversal wasn’t lost on Keith. Usually, he was the one comforting Lance after a nightmare. And he was glad to do it. Had gotten comfortable with it. This, however, was new territory, and he didn’t know how to proceed. Even when he would talk about his past in the early hours of the morning, Keith always remained in control. He stayed confident as he whispered his secrets to his lover, only ever sharing what he felt emotionally ready to share.

Now though, all the barriers he had tried to keep came crashing down. With no true cause, Keith began to sob into Lance’s arms. His mind ran with all the memories and horrors of the war, of everything he tried to forget. The mass of bodies running towards him. His fellow soldiers and friends, dead. The knowledge that he would have to kill them if he didn’t want to be next.

It all came rushing back, escaping through Keith’s body in the form of his tears. He was embarrassed as he realized that he was probably soaking Lance’s shirt with his snot and tears, but when he tried to pull away, Lance pulled him closer. “No,” the omega murmured, continuing to move through Keith’s hair. “Stay. Please.” And Keith was too weak, too emotional, to counter him. 

So there he stayed, sobbing into Lance’s arms about absolutely nothing and absolutely everything. 

Keith hadn’t cried like this in what felt like years. He had never been someone who was especially tuned into his emotions, and the war just made it worse. In battle, even taking a second to mourn could be the difference between life and death. Keith had grown used to bottling up his emotions, hiding them to save himself. When he took over Shiro’s position as commander, it became more than just a coping mechanism. If Keith showed any doubt, any fear, it would reverberate to his troops. And he could not do that to them. So, he had put on a brave face, leading them through the end of the war and the clean up after. And he maintained that mentality when he returned, choosing to board himself up in Shiro’s house instead facing his demons. So now, in the comfort of his omega’s arms, that mask washed away. 

Keith felt it as his throat contracted, trying to keep up with his wet heaves. He tried to breath in and out, grounding himself as he hung onto Lance. He fought through his hazy mind to focus on Lance, listening to his words and feeling his touch. Keith began trying to match his breathing to Lance’s, moving his chest to rise and fall in unison. 

After Keith’s breathing seemed to return to normal and the cries had died down, save for the occasional hiccup, Lance gently pulled him away so that they could face each other again. It was earlier than Keith had thought, the sun beginning to peek through Lance’s window. It was still light enough that the knight figured it was close to six, and the soft glow helped him to see Lance, if only a bit better. The omega’s features were riddled with worry, eyebrows tight as he continued to move one of his hands down the expanse of Keith’s hair. 

“There you go,” Lance said softly, smiling despite his concern. Keith felt his lips tremble as he tried to speak. “I’m sorry, I’m-”

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Lance said vigorously, voice unwavering. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I want you to share these moments with me.”

It was so incredibly earnest that Keith felt more tears pool in his eyes. What did he ever do to deserve Lance?

Keith just nodded in response, not quite trusting himself to speak. Lance’s smile remained and he moved his left hand back up to Keith’s cheek, thumbing at the scar again. Keith’s instinct was to shy away but he forced himself to stay still. Lance’s touch was soothing and the alpha slowly leaned into it, breathing deeply as he tried to only focus on Lance instead of the memories.

“How did you get this scar?”

Keith almost wanted to laugh. How was Lance able to be so in tune with Keith that he knew exactly what he was thinking about. Lance asked the question softly, oblivious to how much that scar had set the course for the night. Keith squeezed his eyes shut, flashes of blood and screams coming back to him. He forced his eyes open again after a moment, eyes finding Lance’s immediately as a few more unruly tears fell from them.

Lance must have noticed that he struck something because his eyes widened slightly, hand beginning to retract. “Sorry, I didn’t mean-” But Keith cut him off, eyes dragging down as he grabbed his wrist to stop him from moving and caressed it gently. The knight didn’t say anything for a moment, once again using their contact to ground him, before he spoke in a gravelly voice.

“This scar is what I was dreaming about tonight.”

Keith looked up at Lance, eyes sad. He continued to move his fingers along Lance’s wrist, not planning on letting him go anytime soon. Lance seemed frozen, not wanting to interrupt Keith in case he said more. Keith took a deep breath and opened his mouth a few times, trying to come up with the words. 

“During the war,” he stared, words slow and cautious, “I learned how important it is to keep your composure. One little slip could cost you your life, so it was better to put on a mask of indifference. A shield. And well,” he shrugged, “that honestly wasn’t that hard for me. I had always been pretty removed from my feelings. My life was full of shit events, and well” he let out a gruff laugh, “it still is, to be honest. And so it’s easier to drag any feelings down to the darkest parts of yourself. Because as soon as you give the memories a glimpse of the sun, suddenly they consume you.”

Lance nodded along to what he was saying, understanding in his eyes. Because of course he understood. Keith knew better than anyone about all the events Lance had pushed away from his mind. He didn’t say anything though, letting Keith completely have the floor.

“But some memories leave more than just emotional scars.” Keith said it simply, drawing Lance’s attention back to the stripe of his face. Lance rubbed along it again, slowly as if it was the first time he saw it. It made Keith feel completely vulnerable, but also safe as he leaned farther into the prince’s touch. 

“You don’t have to tell me,” Lance said quietly, retracting his earlier sentiments. Keith almost wanted to take him up on the offer. And he could have. He could have agreed to stop talking and dried his tears before trying to salvage what remained of the morning. But Keith knew that he couldn’t. Not at this point. He owed it to Lance, and more importantly, he owed it to himself.

“No,” Keith said with a shake of his head. “No, I want to. I trust you and,” he took in a sharp inhale, “and I need to do this. For me.”

Lance nodded his head in understanding, his eyes silently telling Keith that he was here for him. As Keith gathered his thoughts, he couldn’t stop from thinking about when Lance had dragged him into the forest to tell him about his first attack. It seemed so long ago now, when nothing had transpired between them except mutual attraction. Things were so different then. Even still, Lance had trusted Keith that day, for truly the first time. And it was Keith’s turn to now return that trust, completely and totally.

“When I first went into battle, it was terrifying, of course. I was freshly eighteen and I didn’t know the first thing about being a good soldier or a good alpha. But luckily, Shiro was there with me. I think he specifically requested that I be put in his squadron, and I will forever be grateful for that. With him, going into battle felt a little less daunting.” Keith paused for a moment, remembering the relief he felt when he learned he was going to be commanded by Shiro. “And for the first few years everything went fine. Er, well, as fine as it could be when you were at war.”

“But then?” Lance asked softly, almost as if he were afraid that he would spook Keith away from sharing. Keith just signed. “But then Shiro got sent on a mission. He was meant to get a team of scientists into some Northern Altea base to collect weapon information. A quick, in and out mission. But they were ambushed.”

A knowing look fell upon Lance’s face. He no doubt heard information about the mission from Pidge, with both their father and brother being members of the scientific team. Plus, once Shiro returned, he was named a hero for his actions during those days.

“I’m sure you know all about it,” Keith said, Lance’s nod confirming. Still, he went through the motion of explaining it anyways, not wanting to disrupt the flow of his story. “A group of primarily Galran soldiers found out about the mission and kept them captive for a few days, even though it felt like a year. I didn’t even know if he was alive.” Keith’s voice broke, the memories of that time tugging at his heart. Lance moved his thumb again to sooth him and Keith just tightened his hold on the prince’s wrist.

He took in a breath before continuing, trying to keep what was left of his composure, knowing that he would likely break down again. “But he made it. They all did, thanks to Shiro. But obviously, he didn’t leave unscathed. With his arm being severed, he was sent home to recover and get his prosthetic. And I was left to lead the troops.”

Keith swallowed, finally beginning to come to the part of his history that Lance had asked about. 

“Which was fine,” he said, tone indicating that it was anything but. “I didn't want to lead, but I realized that I had to. So I accepted it and tried my best.” Keith shrugged and avoided Lance’s gaze. “But I was a fucking mess. At first I kept making terrible decisions, leading men and women in my troops to really bad situations. And even when I pulled it together, I was still on edge. I was pretty reckless, and that didn’t end well.”

He let out a hoarse laugh, although the subject was anything but humorous. Lance moved his head slightly so that Keith would look at him again, and the knight did so, abiding reluctantly. Lance moved so that his other hand, which had still been in his hair, was now also at Keith’s cheek, cradling his face. The prince didn’t speak a word, but Keith knew what message he was trying to send.

It was okay. You are safe here.

“It was maybe a few weeks before the cease-fire was called. Everyone was on edge as the battles dragged out longer. Every whisper of peace was met with hope, but that didn’t stop people from fighting harder than ever before. I think people were worried that if the war didn’t stop soon, it never would.”

“We were stuck in a really rough battle. We had been preparing for it for days and the actual battle was nothing but ashes and blood, bodies everywhere. I hadn’t slept in probably four days, and I had wounds all along my body. I shouldn’t have even been fighting still but I wasn’t about to abandon my knights.”

Keith took a few seconds, trying to figure out how best to explain what happened next. Lance just watched him, eyes bright with encouragement. 

“I don’t even really know what happened. I just know that while I was fighting, I ended up getting corned by some alpha. It was dark so I couldn’t really make out his face at first, but he was huge and just kept swinging. He managed to get me on my back, but I was still putting up a good fight. But once he got closer, a fire erupted nearby and it illuminated us, letting me finally get a good look at him.

“And it was fucking Shiro.” Keith spit out the words, the anger and fear from the moment rising back in him. “It was Shiro that was staring back at me.”

Lance startled back slightly, clearly not expecting that to be the answer. He just looked at Keith, confusion all over his face. He made a noise, questions on the tip of his tongue but Keith kept talking, trying to answer them before the omega even asked.

“It turns out that they were messing around with some cloaking technology. When they took Shiro, they ended up taking some scans to test this on him. I guess they were planning on using it to try and infiltrate the castle or something.”

Lance gasped and Keith could see as he tried to take it in. Even after knowing about it for almost two years, it still was crazy to Keith. “How did I not know,” Lance whispered. He sounded disappointed in himself for not knowing, for not being able to do something despite the fact that there was nothing to do. Keith shook his head as much as he could, Lance’s hands still gripping him. “They kept it all confidential. The only reason I knew was because I was the one to actually see it. I’m sure none of your other siblings, maybe except for Luis, even know.” Lance still seemed upset, but Keith spoke before he could.

“But obviously I didn’t know that at the moment. I freaked out and dropped my weapon. I was delirious, and I couldn’t understand why Shiro would be attacking me. My brother. The man ended up getting close enough to get his blade to cut my face,” Keith said simply, darting his eyes down in the direction of his scar. “And the pain worked to jump start my instincts again. I managed to throw him off of me before grabbing my own sword. I wasn’t even thinking as I swung it at him. I ended up killing him, and once he was dead the cloning fizzled out, revealing some random guy. I still didn’t understand what had happened, so I was a right mess when one of the soldiers found me. They think I went into shock.”

Keith let out a fake chuckle again, not really knowing what to do other than keep talking. “They told me what happened a few hours after. We had managed to capture a few of the enemy soldiers and they told us about the plan. Shiro ended up getting special permission to come out and see me, confirming that he wasn’t the one that attacked me. Wasn’t the one that I killed.”

Keith shut his eyes again, trying to stop the remaining few tears that slithered down his face, but it was futile. He only opened them again when he heard Lance speak.

“That’s awful, Keith.”

Keith appreciated that Lance didn’t offer any condolences. He always hated it when people said how sorry they were for something that Keith had to endure. The knight never knew how he was supposed to respond. And Lance knew that, knew how much worse it could make it sometimes. So he didn’t say anything like that. Somehow Lance just acknowledging what Keith went through brought the alpha comfort.

Keith let himself be pulled in Lance’s hold again, this time luckily not sobbing, and relaxed into the omega’s hold. Keith had to admit, it did feel good to have this out in the open, no longer an indirect secret that he was hiding from Lance. The prince held him tight, almost as if he were afraid that he would disappear. Keith just let him, moving them so that he could wrap his own arms around Lance. 

As the sun rose, they stayed in each other's embrace, neither of them speaking. They didn’t need to say things out loud. They were able to communicate through their actions, their holds. Keith knew that Lance would want to talk more about this, and no doubt ask more questions, but right now, they were both content with laying together in silence. Keith had shed a lot of tears tonight, and he could feel the exhaustion from it dripping from his skin. 

Before he could fully dive back into sleep, Lance pulled away gently. Keith was ready to protest but Lance shushed him as he moved his face in close.

Lance placed a tender kiss on top of Keith’s scar, letting his lips rest there for just a moment before pulling away. Keith couldn’t do anything but stare, and Lance stared back, blue eyes as intense as ever.

“You are the bravest man I’ve ever met.”

Keith thought that it sounded a bit too cliche and split his lips to argue, but Lance beat him there first. “No, you are. You always talk about how much you admire me for my strength, but you don’t even recognize your own.”

It wasn’t exactly true. Keith knew that he was resilient, that he dealt with more than most people did and yet he kept going. But, he was never one to talk about his own accomplishments. Especially in front of Lance. Lance, who was the embodiment of everything Keith wanted.

“I am in awe of everything that you have gone through and overcome,” Lance continued, not letting his alpha shy away. “Even the things that you have yet to face, I’m proud of you. You make me want to be better and try harder.” Keith felt a blush rising in his face, and thought that Lance couldn’t possibly make him feel anymore. And yet.

“You are my inspiration, Keith.”

And Lance was his everything. Everything that Keith was. Everything that Keith wanted to be. Lance was it. He was the one that made Keith want to be better. To open up, to be a man and alpha.

“I love you.”

It was all Keith said. It was all Keith needed to say. Wrapped in his words were a thank you, a laugh, a cry. It was every emotion Keith had ever felt, handed to Lance on a silver platter alongside his heart.

Lance just offered him a soft smile, eyes alight. “I love you too,” he murmured, reaching down to press another light kiss to Keith’s scar before moving over to peck his mouth. Keith happily responded, relaxing against him farther than he thought possible. When they parted, Keith moved so that he was once again enraptured in Lance’s hold, inhaling the omega’s scent as he let his eyes drift close.

Keith felt himself begin to drift back off the sleep, ignoring the fact that really he and Lance should be just waking up in a few moments. He felt exhausted, all the emotions he experienced during the last half hour making his mind and body drop. And with Lance holding him in his arms, Keith allowed himself to fall.

The last thing he heard before succumbing to sleep was the soft repetitive whisper of “I love you” from Lance’s lips. 

⋆★⋆

“So, how is everything going?” Shiro asked Keith when the younger alpha came to his home a few days later. Lance was having what he called a “sibling sleepover” tonight with all of his siblings except for Luis and Lisa. After Lance’s birthday, they had all agreed that they needed to spend more time together, and Rachel suggested that they set up camp in one of the family rooms like they used to do when they were children. They planned to watch classic movies and eat a bunch of junk food while gossiping and having a proper catch up. Even though they all lived under the same room, their royal duties kept them all too busy to properly engage with each other. The hour dinners they sometimes had just weren't enough time.

When they agreed on the date, Lance demanded that Keith take the night off. Keith had protested, insisting that they would still need to be guarded, but Lance reassured him that they would have guards posted all along the outside. The knight still tried to argue, but Lance insisted that it would be better for him to just have the night to relax. Keith had a sneaking suspicion that Lance did not want him around because he knew that his siblings would ask about their relationship, and Keith honestly could not blame him for that. So after confirming about ten times that they would have enough security, Keith took his leave.

He decided that he could use his own sibling bonding time, so Keith set the track to Shiro and Adam’s for dinner. After all the pleasantries, Shiro went right into berating Keith for not visiting him sooner. Which, in all fairness, wasn’t entirely Keith’s fault. He reminded Shiro that he also worked at the palace, but Shiro just brushed him off, teasing with a smirk that he knew Keith was busy with his new lover.

“Everything good with Lance,” Shiro said, expanding on his question. Keith just nodded as he watched Shiro cook their dinner, the alpha stirring some sauce in a pan. “Yeah,” Keith answered honestly, “everything’s good. Really good.” He said the last bit almost shyly, slightly embarrassed to be talking about his love life with his older brother. But Shiro just smiled, moving to wipe his hand on a towel as the steam from the pan wet his hands.

“That’s good,” Shiro said, “I’m really happy for you Keith.” He said it so sincerely that Keith couldn’t stop the slight flush from erupting. Keith didn’t know how he managed to get so lucky with Shiro.

“What are you happy about,” Adam asked as he came into the kitchen, beginning to set the table. Keith moved to help him and Shiro let out a laugh. “We’re talking about how Keith is in love.” He said the last words in a sing-song style, using a tone that only someone who wanted to embarrass their sibling could. Keith blushed deeper and Adam, who definitely noticed, began to pick up where his husband left off.

“Oh,” he said, smirk alight on his face, “how has the honeymoon been?” Keith groaned and shook his head. “I’m never telling you guys anything ever again.”

Shiro scoffed as he brought the food over to the table, some chicken dish he said he had been wanting to try. “Uh, if you recall,” he said with a grimace, “you didn’t actually tell me. I had to find out like it was a game of telephone.”

Keith groaned again and gave his brother an irritated look. “Can you please let that go. I told you that we are trying to keep Lance’s parents from finding out. We would have told you eventually.”

Shiro let out a huff and Keith couldn’t help but think about how much of a dad he looked as he did it. It was clear that Shiro was about to fire back, but Adam interrupted before he could.

“So, you still haven't told the king and queen about your relationship?”

Keith shook his head before swallowing the piece of chicken he had in his mouth. “No, we haven't,” he said simply, reaching for his glass of water. “Why not,” Adam asked, setting down his own cup. “You know that they will find out eventually.”

“And,” Shiro jumped in, “it would be better to hear it from you than anyone else.” He said the last words with a bite, indicating that he was still upset that Keith had not told him about Lance directly. Keith ignored this and instead focused on answering Adam’s question. “I know that we will have to tell them soon, but I guess we just wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while. If we told the king and queen, then suddenly we would have to go through a bunch of official court proceedings. It’s easier for us to just be us.”

Keith shrugged and twirled his fork around, taking another bite of the food. It really was good, and he would have to remember to tell Shiro. Adam nodded along to his answer. “I suppose that makes sense.” A moment of silence passed over the table before Shiro spoke. “I still think that he should just tell them.” 

Keith just sighed. “Well it is a good thing that this isn't your relationship then.” He looked over at Shiro, who shrugged. “I’m just saying that you guys won’t have to sneak around if you told the royals.” Keith nodded but still counterted the older alpha’s point. “It’s only for now. We will tell them. Lance and I just,” he paused to think for a moment before finishing his thought, “Lance and I just want to take it slow.”

“Didn’t you two already confess your love for each other,” Adam said before shoveling food into his mouth. Keith shot him a glare and rolled his eyes. “Yes but that’s not the point. The point is that we both just want to enjoy the early stage of our relationship without ,” he gave them each a pointed look, “interference. 

Shiro still looked a little put out that Keith wasn’t taking his advice, but he moved his shoulders back from where they were hunched over the table in agreement. “Now,” Keith said, trying to tamper down his flush, “let’s talk about something other than my relationship. What is going on with you two?”

Keith expected one of them to launch into a story that happened recently, one featuring a mundane problem or a funny anecdote about someone in town. But instead the knight was met with silence. He looked up from his plate, worried about gracing his features and saw the couple share a nervous glance.

“What,” he asked, panic seeping into his voice. “What’s wrong?” His mind swirled with possibilities. Shiro was being sent out to fight in the Galran War. Adam was being sent on an assignment to another galaxy. One of them was dying. No- both of them were dying.

Okay, Keith knew that the likelihood of that last one was very low. But still, he could never be too careful. 

“Nothing’s wrong,” Shiro said slowly, him and Adam still having a silent conversation. “We just…we just have some news.”

That didn’t make Keith feel any better and he urged them to tell him. After a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence, Shiro spoke.

“We decided,” he said cautiously, a smile beginning to make its way onto his face, “that we’re going to have a baby.”

Oh.

Oh.

Oh fuck.

Keith’s mind was running a million miles a minute, trying to wrap his head around what Shiro had just shared. A baby. They were going to have a baby. Keith felt complete and utter joy at the news. He knew that they would both make such great parents and- wait.

Keith whipped his head to look at Adam, eyes wide.

“Are you…?” He trailed off at the end, but both men knew what he was talking about. Keith heard Shiro choke a little in the background as Adam shook his head.

“No,” he confirmed, seeming just as panicked as Keith was at the thought. “And I don’t plan to be. I know pregnancy can be a beautiful thing for omega’s, but it is most definitely not for me.”

“We’re going to adopt,” Shiro said, expanding on what his mate was saying. Keith moved to look at him now, eyes still wide but now for a completely different reason. “You are,” Keith asked softly, still a bit in disbelief. Shiro nodded his head, likely realizing the significance it held for Keith. “Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “We know how many pups need homes, and well, you turned out okay so we must have done something right the first time.” Keith just laughed and nodded his head. Yeah, they did more than alright.

“I- I don’t even know what to say.” How could Keith possibly put all the emotions he was feeling into words. “You- you guys are going to be parents .” Somehow saying it out loud made Keith finally believe it. “Fuck, I’m so happy for you both.” Keith broke out into a wide smile. Shiro and Adam followed suit, holding hands from across the table. “Yeah?” Shiro asked, almost as if he thought that Keith would be apprehensive about the news. Keith gave him a look, insulted. “Of course I am. You guys deserve this. You- I just know you guys are going to be the best parents.”

Keith could see that there were some tears welling up in Shiro’s eyes. Shiro did not cry often, much like Keith, but it seemed that his brother's approval was enough to draw them out. Keith rose out of his seat, forgetting all about his meal to cross over to where Shiro was sitting. Shiro followed suit, standing up just in time to allow Keith to wrap his arms around him. The older man responded easily, hugging his brother close.

“You’re going to be a dad,” Keith whispered, grinning just at the thought. He heard Shiro let out a breath at his words, a laugh intermixed within it. Keith squeezed him tighter, trying to signify just how happy he was. “That kid is going to be the luckiest pup in the world.” It was Shiro’s turn to squeeze Keith, holding onto him close before he broke their hug. “Gods, I didn’t think I would get so emotional,” he said with a wet laugh, turning to his mate. Adam just shrugged. “I did.” He said it so simply that Shiro and Keith both burst into laughter, bringing back the light tone.

“Seriously though,” Keith said as he and Shiro sat back down, “this really is amazing news.”

Shiro and Adam just smiled at each other again, the fact that they were going to have a kid washing over them. Shiro explained how they still had to go through the process, and it would likely take a few months, but that it would be easier given his history with the orphanage. He shot Keith a sly look and Keith just responded with a look of his own. Adam revealed how excited he was to set up the nursery, and Shiro agreed in tandem, going on a rant about color themes and furniture designs.

Keith just listened with rapt attention, a smile making its way to his face every time he thought about the news. Shiro and Adam really would make the most amazing parents, and Keith couldn’t wait to meet his new niece or nephew. He entered the conversation as soon as Shiro brought up whether or not they should tape up the oven when the baby comes because “what if they climb in!” Both Keith and Adam assured him that the idea was ridiculous, but Keith still couldn’t hide his smile. Yeah, this kid was going to be the luckiest in all the galaxies. 

And if a thought of him and Lance having kids flashed across his mind, nobody else needed to know.

⋆★⋆

Lance was almost as excited as Keith was when he told him the news the following morning. He was particularly excited over the fact that Shiro having a kid meant Keith would have a niece or nephew. He raved about all the things they could do with the pup, recounting all the different activities he loved to do with Silvio and Nadia. Keith just listened with amusement, nodding along to the omega’s ramblings. He couldn’t lie and say that it didn’t excite him too.

It really seemed like everything in Keith’s life was starting to come together. Shiro’s news made a warm feeling settle in his gut, and having such an incredible omega in the form of Lance kept Keith content through the days. Keith didn’t think that he had felt this content with life since his dad passed away, and he wanted to hold onto the feeling for as long as possible.

But of course, the gods were never on Keith’s side, and had to throw him a challenge. And this time, it came in the form of his rut.

Part of Keith could hardly believe that it had already been six months since his last one. The time spent with Lance felt like no time at all. On the other hand, Keith remembered how different everything was the last time he had gone through his mating cycle. Back then, Lance had merely been an object of his sexual attraction; someone that irritated but attracted him. And now, Lance was everything.

Keith realized that he was approaching his rut as he felt himself grow more and more agitated. It was like something was burrowing under his skin and he was helpless to do anything about it. 

It also made him admittedly more horny, something that Lance definitely was not complaining about. Even though the prince grumbled everytime Keith inadvertently snapped at him due to his heightened senses, Lance never once pulled away when Keith reached for him, hands often already tugging down his pants before either of them realized that was happening. 

Because Keith did not track his ruts the same way other alpha’s did, he really had no idea when it would finally erupt. Lance had said that the uncertainty is stupid and he should try tracking them, and Keith reluctantly agreed. In battle he had not been given a choice, but now that he was out, maybe it would be good for him to find a way to track and manage them.

But despite that idea, it would do him no good for this upcoming one. As a precaution, Keith decided that he would go back to stay at Shiro’s. Although he thought his face would catch on fire when he asked Shiro, the embarrassment was better than staying with Lance. Keith knew that as soon as his rut started, he wouldn’t be able to resist the omega. It was better for both of them for him to be out of the palance and far away from Lance.

Naturally, Lance did not agree.

“I just don’t see why you have to go,” Lance whined as Keith packed his belongings over Lance’s vanity. He wasn’t taking much, just the essentials like some clothes and his toothbrush. He knew that as soon as his mind entered the haziness of rut, he wouldn’t care about anything other than knotting an omega, knotting Lance, so he was packing light.

Keith rolled his eyes from where Lance was flopped over on the bed, back pressed against the mattress as his head hung over the side. Keith knew that the position couldn’t be that comfortable and the blood was likely already beginning to rush to the prince’s head. 

“It’s best for both of us, Blue,” Keith said calmly, having already explained the plan to the omega multiple times. “I can’t exactly have my rut here.” Lance flipped over, proving Keith’s easier point, and leaned up against his elbows. “But why not ,” he groaned, looking up at Keith with questioning eyes, “You’ve knotted me before and I trust you. I know you won’t hurt me.” Hearing Lance say those words so nonchalantly made Keith’s alpha stir in his chest and the knight forced himself to push it down.

“It’s not about that,” he replied simply, “it’s about the fact that you spending my rut with me isn’t exactly inconspicuous. I’m not sure your parents would find us having sex all week to be part of our normal prince-knight relationship.” 

Keith was pushing clothes further into his bag, trying to figure out how to make them all fit, and so he didn’t notice at first when Lance didn’t respond. However, after a few moments of silence, Keith pulled his eyes away from his pack to see Lance biting the inside of cheek, looking nervous. Keith shot him a confused look. “Lance?” 

Lance moved to bite his lip before sitting up on the bed, reaching to hug one of his bedposts, leaning his weight on it.

“Well,” he said slowly, eyes sparkling, “I was thinking that maybe this would be the perfect opportunity to tell them.” 

He said it so hopefully that Keith hated the fact that he would have to disagree. “Lance,” he said, his tone now one that was apologetic. He saw the prince’s face fall and although it made his heart hurt, it did not make him change course. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not,” Lance responded quickly, pushing himself closer towards Keith despite not leaving the safety of his bed. “I mean, we have to tell them at some point.”

“I know that,” Keith said, “but this is definitely not the best time to do it. What, I just walk up to them and say “hey, remember how you put me in charge of protecting your son. Well, I actually fell in love with him and have fucked him more times then I can count. And oh, by the way, I’m about to go into rut and Lance is going to help me through it so don’t worry if you don’t see us for a few days.” Keith said it with fake enthusiasm, dropping his stretched smile at the end of sentence to put a scowl on his face. Lance rolled his eyes at the dramatics and shook his head.

“Well, obviously we wouldn’t tell them like that. But, I mean the love part was accurate. If we told them that we’ve fallen in love, which is true, then maybe they won’t be as crazy about the idea for me to spend your rut with you. Plus,” Lance said excitedly, holding a finger in the air, “if I’m with you then your rut won’t even last that long. Three days at most. They will barely even notice that we’re gone and ,” he said, adding a seductive tone to the end of his sentence as he finally made his way off the bed and towards Keith, “we can have a few blissful days of nothing but you, me, and your knot.”

Lance wrapped his arms around Keith’s neck, swinging slightly as he worked to convince his lover. However, Keith did not falter, and sighed instead. Lance, seeming to understand what the reaction meant, let the smile drop from his face. Keith stepped away from Lance, the prince’s arms falling from his neck. 

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea.” That was putting it mildly. Keith honestly thought that it was a terrible idea, but he didn’t want to make Lance feel bad for suggesting it. Keith seemed to be failing, however, because Lance just huffed and crossed his arms. 

“When will it be a good idea Keith,” Lance yelled, his sudden anger taking Keith by surprise. “It was your idea to keep our relationship a secret and every time I bring up telling them you get all cagey and change the subject.” Lance gave Keith a hard glare as he tightened his arms. “I want to tell them.”

Keith knew Lance was completely entitled to feeling that way. But he still could feel his own anger rising up. And it certainly did not help that his rut was making every emotion of his heightened.

“Well I don’t!” he yelled back, matching Lance’s glare. The prince narrowed his eyes and stalked closer to Keith. “What do you mean by that,” Lance asked coldly. Keith realized that he probably shouldn’t have said it so blatantly, but now that it was out there was no taking it back.

“I just don’t necessarily want to tell them,” Keith answered back, moving to cross his own arms. Lance’s eyes grew narrower, if that was even possible, and repeated his “What?” Keith bristled and the words came out before he could process what he was saying.

“I don’t want to tell them, Lance! The thought of telling your parents, the king and queen in case you forgot, sounds like the worst thing in the world.”

“Telling my parents that you love me is the worst thing in the world. ” Lance repeated it angrily, and Keith couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Well then what did you mean,” Lance shot back, arms flailing out. “What else could you possibly mean by that?”

“I just- I just don’t like sharing my feelings, okay. And telling your parents feels so final.”

“Well, yeah it’s final,” Lance said with a sneer. And then quieter, “Why? Do you not want it to be?” Keith shook his head immediately, but didn’t move from his position. “No, it’s not that. It’s just-” Keith sighed again, not knowing how to explain it. After a few moments of awkward, tension filled silence, Keith spoke again.

“You’re the prince,” he said simply and Lance just jutted his head out in response. “Yeah,” he said, sarcasm dripping off his tongue, “I know that.” Keith ignored the tone and kept going. “And I guess I don’t really think about that a lot. About what it actually means.” Lance looked like he was about to call Keith stupid, and so the knight made sure to speak before the prince could get the chance.

“If we tell your parents then we’re going to have to worry about royal procedures and official courting traditions. Balls and official meetings,” Keith said, his voice hard. “And they probably won’t let me be your guard anymore. You know that, right?”

Lance just shook his head, irritation clear on his face. “Stop saying ‘if,’” Lance spat, “if like it’s not when. And I know that we are going to have to make things more…official, but why is that such a bad thing? I get that it might seem daunting, but I know that we will both feel better once everything gets set in motion. We’ll have to do it eventually. To be together and to bond.”

“Well maybe I don’t want that!”

Keith regretted the words as soon as they had left his mouth. Keith hadn’t meant the words to sound the way they did; make them imply what they implied. He saw Lance’s whole face drop, a flash of hurt crossing his features before it morphered back to anger. 

“Oh,” Lance said, his voice scarily steady, “I didn’t realize that you didn’t see us having a future. I guess everything you said about wanting to make me your mate was just pillow talk bullshit.”

Keith knew that he should be begging Lance to forgive him, but his short fuse was not letting him properly think and react. So instead of apologizing, Keith scoffed, turning to shove his remaining items into his bag. “Oh come off it Lance,” he said exasperatedly. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Well then why did you say it?”

“Because I just want you to understand where I’m coming from.”

“What, from the perspective that you don’t want to be with me,” Lance fired back. At this point, they were just yelling words at each other, tracing in circles.

“Of course I want to be with you, stop trying to make this something it isn’t. I just don’t feel comfortable telling your parents about us.”

“Well when will you be?”

“I don’t know!”

Keith let out a heavy breath after his last outburst, and Lance mirrored him, his chest moving as he tried to calm his breathing. At this point, they were on opposite sides of the room, glaring at each other as they worked out the argument in their head. They were not getting anywhere. Lance wouldn’t understand why Keith wanted to keep the secret, and Keith wasn’t about to move from his opinion. They were at a stand still, and Keith was tired of the fighting. He already felt exhausted because of his impending rut, and fighting with the one person that always made him feel better wasn’t helping.

Lance seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he suddenly sighed and turned away, crossing his arms back over his chest.

“Leave,” he said shortly, his voice hard. Keith was hurt at the quick dismissal, but he didn’t hesitate. He didn’t want to be there anyways. He closed his bag, hoping that he did not forget anything. Lance just stood there from his corner, his body still except for his head. He moved to look at Keith as the knight walked to the door, heavy steps loud against the silence in the room.

Keith didn’t say anything as he reached for the door, anger still bubbling at the surface. Right as he opened the door, seeing the stark white of the lights from the hallways, he heard Lance speak.

“Keith,” he started, making Keith whip back around. In another instance, Keith would have met a look of love and adoration on the prince’s face. However, all he saw was anger pooling behind the omega’s eyes.

“After your rut, don’t come back until you’ve decided to stop being a fucking knothead.”

The only response Keith gave was slamming the door.

⋆★⋆

As to be expected, Keith’s rut was less enjoyable than it usually was. 

Keith had come huffing into Shiro’s home, irritation and anger coursing through his body. I tried to calm down, tried to see where Lance was coming from, but his rut being so close made his head hazy and unable to pick apart the different nuances of their fight. He ended up just going to bed, although the night consisted of more staring angrily at the ceiling than sleep. When he did manage to get a few hours of rest, he had woken up in the throes of his rut, cock hard and alpha screaming.

Normally, Keith got lost in the thick fog of his rut. His only thoughts were usually fuck, knot, sleep, eat, knot. That was the gruesome cycle. For those few days, the knight was often oblivious to the rest of the world.

This time, however, the fight with Lance seemed to still be tugging at him. Even though he couldn’t remember exactly what was wrong, Keith’s alpha cried out for his omega, and groaned in pain when he realized that he was unattainable. In his few moments of clearance, Keith wondered if his alpha was calling out to his mate because of their fight, or because he missed and wanted him during this time.

It was probably both.

No matter the reason, Keith’s rut was awful, the heavy absence of Lance painstakingly clear. He kept calling Lance’s name out over and over, in need and desperation, and did not stop until he had emerged from his rut a few days later. In Keith’s opinion, coming back to full consciousness was always the worst part. With the flashes of everything that had happened running through his mind, embarrassment always crept through him, and this time was no different. However, this time the feeling was mixed with the lingering feelings from his argument with Lance. Angery. Remorse. Tiredness.

Keith hated how much this fight was affecting him. The first day out of rut, Keith had taken a look at himself in the mirror and caught just how tired he looked. Of course, that was to be expected, but this was something different. It wasn’t just the exhaustion of his rut; it was how exhausted he was from having to refrain from running to Lance right away.

The prince had told him not to come back. At least not until he was ready to apologize. And as much as Keith didn’t want to be fighting anymore, he still believed that he had nothing to apologize for. Of course, he understood where Lance was coming from, but it still upset him that Lance didn’t seem to try and understand Keith’s perspective. So he was fine with staying at Shiro’s, really. He would stay there forever if Lance didn’t try and apologize. 

Except, well, Keith could not exactly do that, as Shiro so helpfully reminded him. He was still Lance’s guard, a job that Keith honestly forgot he held. Lance had become so integrated in his life that it didn’t feel like he was working. Of course, in the back of his mind he knew. He was still always hypervigilant and ready to protect the omega at the first instance. But with the curfew and lockdown still set, Lance hadn’t left the palace in weeks. And although Keith knew that it upset Lance (especially when Keith was able to) it did make it easier to keep the prince out and away from trouble.

So three days after Keith’s rut had ended, Shiro forced Keith back to the castle. Keith begrudgingly went, knowing that the older alpha was right about him needing to go back, both to his job and to Lance. But that didn’t stop the scowl on his face as he trekked his way back up to Lance’s chambers that afternoon.

He was expecting Lance to be out somewhere, likely in the observatory or the kitchen with Pidge and Hunk, and had chosen the time specifically so that he could have a few vargas to himself before having to face Lance. However, as he approached the door to Lance’s room, he saw three guards stationed outside, indicating that the prince was inside. Dressed in their official uniforms, Keith recognized two of the guards, Kiram and Levi. They were regulars at the post, a part of the king and queen’s plan for more security. The third guard was likely the one that had replaced Keith for the week. He was another alpha, and was likely a year or two older than Keith, his jawline clouded with the light appearance of stubble.

As soon as the guards saw Keith, the face of the one he didn’t recognize broke out in relief. “Oh, thank the gods,” the man said, eyes pleading at Keith. “We were beginning to worry that you would never come back, Sir Kogane.” Keith bristled at the address, not liking it when people called him by his knightly title. But he didn’t say anything, just nodded his head in recognition and reached the handle of the door to enter, but the beta kept going. “Not that I would blame you,” he said arrogantly, “Prince Lance has been quite difficult this week. Not wanting to listen to anything I had to say and always running away. I had half a mind to lock him in his room. I am very pleased that you are back, although I don’t know how you stand him.” He chuckled at the end of his sentence, like what he said was just a harmless joke instead of something bordering on treason.

Keith would normally not give someone like this any of his attention. While he was more than ready to attack anyone who spoke an ill word of Lance in the market or on the street, an official royal guard was not someone that Keith could be getting into fights with. However, he was already strung so tightly with his rut, and his fight with Lance wasn’t helping his emotions. His alpha felt unsettled and ready to burst. And Keith didn’t stop it when it did.

He grabbed the guard's arm, holding it tightly through the alpha’s surprise and spoke in a low voice. “Do not ,” he said with a growl, “ever speak about the prince again in such a way.” Even when Keith was angry with the omega, he would still defend him with his life. The guard tried to twist out of his grip but Keith held firm, eyes boring a hole into him. “You forget yourself and your station. His highness is superior to you in every way, and it is best that you not forget that.” It wasn’t often that Keith brought up rank, firmly believing that everyone had the same capabilities as anyone else, even those in power. However, in this instance, he was glad for it, and glad that he had the power of Shiro, their captain, shadowing behind him.

“If I hear you say another word against him, I will personally come and strip you of your uniform. Now get out of here, you are dismissed.”

The guard was clearly fuming, him angrily ruffling his uniform as Keith pushed him away. He didn’t say anything though, just held his head high through narrowed eyes before stalking away. Keith turned away as soon as he began to walk towards the other end of the hallway, and saw the two other guards stand with tight precision, not wanting to face Keith’s rather. 

Keith opened the door in a hurry, stepping inside with his scowl that now seemed permanently cemented on his face. With the event that had just taken place, Keith had forgotten why the guard was even outside the door in the first place. Lance was laying on the bed, back turned away from the door. He wasn’t under the covers, so it was clear that he was just resting there, likely upset from something with the guard from outside.

Keith didn’t say anything, the sudden wave of thoughts about how he was feeling towards Lance at this particular moment coming back to him. He just stood there, letting his bag drop from his shoulder and hit the ground with a soft thud. 

“I told you,” Lance said in response to the noise, shuffling to sit up so that he could twist around on the bed, “I don’t want you in here…” His voice trailed off as he caught sight of Keith, clearly not expecting him. His hair was slightly mused from his position on the bed, and his eyes widened as he took Keith in. Neither of them said anything for a moment, both just drinking each other in after a week apart. Keith saw Lance swallow thickly before opening his mouth to break the silence.

“I thought- I thought you were Garris,” Lance said, referring to who was likely the guard Keith had yelled at outside. Keith shook his head, clenching his jaw as he thought about the beta. “No,” he said sternly, “I took care of him. He’s gone.” Lance nodded his head in understanding, moving to cross his arms over his chest. “Good,” he said, his voice flat and restrained, “he was a right asshole.” If they hadn’t fought, Keith would have been quick to agree, ready to listen to the complaints that the prince had about the guard. But he felt uneasy here in the room. Although he and Lance were just a few steps away, it felt as if they were across the galaxy.

It didn’t help that Lance decided to mutter “like someone else I know” under his breath.

Keith just stood there, his jaw set. Keith had barely been in the room for a minute and Lance was already deciding that they were still fighting, not even trying to make up. Lance didn’t offer up anything else and Keith knew that he wasn’t going to. Part of Keith wanted to step up to apologize and end this ridiculous argument, but another part, the larger part, did not feel quite ready to do so. Especially not after such a clear display of where Lance still stood.

Keith moved to pick up his back, movement ridgid as he made sure his eyes didn’t leave Lance. Even when he was angry the prince was still beautiful. And Keith had spent the last week missing the omega, so he wasn’t about to look away now. But as soon as he had grabbed the sack, silently begging Lance to speak, there were still no words between them. Keith had thought that the days apart would have given Lance the ability to think about the argument and allow him to cool off. With Keith being only half conscious, the fight still felt more fresh in his head. With Lance, however, he had been able to spend the whole week going over the argument and cataloging it in his head. Keith had been hoping that he would be the first one to offer the olive branch, but that was clearly just a dream.Lance was good at many things, and one of them was his ability to hold a grudge.

Keith silently moved around the bed, painstaking making his way to the door of his bedroom. He was hoping that Lance would call out to him, tell him to stop and start the beginnings of reconciling, but the prince was silent, seemingly fine with keeping the current atmosphere of unease between them. Once Keith deduced that Lance was definitely not going to reach out, he rolled his eyes, letting his gaze drop as he let out a scoff. He opened the door quickly, entering his small room and shutting the door with a slight slam. He knew that he was acting childish, but he couldn’t help it. If Lance wasn’t going to try and talk to him, then he wasn’t going to try either. 

Keith began to rip his belongings out of his bag, taking all his anger on the situation out of his clothing. He threw them into the closet with little care, knowing that he will hate himself in a few hours when he has to clean it up.

As soon as everything had been removed and strewn around the room, Keith collapsed onto the bed. The unfamiliar sheets scratched at his skin, and he just groaned into his pillow. He hadn’t slept in this room for weeks, the alpha being a permanent fixture in Lance’s bed. But until the prince was ready to talk, it seemed like this is where Keith would stay.

And a small, fearful part of Keith worried that he would be forced to stay there forever. 

⋆★⋆

As part of his mandatory guard work, Keith escorted Lance to dinner later that night, dutifully standing against the wall as the royals ate. Normally, when Lance was not required to go to a family dinner, he and Keith would eat together, oftentimes in the observatory or with a pulled from their duties Pidge and Hunk. Keith usually was disappointed when Lance had to have these dinners, Keith being forced to eat alone as Lance prepared for bed, but now, he was grateful that he would have this small reprieve. The tension between them is suffocating. They barely said any words to each other as they made their way to the dining room, and the words they did exchange were quick and practical, although they were not without their spite. Lance called Keith “Kogane” and Keith responded with “your highness,” both of them using the impersonal, professional titles to channel their irritation in each other.

The dining room also felt thick with all of Lance’s siblings making sneaky glances between Lance and Keith. Lance was uncharacteristically quiet, something that Keith had assumed was due to his appearance. From what that guard, Garris, had said, Lance had been in a particularly bad mood the whole week. Keith being here now likely didn’t help. Keith was sure that Lance had told his siblings about their argument, especially Veronica if the way the alpha was glaring at Keith.

Keith avoided her gaze, choosing to stare straight at the wall in front of him. He hoped that the dinner would be over quickly so that he could return to his room and spare himself some awkwardness for the rest of the night, but as always, the gods were not on his side.

“So, Lance, I’m sure it’s nice to have Keith back.”

Fuck, did King Miguel have some bad timing. Keith had to refrain from groaning, not even knowing how the king could be so obvious to the tension that filled the room. Keith saw Lance tighten his grip on his fork for a moment, fingers beginning to whiten from the pressure. Not wanting to raise suspicion, Lance turned to his father and nodded his head, throwing on a fake smile.

“Yes,” he gritted out, “yeah it’s nice.”

That was all he said before he turned back to his plate of food, keeping his head down. King Miguel looked confused, but Queen Nancy gave him a look from across the long table. Keith knew that she was likely able to pick up on the hostility between Lance and Keith at the moment, and Keith was grateful for her for imminently changing the subject, not wanting to dive into the questions at dinner.

She began to ask Marco questions about an alpha duchess that he had begun to court, wondering about the letters that they had exchanged. Keith turned Marco’s answer out, instead moving to gaze at Lance. He still had his head down, abstinently playing with his fork as he shifted the food around on his plate.

Lance’s behavior was sullen throughout the whole dinner, and he quickly left the dining room as soon as his parents dismissed them. Keith had to chase after him, the prince already half down the corridor by the time Keith made it out of the room. The knight knew that Lance’s family would likely gossip about what was going on with their brother as soon as he was out of the room. A part of him worried that the siblings would let something about their relationship slip, but Keith knew that they wouldn’t betray Lance’s trust like that. Still, it put Keith at unease. As his stomach twisted in knots, he couldn’t help but cite the feeling as a way to solidify his opinion that it wasn’t the right time to tell Lance’s parents about them.

Of course, Keith didn’t tell Lance about this. No, that would require him to actually stand in Lance’s presence for more than just the walk about to their rooms. As soon as they had closed the door to Lance’s chambers, the omega ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. Keith clenched his jaw at the sound and action, but just stalked into his own room, refusing to give Lance a proper reaction. He got ready for bed in angry, hurried motions, forgoing brushing his teeth so that he didn’t have to risk seeing Lance. As soon dressed in his all black sleepwear (which was actually just boxers and one of his regular black shirts), Keith shuffled into bed and tried to ignore how wrong it felt.

He forced himself to close his eyes, despite the fact that it was still early. He was exhausted, and there wasn’t anything keeping him awake. If Lance was determined to give him the silent treatment, Keith wasn’t going to try and force him to talk. He just hoped that Lance would be more agreeable when he woke up the next morning.

⋆★⋆

Of course, that would be easier to do if Keith was actually able to fall asleep. Keith laid in bed for hours, waiting for sleep to come, but to no avail. He had done everything. He had read a book, cleaned up his closet from his earlier mess, and had even rearranged his bed about three times. And yet, nothing. Everytime he closed his eyes, he could not help but think about how Lance was just on the other side of the door but yet still so out of reach. He hated it. He knew that he should just suck up his pride and cross through the doorway to beg for Lance’s forgiveness. It had been too long since Keith had touched him, smelled him. Too long since he held him. And Keith’s alpha was on edge because of it, along with the lingering emotions from his rut. It was torture, but Keith still didn’t move from his bed. Sure, maybe he was actually childish, but he just couldn’t make himself get up.

So instead he cursed himself to a night of sleepless tossing. He moved in his bed, never seeming to find a comfortable position that lull him into sleep. Just as he was about to get up again, he heard the door to his room creak open.

He opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder, seeing Lance standing in the doorway. He looked just like Keith felt, his eyes tired and his hair a mess. Keith opened  his mouth to ask what he was doing, but Lance beat him to the punch.

“I’m not ready to forgive you,” Lance said quickly even as he moved farther into the room. Keith moved to turn on the lamp beside his bed, it flickering for a moment due to its unuse. “But I just-” Lance continued, pausing for a moment as he stood over Keith’s bed. “I just…” he trailed off again, his breath becoming heavy as he gazed at Keith. Keith didn’t need him to finish his sentence. He already knew.

Keith grabbed Lance’s forearms and pulled him downward, crashing their lips together. Lance let out a surprised gasp but melted against Keith, moving so that he was properly sitting on Keith’s lap. Even with how much tension between them, Lance’s lips still felt like coming home. He was warm against Keith, and the alpha let himself move his hands along the length of Lance’s bare arms.

They kissed feverishly, both of them hungry for the other after so long apart. Keith knew that it really wasn’t even that long, but the effects of their argument and the silence that had transpired between them during the day made it feel oh so much longer. Keith felt as if he hadn’t felt the touch of Lance’s love in years, not just days, and he happily took in anything Lance would give him now.

It didn’t take long before Lance began to fiddle with the waistband of Keith’s boxers. They panted against each other’s mouth, their tongues tangled together as Keith kissed Lance harder. By now, Keith was familiar with sex with Lance. They had done it in numerous different ways and settings, and yet every time felt like the first time. Except, right now, it felt like new territory. Generally, their sex life was sweet and gentle. Even as Keith was rough with Lance, there was always care behind it. Love behind it. 

This time, it seemed to be pure desire that was pulling them together. They both channeled their anger into the kisses, a carnal feeling making its way up in Keith. In the back of his mind, Keith knew that they definitely shouldn’t be doing this. They were still angry with each other, and they shouldn’t sleep together again until they made up. But the sensations that licked up Keith’s spine felt too good for him to even think about stopping, and he didn’t protest as Lance pulled down his boxers.

Keith’s cock sprung free, and Lance disconnected their lips, lifting his hips so that he could pull down his own pants. Keith could instantly smell Lance’s slick, the scent rising as he made sure both his and Keith’s pants were off of their body. They each tugged their shirts off as well, letting their bare skin press together. As soon as Lance had settled back down on Keith’s lap, Keith attacked his lips again. Lance moaned into the kiss, rutting his own cock against Keith’s stomach. 

Keith usually liked to draw out the foreplay longer. Lance, ever impatient, always got glassy-eyed when Keith would take his time preparing him. This time, Keith was just as impatient as Lance was. Keith gathered up the slick that was leaking from the omega’s hole, using it to lube up his fingers, before pressing two of the digits into Lance. Lance gasped at the feeling, hissing at the stretch. Keith did not know if he had fingered himself at all during the past week, so there was a good chance Lance had not been stretched out in a while. However, Keith didn’t have any lube, and he wasn’t about to interrupt the current atmosphere to look for it.

Still, he went slow at first so that Lance could get accustomed to the feeling. As soon as the prince let out a pleasurable moan as Keith dragged his fingers out, the knight decided that he could take it. He quickly thrusted his fingers back into Lance, moving them in and out at a rapid pace. Lance keened, pressing back down on them as he grunted into Keith’s shoulder. 

“Fuck,” he growled, squeezing around Keith’s fingers. Keith took that as a sign to add another one, moving it with the same force as the other two. Lance shifted in discomfort for a moment, but Keith kept fucking him through it, no longer waiting to see if Lance could handle it. If Lance wanted him to stop, he would tell him.

As Lance moaned into his shoulder, Keith couldn’t help the anger that began to take over him. The fact that Lance was here, falling apart on Keith’s fingers, and he hadn't even apologized yet. Had barely even spoken to Keith the whole afternoon. And now he felt entitled to Keith’s cock.

Even as mad as it made him, Keith was not about to stop. He moved so that all the anger was focused on stretching Lance open, knowing that he and his alpha needed Lance as much as Lance probably needed him.

Lance let out another whine, and Keith used that as confirmation that he was ready. He pulled his fingers out, ignoring the sound of displeasure that Lance let out. Before Lance could complain, Keith gribbed Lance’s hips to line his cock up to Lance’s rim before dropping Lance so that he pushed inside.

Lance let out a choked moan as Keith guided him down on his cock, the position making him completely full. He titled his head back in pleasure, a few quiet whimpers making their way past his lips. Normally, Lance was loud in bed, but it seemed as if Keith had for once rendered him silent.

“This is what you wanted,” Keith found himself saying as he raised Lance up again before dragging him back down, splitting him open. Lance just whimpered again in response as Keith continued to fuck into him roughly.

“Acting like such a fucking brat,” Keith grunted, squeezing Lance’s hips tighter, “just so that I would put you in your place.” Lance whined at his words, squirming in Keith’s lap as the alpha had his way with him. “N-no,” Lance managed, struggling to find purchase against Keith and steady himself and his words. “No?” Keith said, tone condescending. “That’s not what it looks like to me. Casting me out. Not speaking to me when I returned. That sounds - ah, fuck - that sounds like a brat to me.”

Keith felt Lance shake his head against his collarbone, using Keith’s neck to muffle his cries of pleasure. “No, no, I-” Lance said, cutting off as Keith thrusted up against his prostate. Keith groaned at the feeling of Lance around him, almost missing it when Lance continued his sentence. “I’m good. I want to be good, alpha.”

Keith couldn’t help but let his grip soften after hearing the words. Even though he was still upset, when Lance was saying such pretty words to him, how could Keith ignore him. 

“I know, baby,” Keith said, moving a soothing hand down Lance’s back as he grinded against him. “You’re being so good for me now.” He felt Lance nod again and press light kisses across Keith’s skin, moving so that he could match Keith’s thrusts. Keith began to move faster, knowing that they both were beginning to reach all they could take. They were both tired, and Keith could feel his resolve begin to crumble.

Lance moved so that he could press his hands against Keith’s shoulders, the new position giving him the ability to rise up and down on Keith’s cock. With him taking control of the pace, Keith was able to begin to stroke along the omega’s cock, twisting his hand around the head. Lance let out a gasp due to the simulation, fucking himself of Keith’s cock faster.

With a shake, Lance suddenly came across his and Keith’s chests, collapsing onto Keith’s chest as the knight rubbed him through his high. Keith’s hand felt sticky from Lance’s slick and come, but Keith didn’t particularly care. All he cared about was bringing Lance down softly, making sure that he was able to draw out the remainders of his moans.

As Lance recovered, Keith pulled out of Lance gently. He heard the omega give a whine of refusal, but Keith shushed him. He began to stroke his cock, trying to reach his own release, when he felt Lance’s hands wrap about his. Keith understood the silent question, and removed his hand so that Lance could finish the job. After just a few pulls, Keith was spilling into Lance’s hand, gasping out a choked, “Blue,” against the prince’s hair. 

There was a slight pain due to the inability to knot, especially considering Keith had just been sheathed in Lance’s tight heat a few moments ago. But Keith knew that it would be better if he didn’t knot Lance right now, both due to how late it was and their unresolved fight.

Despite not knotting, Keith sighed in relief and pleasure as he rode out his high. As soon as Keith regained his clarity from his orgasm, he moved blindly to find Lance’s lips. Lance responded greedily, both of them drunk on each other. They kissed for a few moments, this time being slow compared to the fast paced, heat driven kisses from before. Eventually, they pulled away, and Keith rested his forehead against Lance’s.

“I missed you,” he heard Lance say, rubbing their heads together. Keith just nodded, although the movement was stilted from their position. “Me too,” he whispered, finding his throat contracting as if he were going to cry. He wasn’t going to, but he felt completely undone by the man in front of him. Lance seemed to be in a similar state as he pressed closer to Keith, letting his come-coverd hands wrap around Keith’s shoulders. Keith internally grimaced, but he didn’t make a motion to remove the prince’s hands.

After a few more minutes of the two men just basking in each other’s presence, they eventually moved to lay down. Keith knew that really they should properly clean themselves up, but Keith did not have the energy. Instead, he used the corner of his blanket to clean the fluids from their hands and chests, using the logic that he really didn’t sleep here that often anyways. Lance cuddled up next to him, tanggaling their legs together.

“We still have to talk about what happened last week,” Lance said quietly after Keith turned off the lamp. Keith just nodded, knowing that the next morning would probably entail a long discussion. “I know,” he said, but he brought Lance in closer to his chest, not giving him the chance to move away. After a few moments of silence, Keith whispered, “But…I love you.” He said it almost hesitantly, as if Lance could reject him. But Lance just pressed his cheek closer on Keith’s chest. “I love you too,” he said sweetly. Keith smiled, but then, “Even when you act like an asshole.”

Keith just rolled his eyes and huffed. “Brat,” he muttered, which earned him a pinch on his side. He yelped and squirmed away before leaning back into Lance’s side, even as the prince repeated his “asshole” comment. Part of Keith wanted to keep going, feeling comfortable in their familiar banter, but a larger part of him was tugging at him to go to sleep, and that side won.

“Whatever,” he whispered, shutting down the conversation. “Goodnight, Blue,” Keith continued, wanting to keep the current sweet atmosphere in the room. His body relaxed as he heard Lance return the sentiments, and he finally began to drift into a careful sleep, his omega in his arms.

Chapter Text

Lance and Keith had made up the next morning, having a long and thoughtful talk about how they each saw the future of their relationship.

Lance had been worried that Keith really did not want to mate him as he had said, but Keith was quick to refute that fear. He explained how he shouldn’t have said what he did, but that he was just scared about what being fully committed to Lance would mean. He told Lance about how nervous having to go through all those official processes made him, and how he was worried that Lance’s parents could refuse to allow him to court the omega.

Lance had insisted that his parents wouldn’t act like that, but he admitted that he was also a little nervous about all the official proceedings. But even with that, he talked about his desire to tell everyone that Keith was finally his, and he didn’t like keeping such a big secret from his parents. Keith had understood, and told him that he would begin trying to feel more comfortable with the idea of them knowing because he did want a future with Lance. Lance had seemed happy with that answer, especially after Keith promised that he wouldn’t make him wait longer than a few more months to tell the king and queen.

In the end, both of them had apologized for how they acted before and after Keith’s rut, and promised that they would try to talk to each other about these thoughts and feelings. Keith felt good about how the conversation went, happy that they seemed to finally be fully on the same page. The only thing that tugged at him was the one stern request Lance had made.

He had asked Keith to go to therapy.

It sounded so studpid that it was as big of a deal as it was, but Keith still felt as if him going to therapy was just part of Shiro, and now Lance’s, agenda, especially after Lance confided that Shiro did talk to Lance about it when Keith was in rut. Keith had gotten angry at first, pulled away from Lance before the prince hit him with a hard stare, insisting that Keith needed to listen to him. He then went on to explain how as honored he was that Keith opened up about the horrors that he saw during the war, he felt that it might be best if Keith were to talk to someone professional about it. Keith had rebuffed this, insisting that at this point he had not even been in battle in almost two years, but Lance insisted.

“It doesn’t hurt to talk to someone about it. And while I’ll always be here for you, I think it could be really good for you, Keith.”

Keith countered this, insisting that if Keith needed therapy, then so did Lance, citing all that Lance had gone through. He had expected Lance to bristle at the mirror of their circumstances and back down, but to his surprise Lance nodded his head and agreed. He had told Keith that if he agreed to see a therapist, then Lance would too. And well, when Lance, who chronically tried to tell everyone that he was fine even when he wasn’t, was agreeing to seek professional help, then who was Keith to reject the idea.

Still, even as he agreed, he did so begrudgingly. He insisted that he did not want to speak to the same one that Lance was planning to use, or Shiro’s, and so he managed to hold off on it for almost a week after the decision. However, Lance eventually presented him with an Altean that often worked with knights, and had signed Keith up after the alpha had given his sour approval. 

So that brought Keith to where he was now, sitting inside the stuffy office of Dr. Penman, a psychologist that specialized in PTSD for knights and soldiers.

Keith guessed that the Altean was in his fifties, his dark blue hair speckled with gray. He was an omega, and sat high on his chair, giving Keith an open and kind look from behind his golden rimmed glasses, the color contrasting with his dark skin. Keith in turn sat very tense on the chair across from him, trying to refrain from bolting. The doctor must have noticed Keith’s body language (because of course) and offered him a smile.

“Please, Sir Kogane,” he said in a smooth, accent-filled voice, “relax. This only works if you are open to it.” Keith wanted to tell him that it wasn’t going to work, period, but he knew that he had to try. For Lance and Shiro. So he moved to lean on the soft back cushion of the chair, moving his hands from his knees onto the arm rests. Dr. Penman raised an eyebrow, as if he could tell that Keith was only doing it to try and convince him that he was ready, but gave him an approving nod. 

“Are you ready now, Sir,” he asked, shifting in his seat to face Keith fully. Keith just shrugged. “Yeah, I guess,” he muttered, pursing his lips together, “And please, just call me Keith.” Dr. Penman nodded again. “Alright, Keith,” he said, slowly dragging out his words, “I want to start about by just getting to know you. Tell me a bit about yourself and why you are here.”

Keith couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “You know why I’m here,” he deadpanned, not wanting to have to engage in any meaningless conversation. Dr. Penman’s smile didn’t leave his face, ignoring Keith’s disrespect and pressed on. “Yes, Prince Lance did tell me some things about why he felt it was best that you came here. But my question was not why he wanted you to come, but why you decided to.”

Keith wanted to argue with the man, but knew that it would get him nowhere. So instead he just sighed and rolled his shoulders back.

“Okay, well um, I guess I’m here because La- Prince Lance asked me to come,” Keith said, recovering his slip of not using Lance’s title. Dr. Penman gave him a curious look. “Did he ask or command you?” he asked, titling his head. Keith was quick to answer. “He asked.”

“And you agreed,” Dr. Penman responded, although it sounded more like a question than a statement. Keith just nodded, eyes darting around the room as if to say well, I’m here, aren't I. Dr. Penman almost chuckled at his reaction and expanded on what he was saying. “It is just very clear that you do not want to be here, so I am curious about why you would agree, even at his highness’ instance.”

Keith shrugged, even though he already knew the answer. “I would do anything for him,” he answered honestly, blushing slightly at the confession. But the doctor didn’t say anything about it, reiterated his earlier question for Keith to expand about himself.

Keith reluctantly told him bits about his past. Dr. Penman pushed him to speak about any family history, and so the alpha explained how his dad had died and his mom had left, telling the story of how he ended up in Southern Altean. He also spoke about how Shiro had taken him in, prompting Dr. Penman to bring up the main reason Keith was there.

“You were sent to battle with Captain Shirogane, correct?” He asked, even though he clearly already knew the answer. Keith nodded his head, spreading his legs on the chair to get more comfortable. “Yeah,” he answered, a bit stiffly, “he was my commander.”

“That must have been comforting,” Dr. Penman said as he adjusted his glasses, “to have him with you during such a daunting time.” Keith found himself nodding before the words caught up to him, and opened his mouth to respond. “Yeah, it was. He’s like my brother, and even though the war was terrifying, it didn’t seem as impossible next to him.” Keith hadn’t meant to reveal so much within just a single sentence, but Dr. Penman seemed pleased that he had. He smiled before asking Keith his next question. “It must have been hard when he had to return home and you were forced to take command.”

A lump began to rise in Keith’s throat, the knight having no control over it as the memory was so blatantly asked about. He forced it down, not wanting to lose his composure so soon or suddenly. So instead he just gave a silent nod. Dr. Penman seemed to understand his hesitancy to speak, giving Keith a knowing and understanding look, but still prompted him further. “Can you tell me a little bit about what it was like?”

Keith really did not want to , but he knew that Lance would expect him to try. So after a few ticks of silence, he started talking. He really wasn’t sure what Dr. Penman was wanting him to say, so he just spoke about the specific battles he fought and then his work as part of the relief team afterwards. The alpha did not say anything but Dr. Penman seemed more than okay with what Keith was saying. The knight figured that the doctor was likely psychoanalyzing him, his every word and movement, so he did not try too hard to make a good impression with what he was saying.

Dr. Penman asked him a few more promoting questions, but the rest of the session was spent with Keith just explaining different aspects of his life. They were surface level, although Keith knew that Dr. Penman would force Keith to dive deeper into them the next time he came. Keith hated it, but he kept remembering his promise to Lance. He also knew, although admittedly begrudgingly, that these sessions could help him come to terms with the idea of telling Lance’s parents about their relationship. And Keith wanted that. Wanted to make Lance happy.

Finally, after Keith had droned on about the duties of his current job (minus the romance with Lance, of course) Dr. Penman smiled and slapped his hands on his lap. “I think this is an excellent start, Keith,” he said while smiling brightly. Keith just nodded his head in return, not quite sure where all the enthusiasm was coming from but deciding not to question it. Keith stood up from his chair as he saw Dr. Penman begin to stand from his own, the omega reaching over to shake Keith’s hand. “I look forward to seeing you next week.”

Keith just nodded in response, gripping the man’s hand tightly before letting go. He supposed that the session was not too bad, but he still did not like the idea of having to come back. He tried to school his expression, not wanting to give anything else away to the doctor, but he was afraid that Dr. Penman already knew too much already.

Keith quickly made his way out of the office, responding to one last goodbye from Dr. Penman before he made his way back to the castle. Dr. Penman’s office was only a few doboshs away from the palace, so he made it back relatively quickly. Lance had coordinated for their appointments to coincide with each other, allowing them both the ability to be separated without needing to get another guard to watch Lance. Lance was seeing a therapist that worked specifically with people at the castle, allowing the prince the ability to stay within the safety of the palace. Lance had been bothered by that fact, he was still looking for any opportunity to leave the castle walls, but in the end his mother had insisted that if he wanted to have an appointment, something that she personally thought was a great idea, then he needed to do it where he could be safe.

So as soon as Keith was cleared to enter the palace again, he went straight to the lower south wing where he knew Lance would be waiting. Sure enough, the prince was standing up against a wall, three hallway guards around him as he waited for Keith. As soon as he saw the alpha, a smile erupted on Lance’s face.

“How did it go?” he asked, pushing himself off the wall to meet Keith. Keith shrugged. “I don’t know.” Lance’s eyes narrowed as he fixed him a hard stare and Keith was forced to reevaluate his statement. “Okay, it was fine. I just kind of talked about my past and stuff, but he didn’t really do anything other than listen.” Lance nodded thoughtfully as they began to make their way down the corridor, intending to go to the kitchen to hang out with Hunk for a bit as he helped prepare tonight's dinner. “Mine was pretty similar,” he agreed before he moved to flex his muscles. “I answered everything like a pro. I think I am going to crush this therapy thing.”

Keith couldn’t help but laugh at Lance’s antics, shaking his head as Lance nudged him. “Oh, I’m sure you will,” Keith said, ignoring the way Lance elbowed his side again at his sarcasm. Lance insisted that he would and talked a little about what his therapist, Dr. Yoork, had asked him. He said how she mainly just asked Lance to talk about himself, similar to what Dr. Penman had asked of Keith. The knight figured that it was some standard psychiatrist rule, and just nodded along to Lance as he explained.

Lance spoke the whole way down to the kitchen, Keith offering a few comments of agreement or understanding here and there. When they reached the doors to the kitchen, their purpose of talking with Hunk being just on the other side, Keith stopped Lance before he could open them.

“Wait, Lance,” Keith said with a grab of the prince’s wrist. Lance turned back to him, confused but waiting to hear what Keith had stopped him to say. Keith almost grew bashful with how intense Lance’s gaze was. “I just- want to thank you.”

“For what?” Lance asked. Keith had half expected him to make a quick witted joke about all the things Keith should be thanking him for, but his usual cockyness was nowhere to be found. Keith moved his hand so that it was holding Lance’s, and reached up to grab the omega’s other, their now interlocked hands swinging between them.

“For agreeing to go to therapy. I know that it was not necessarily a fair thing for me to ask of you, not as a caveat for me to go as well and I just-”

“Keith,” Lance interrupted, “you don’t have to thank me. I think that this could be so good for you, and if you need me to go on this journey with you, then I am happy to do it.” Lance squeezed his hands and sighed. “And besides, I think it was high time that I spoke to someone too. You were right when you said that I tend to avoid my problems. I had been so focused on trying to forget about the past that I never thought about trying to embrace it.”

“Well, I’m still proud of you, Blue,” Keith said. Lance looked up at him with such adoration that Keith once again questioned how such a beautiful man could have fallen in love with him.

“I’m proud of both of us.”

It was said so simply and earnestly that Keith couldn’t help but reach down and press a soft kiss to the top of Lance’s head, a silent agreement and a way for Keith to show Lance all the emotions he was feeling. 

“Me too, sweetheart.”

They stayed like that for a few moments, their hands clasped together as Keith breathed in Lance’s scent. Eventually though they pulled away, knowing that they could not stay there forever, know matter how much they wanted to. Keith pulled away from Lance’s head, but before he could step away too far Lance reached up to press a soft peck to his mouth.

Keith responded easily, and pulled away with a soft smile on his face. Lance just returned the smile before unconnecting their hands and moving to reach for the kitchen doors. He threw them open with pizzazz, a clear contrast from the gentleness of the moment just seconds before. Keith just watched him as he sauntered into the room, following him as he moved straight to where Hunk was standing.

“Hunk, your best friend has arrived!”

⋆★⋆

Despite the blissful routine Keith and Lance found themselves in again, not everything was going well outside of their bubble.

The war was getting worse.

Zarkon had managed to conquer a great number of planets and galaxies, and the Altean resources could only go so far. From what Shiro had told Keith, King Miguel and Queen Nancy were trying to align themselves with as many planets as possible before the Galran forces attacked, but it was difficult when there were Galran fleets everywhere. The prisoners they had captured during the castle attack had finally seemed to give all the information they could, and so Altea didn’t have any other option now then to attack.

Southern Altean was working as hard as they could, making new weapons and sending troops out. Keith’s heart went out to all the younger knights that would be making their way onto the front lines. 

Keith ended up talking to Dr. Penman about it. It wasn’t intentional, but the war was the most prevalent thing in their lives, and Dr. Penman instantly wanted to ask Keith how he felt about it. While it had irritated Keith at first, not wanting to always have to speak about his time on the front lines, we couldn’t deny that it did help him work through his thoughts and feelings about it. The feelings about how he wanted to go and fight, despite his trauma from the last war. How even with that desperate desire to make a difference, he knew that he couldn’t do it if it meant that he would have to leave Lance. 

A secret part of Keith wished that he would get drafted. As Lance’s personal knight, Keith couldn’t be pulled into the throes of war. It was a blessing and a curse. Of course, Keith did not want to get drafted in actuality, but he knew that we would feel less guilty going to help if he had no choice. If he wasn’t leaving Lance of his own volition.

Keith had made a point not to mention his and Lance’s relationship, but he was sure that Dr. Penman suspected. While the doctor did not comment on it directly, he moved around the subject on the outskirts of other things they talked about. And so when Keith talked so earnestly about not wanting to leave the prince, the doctor didn’t hesitate to bring up how much Keith seemed to rely on Lance as an anchor.

Dr. Penman said that Keith should try to find something else to ground him. Perhaps himself. But Keith couldn’t see a problem with it. As much as he and Lance would fight, as much as they would miscommunicate, Keith loved him. Lance was what kept him from completely drowning in the darkness, and Keith was going to hold on as tight as he could.

So for even as much as Keith urged to find a way to fight, he couldn’t. And whether Keith joined them or not, the troops fighting the Galra were failing. There was nothing he could do about that.

Although, as always, it seemed that the universe was determined to prove Keith wrong.

⋆★⋆

When Lance was in the shower, the prince took forever to do his beauty routine. Normally, Keith would be frustrated with how long he was taking, but he became grateful for it when Shiro came to see him one morning. 

Keith had been surprised to see Shiro on the other side of the knock the alpha had given to the door, but after a quick shout to Lance, Keith stepped outside to speak to his brother. It wasn’t strange for Shiro to seek Keith out, but rarely had he come to Lance’s chambers. Normally Shiro grabbed him when they passed each other in the halls, not actively seeking Keith out. So Keith was instantly curious and worried when he saw Shiro’s serious expression.

“What’s going on?” Keith asked urgently, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Shiro shook his head, signaling for Keith to calm down. “Don’t worry, nothing’s happened. Well, nothing yet.”

“What do you mean nothing yet?”

Shiro took a deep breath before he told Keith, not wanting to play away from the reason for the visit.

“There is a group of rebel Galra that are circulating the galaxy. Their base is nearby, and King Miguel and Queen Nancy want to speak to them in order to form an alliance, but they seem wary of joining forces. The king would like me to travel to their base to meet with them and try to convey them.”

Rebel Galra? While obviously not all Galra were on Zarkon’s side, Keith and Shiro both being direct examples of that, for there to be a whole resistance was surprising. Keith wondered how long they have existed for, for them to be significant enough for the king and queen to align themselves with them. How long has Zarkon been planning this?

“I want you to come with me.”

Shiro’s words pulled Keith out of his thoughts, his eyes snapping up to the older man’s. 

“What?”

Shiro sighed as his word, although he did not seem surprised.

“I want you to come with me,” Shiro repeated, his eyes boring into Keith’s. “They only allow Galra into their group, and Miguel thinks that having his Galran captain speak with them will incentivise them to make the alliance. I want to bring you because it’s one more Altean-aligned Galra to show them. Also,” he continued, “I think that it could be good for you to meet them.”

Keith opened his mouth to protest, even though he did not know exactly what he was protesting, but Shiro spoke before he could.

“I know how much you want to be out there helping. Even with how much you like your life here, you are a fighter, Keith. Always have been and always will be.”

Keith couldn’t deny that, so he just nodded, grimacing as he saw Shiro give a small smile.

“So just come and meet them with me. We plan to go tomorrow morning and hopefully have an alliance formed by the evening.”

Keith’s mouth opened again to speak but Shiro once again beat him.

“I already talked to Raluit,” Shiro said slowly, referencing one of the better guards under his watch, “and he agreed to guard Lance tomorrow. You’ll be back before nightfall, I promise.”

Keith thought for a moment, but he knew that he was going to agree. Shiro was right when he said that Keith needed to fight, and if this was the only way Keith could help the war, then he was going to do it.

“Okay,” the knight finally said, nodding his head. “Yeah, I’ll come with you.”

Shiro smiled before nodding his head in return, moving to give a slap to Keith’s shoulder. 

They spoke for a few more minutes about things other than the uprising. Things like how the adoption process was going and whether Keith was liking therapy (something that Shiro was entirely too smug about).

Eventually, they moved away from each other. Keith knew that Lance was likely wrapping up his shower, and Shiro had other duties to attend to. After a quick hug between them, Shiro began to walk towards the throne room, likely to update the king and queen on Keith’s attendance for tomorrow.

Before he was too far down the hall, Keith called out. “Shiro!”

Shiro turned around, his eyebrows arched as he looked at Keith.

“What’s the name of this group? The Galra one?”

Shiro thought for a moment before he spoke, his voice carrying through the hall.

“They call themselves the Blade of Marmora.”

⋆★⋆

Lance had been jealous when Keith told him what he was going to be doing, despite the fact that Keith insisted that it was going to be boring.

“It’s just a meeting, Lance.”

Lance had still huffed and crossed his arms as he flopped onto his bed. “A meeting about the war,” he said dramatically. “While I’m still stuck inside this stuffy castle all day.”

Keith had rolled his eyes, having gotten tired of the argument after having it the whole  day. 

“I promise to tell you everything,” Keith said as he swung around the post of Lance’s bed, leaning against it. Lance looked up at him, clearly still wanting to be mad, but Keith could see the smile rising up on his face.

“Fine,” the omega said eventually, unlatching his arms to plant his hands against the bed, leaning back against his palms. He looked up at Keith, his gaze clearly trying to entice Keith. And Keith was a weak, weak man for this omega, so he didn’t hesitate before falling into him.

After their…activities, Keith had finally prepared himself for the meeting. He pulled out his official knight uniform and readied his sword, just in case. He had felt more than prepared for the meeting, knowing that Shiro would likely do all the talking.

It wasn’t until Keith was actually on board the Blade’s base that he became at unease.

Keith looked around at the black and purple uniforms that cladded all the Marmora members, their faceless masks staring back at him. He watched carefully at their glowing Blade from where he was following behind Shiro, the older alpha walking with confidence.

Keith couldn’t explain it, but it was like he felt a pulse in his skin. It felt as if his alpha was trying to escape. Keith could feel it crawling at him, trying to reach for something, but Keith had no clue what. The knight knew that it must be something about the energy of the base, but there was no reason why his alpha should be acting the way it was.

His curiosity at what was making his alpha go crazy was halted as he and Shiro finally reached the meeting room. A Blade member opened up the doors for them, leading them into a room that had too many members for Keith to count. They lined the walls, leading up to a raised block at the front of the room. In the center was a large man, who was clearly in charge. Even though Keith couldn’t see his expression due to his mask, he night was sure he could image the straight face that hid underneath it. Behind him was a wall full of daggers, all clearly hung with care. Keith wondered who they were for, recognizing that they had the same design as the swords that each of the members had attached to their hips.

Keith tore his eyes away from the knives to look back at the large man, no doubt an alpha. Shiro, Keith, and the man stared at each other for a moment before Shiro spoke first.

“Thank you for allowing us here. I am Shiro, and this is Keith. We are members of the Southern Altean royal guard.”

“I know who you are,” the leader responded, removing his mask. Keith was surprised he had taken it off so easily, and he took in the man. There were red markings at the top of his head and his eyes were completely yellow, like most Galra. The thing that Keith took note of the most, however, was the large scar that crossed over his right eye.

“My name is Kolivan. I am the leader of the Blade of Marmora,” the man -Kolivan- said, body still unmoving.

Shiro and Keith gave each other a glance before turning back to Kolivan, each of them straightening their shoulders. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Shiro said, ever the diplomat, nodding his head in acknowledgement. “I hope that we can come to an agreement today.”

Kolivan hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, I believe that we will,” he said, but continued before Shiro could even smile, “so long as that agreement is to leave us be.”

He said the words with incredible force, but he was no less diplomatic. Keith found his calmness unnerving, and he couldn’t stop the scowl that crossed his own face.

“Please,” Shiro said, taking a step forward but stopped as soon as he saw some of the other Mamora members move. “We both want to achieve the same thing: peace. King Miguel and Queen-”

“I know what your royals want,” Kolivan interrupted again, somehow seeming to stand up stronger. “They wish to make an alliance with us, but we are not interested. We strive as a secret group, infiltrating the Galran empire as best we can. If we were to have such a public alliance, it would ruin our mission and integrity.”

“We were sent here by one of your own,” Shiro shouted back, referencing the Galran soldier that gave them the Blade’s information. Keith did not know much about the contact, but Shiro explained on the way there that some of the Altean troops had found him aboard one of Zarkon’s ships. The contact had given his life to allow the soldiers to escape, and gave them the information to find the Blade.

“Ulaz was a fool to diverge this location to you,” Kolivan said sternly, “that’s what got him killed.”

Shiro shook his head, and Keith could tell that he was getting angry.

“Ulaz gave his life to save members of our troops. To help stop the growing Galran empire. Our mission is the same as yours.”

“It is not,” Kolvian responded. “Why we may both want peace, we have different practices and objectives. I have heard about the civil war on Altea that had only just recently reached peace. You were not even aware of the growth of Zarkon’s influence. We here,” he said, gesturing to the people around the room, “watched it with our own eyes. We have been gathering for a long time, and while you may be Galra, you are not one of us. The Altean’s have tampered you by insisting the idea of remorse and hesitance. We need people who will go at any lengths, and that is not you, or your knights.We have no interest in aligning ourselves with a planet that could barely form peace for themselves.”

“At least we reached peace,” Keith found himself shouting before he could stop himself. Keith saw the slightest twitch of Kolvian’s jaw, indicating his surprise. Keith kept going before Kolivan or Shiro could stop him.

“You said that you have seen Zarkon rise, but you were unable to stop him. There is a full blown war going on now, and unless we all stand up against him, Zarkon won’t stop anytime soon. I am not doubting that you have your methods, but you would be a fool to reject the idea of an alliance.”

“Keith,” he heard Shiro say warningly, but he was too caught up in his anger to listen.

“You say that we are not Galra enough for you, and that our Altean influence makes us weak, but you are wrong. Yes, we were just engaged in a war, but that does not make us any less dedicated to stopping this one. We fought until we reached peace, and we will again. With or without your help.”

Keith took a breath before he stared directly into Kolivan’s eyes.

“If you want to fight this war alone, be my guest. But do not dismiss Altea or us,” he said, gesturing to Shiro, “based on your trivial, misguided opinions of us. If you want to let your pride stop you from ending the suffering of so many, that is your decision! But we won’t quit and will continue to fight until the last breath has left our bodies and the galaxies are free once again!”

Keith turned away and started to walk away, not even caring that he might have just fucked up the whole alliance. He expected to hear Shiro call out after him, even if it meant that Keith would have to hear his angry and disappointed tone, but he heard nothing but his own footsteps until a gasp rang through the room.

“Sir,” Keith heard someone say with wonder, although he knew that they weren’t talking to him. He heard a few shuffling noises before he heard Kolivan’s voice fill the room.

“Wait.”

It was too simple of a word, but yet it still made Keith halt in his place. He turned back around, expecting to meet a furious alpha, but instead his eyes instantly found the glow of one of the daggers behind Kolivan.

It was towards the top of the wall, likely one of the first ones placed on it, and Keith hadn't taken any note of it before. Now, the center of the knife was emitting a bright purple glow, and Keith felt himself move forward before he realized what he was doing. He could feel his alpha jumping inside his chest, clearly desperate to get to the blade.

Keith forced his eyes away from the knife as he saw Kolivan move towards it, reaching up to pluck it from its shelf. The knight watched with rapt attention as Kolivan moved closer to him, his eyes boring into Keith’s. It was clear that he was trying to intimidate Keith, but Keith didn’t let his gaze waver, his mouth stuck in a straight line.

“Why does this blade glow for you?” Kolivan asked intensely, gripping the handle of the knife tight.

Keith clenched his jaw before speaking. “I don’t know.”

“Do not lie to me,” Kolivan said angrily. “How do you know Krolia?”

“I don’t,” Keith spit back. He had no idea what was happening or who Krolia was. All he knew was that his alpha was crying out for the knife, and Keith had to resist every urge to not reach for it. 

Their faces were only inches apart, Kolivan bending down to stare directly at Keith. Keith just stared back, not even noticing the way Shiro had gotten closer, his hand reaching for his own sword just in case things got violent.

“You must,” Kolivan insisted. “Our blades are specially designed for us. Only those with Galra blood can activate them, and only trusted members can activate other’s blades. If Krolia’s blade is glowing for you, then you must know her.”

Keith shook his head slightly, his teeth grinding together. 

“I don’t know her,” he said again. “I don’t know why the blade is reacting to me.” Or why I’m reacting to it.

“Listen, if you are not going to agree to an alliance then-”

Keith cut himself off as Kolivan suddenly pulled back, growing back to his full height. Keith’s eyebrows furrowed, taking a step back in preparation for a blow.

Instead, Kolivan just held the knife out for Keith to take.

Keith raised his eyes up at the leader, not wanting to reach out in case it was a trap. Sensing his hesitation, Kolivan spoke again.

“We will give you one opportunity to prove yourself. If you face our trails and succeed in awaking the blade, then we should learn why you are connected to it. And we can…perhaps discuss an alliance between us and your royals.”

Keith thought for a moment and looked between Kolivan and the knife, before looking back up at Kolivan.

“And if I fail?”

“The fight is to the death. If you fail, then you will die.”

Shiro was quick to step in. “Keith, no, you can’t.” He grabbed Keith’s arm but Keith pulled himself out of the hold.

Keith thought for a moment. He has no connection to this knife, and has never seen it before in his life. But he couldn’t deny the pull he felt towards it. If he completed their trial, he would hopefully learn why he felt this way, and who Krolia was. And if his participation would get them the alliance, then it would be worth it, wouldn’t it?

His mind quickly flashed to Lance, and how worried and angry he would be at Keith taking this risk. But one look back at the glowing blade told him his answer, regardless of Shiro and likely Lance’s disapproval.

Before he could lose his confidence, Keith stuck his hand out, wrapping his fingers around the handle of the blade. It felt cool to the touch, but Keith couldn’t deny the wave of comfort he felt flood his body as soon as it was in his grasp.

He looked back up at Kolivan, seeing once again the slightest twitch in his expression.

“I accept.”

⋆★⋆

Keith crept into Lance’s room as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake the prince. Although Lance’s nightmares had subsided since he had been attending his therapy sessions, Keith still knew that it could be difficult for the omega to get a well-rested night. 

He quickly closed the door, wincing as it squeaked slightly. As soon as it was closed, Keith turned around, letting his vision adjust to the darkness.

Except suddenly the room was filled with light as Lance turned on his bedside table. By Lance’s expression, it was clear that Keith didn’t wake him up. He was too alert. Instead, it was more likely that Lance had never fallen asleep.

“You’re late,” Lance said, irritation in his voice. Keith just nodded his, his expression apologetic. “I know,” he said simply. The meeting was scheduled to end hours ago. 

“Why,” Lance asked, “what happened with the Blade?”

His question went unanswered as Keith moved to take off his uniform, throwing it into what should be his room to deal with the next morning. He was wound up and tired at the same time, and he couldn’t deal with it tonight. He grabbed his discarded sleep shirt from the night before and threw it over his head, letting it fall just above his boxers, before crawling into bed with Lance.

Lance seemed surprised at Keith’s immediate closeness, but he didn’t shy away. Keith moved so that he was laying in between Lance’s legs, letting his head rest right at Lance’s scent gland. He bracketed his arms on either side of Lance, and Lance wrapped his own arms around Keith’s shoulders accordingly.

Keith let himself inhale Lance’s scent, trying to ground himself. To try and calm himself after everything that happened over the past few hours.

They sat in silence for a few moments as they both got comfortable, before Lance finally spoke again.

“Keith, what happened?” 

It was said softer this time, Lance clearly realizing that Keith needed extra comfort tonight. Keith looked up at him, and Lance’s eyes flickered with concern. His hand moved to grace the side of Keith’s head, thumb bushing over the cut on his forehead.

“What is this? Who did this to you?”

His voice was dangerously low, as if he prepared to jump out of bed to go attack the person who hurt Keith. Keith’s heart couldn’t help but warm at the protectiveness Lance was displaying.

Keith sighed. “It’s nothing, Lance.” Lance didn’t look convinced, obviously, but Keith shut him down before he could even start.

“Just-” he started, looking up into Lance’s eyes, “just let me explain, okay.”

Lance looked like he wanted to disagree, but he eventually just breathed out and nodded, giving Keith the floor.

Keith paused for a moment, resting his head back down on Lance’s chest before he started to speak.

He recounted the first half of the meeting, anger still bubbling from how distant Kolivan was and how quickly he dismissed the idea of an alliance. Lance added his own upset comments, and Keith let the rumble of his chest ground him.

Lance had been just as angry as Keith thought he would be when Keith told him that he accepted Kolivan’s challenge.

“It was just a knife, Keith,” Lance inisted but Keith shook his head as much as he could, rubbing into Lance’s chest.

“No, you don’t get it, Blue. It felt like it was calling out to me. Like- like it needed me to use it. And I needed to find out why.” He purposely did not mention that the blade had belonged to someone else, not daring to speak Krolia’s name.

“That doesn’t even make any sense,” Lance counted and Keith sighed in irritation. “It doesn’t matter if it makes sense or not, I already completed the trails.”

That quieted Lance and he adjusted his arms from around Keith, moving so that he was holding him closer. The alpha could tell that the prince was still upset, but he didn’t comment on it again. Instead, he just asked Keith to continue. 

“What were the trails?”

“At first it was just a bunch of different rooms with Blade members. They attacked and fought me, trying to get the knife away from me. That’s where I got the scar from,” Keith said, referencing the now-healing cut. “But then it was like I was seeing a vision. Part of the trials was phycological, and the vision was trying to get me to give up. Relinquish the knife and give up the possibility of an alliance.”

“Who was the vision of?”

Keith was silent for a moment, not knowing exactly how to answer. It wasn’t until Lance asked him again, shaking him slightly, did he whisper, “you.”

He felt Lance freeze underneath him and Keith moved his head to look at Lance, careful not to poke his chin into Lance’s chest.

“Me?” Lance asked, clearly distraught at the idea that Keith would imagine him saying those things. Keith was quick to shake his head though, comforting Lance. “It wasn’t like that, baby. I promise. It was…whatever caused it knew that you are the closest person to me. The only person who could make me agree to stop. And hearing vision-you say them actually helped me keep going.”

“How so?” Lance asked quietly and Keith smiled. “Because I knew that you would never really say them. That fact snapped me out of whatever trace I was in. I was able to leave the simulation and find myself back to where Shiro and Kolivan were waiting. Shiro tried to interfere, insisting that I was being pushed too hard and that if Kolivan wouldn’t agree to an alliance, then we were leaving.”

“But I stopped him, insisting that the alliance was the most important thing. I tried to give back the blade, insisting that it didn’t matter why I felt so connected to it. So long as we left with the same mission to defeat Zarkon, that was all that mattered.”

“Whatever I said,” Keith continued, “it did something to connect me with the blade. Before I could understand what was happening, it was glowing and morphed into a full sword.”

It had amazed Keith when it happened. The rush he had felt as the knife grew, and the proudness he had seen in Shiro’s eyes. 

He told Lance as much, recounting the feeling with vivid clarity. Lance hummed along with him, saying that he was proud of Keith too, even if he did not exactly understand how he had awoken the blade. 

“So do you know why you were connected to it?”

Keith paused, trying to figure out what to say to Lance.

“No,” he choked out, clearly his throat trying again. “No, or not exactly. They said that I must be a descendant of whoever owned the blade,” technically true, “but they didn’t know who.” And well that was a lie. Keith didn’t know he was lying to Lance, especially about this, but Keith could barely wrap his own head around it. The answer seemed too…too much for Keith to speak out loud at this moment. He knew he would have to tell Lance eventually, but Keith figured that that could wait another night.

As could the Blade’s request for Keith to join them.

Keith pushed those memories and thoughts aside and instead just told Lance that they had secured the alliance, hoping that the omega wouldn’t be able to tell that Keith was hiding things from him.

Lance seemed relieved that the alliance had been secured, even if he didn’t like what Keith had to do to get there.

“I am proud of you, though,” Lance grumbled, admitting it almost reluctantly. Keith let out a soft laugh and snuggled closer to Lance, grinning. 

“Thank you, baby.”

Still, Keith couldn’t stop the guilt that was rising up in him. It wasn’t like he was keeping things from Lance just to be mean. He just…needed some time to process everything before he was ready to share.

He would tell the prince soon, Keith reasoned as he settled closer into Lance, letting sleep take over his tired body. Soon.

⋆★⋆

It turned out that before ‘soon’ could happen with Lance, someone else was determined to get everything out of Keith.

Dr. Penman.

Keith found himself, and not for the first time, cursing Dr. Penman’s ability to always know when Keith was holding back.

Keith had known that the doctor was going to want to talk about his meeting with the Blade of Marmora. While the alliance was kept as secret as it could so as to not compromise the Blade’s integrity, Keith knew that Dr. Penman would still somehow know about it.

Sure enough, it was one of the first questions the doctor had asked. Dr. Penman had not known that the meeting was with the Blade specifically, but he heard that Keith and Shiro were sent to create an alliance with some troops. And while Keith wanted to be as vague as possible, he honestly did not have the energy to lie to Dr. Penman. Even though he wasn’t therapy’s number one fan, he couldn’t deny that it had been helping him work through some of his past trauma. Even if he admitted it begrudgingly.

“So you said that you didn’t know why you felt so compelled to the dagger,” Dr. Penman said after Keith had given him a shortened version of the story he had told Lance. “But after Kolivan told you awoke the blade, did anything become clear to you?”

Keith just shrugged, although the answer popped directly into his mind. 

“No,” he said with a definite shake of his head, “nothing.”

It was clear that the doctor didn’t believe him and gave Keith his signature “tell the truth” look. Keith sighed and looked away for a moment. 

“I-I guess I found something out,” Keith mumbled before looking back over at the psychologist, “but I don’t know how I feel about it.”

“That’s okay,” Dr. Penman immediately said, moving his foot to a rhythm that only he could hear. “That is why you are here, to sort through all the emotions you’re feeling.”

Keith nodded his head but he still hesitated. “I just- I just haven't even told Lance yet.”

The sentence was revealing, and anyone else would ask why it was so significant that Keith had not told the man he was in charge of protecting. But Dr. Penman just nodded and urged Keith to speak. “That’s okay too. Perhaps telling me will give you the courage to tell his highness.”

Keith did not necessarily believe that to be true, but he figured that he should at least tell someone about what he learned.

“My blade- the blade,” he corrected as he leaned back against his chair, “belonged to someone named Krolia. She is a Blade member that was sent on a mission to the outskirts of Daibazaal before the group became a rebellion. Apparently she was missing for a few years before she showed back up, no explanation about where she had been. Since then she’s been serving as an undercover spy for the Blade’s in Zarkon’s empire. Kolivan said she left the knife behind because if she were to be found with it, Zarkon would kill her.”

“And so why could you activate it? What connection do you have to her?”

Keith closed his eyes for a moment, once again trying to grapple with reality. After a few ticks, he reponed them, and whispered the answer out quietly.

“Krolia is my mother.”

Keith sucked in a breath before he elaborated further. “Actually, I’m not even one-hundred percent sure. Kolivan said that because the blade belonged to her, the fact that I could also awaken it meant that I have to share her blood. She has no other family, so he just assumed that she was my mother because of the timing. The village where she went on her original mission was the same one I grew up in with my dad. So, the only real answer is that she is my mom.”

Dr. Penman did not seem shocked by this news, not like Keith and Shiro had been. Instead, the doctor just nodded in acknowledgement and asked another question after it was clear that Keith was not going to continue. “And you are not happy with this news?”

“No,” Keith said immediately before pausing. “Yes,” he then said, dropping his shoulders in defeat. “I don’t know. I mostly just feel angry.”

“Why?”

“Because she left. Because she never- she never came back. I’ve spent my whole life wondering about who she was, and letting her absence affect me and my relationships, when she was in the empire the whole time!”

Keith was shouting now, the anger bubbling in his blood, but Dr. Penman remained impassive. He adjusted his glasses, moving them to sit higher on his face after they slid down the bridge of his nose.

“What does this mean for you?”

That question took Keith off guard, the alpha needing a few moments to think. The question wasn’t another one about how it made him feel, but rather how did it change him. How did it affect him? And honestly, Keith didn’t really know.

“I guess,” he said eventually, sighing into the words, “I guess I don’t really know. I mean, I’ve always wondered who my mother was. My father didn’t talk about her much. But now that I know,” the alpha shrugged, bunching his shoulders again, “I don’t know what I should do with this. I can’t necessarily reach out to her at risk of blowing her cover, but if I-”

Keith cut himself off, stopping the words from leaving his mouth. But because he had already started the thought, Dr. Penman pressed on. 

“If you?” he asked, looking at the knight intensely.

“If I-” Keith cut himself off before he said the words in a quick, hurried stream. “If I join them.”

Dr. Penman didn’t say anything, just continued to look at Keith, waiting for him to explain.

“Because I passed the trials, Kolivan told me that I would be welcomed to join the Blade of Marmora if I wished. I said no, obviously, but he told me that the offer would always be open. That if I do, I may have the opportunity to meet Krolia.”

“Why did you say no?”

The question was said with complete seriousness, and Keith had to refrain from yelling at the doctor.

“Because my place is here,” the knight snapped, “I cannot very well leave my duties here.” The ‘I don’t want to leave Lance’ went unsaid, but Keith knew that Dr. Penman was able to read what he was thinking by the loud sigh the Altean gave.

“Keith,” Dr. Penman said as he crossed his legs together, “I have told you before that I believe you hold your value too close to Prince Lance.” Keith opened his mouth to disagree but Dr. Penman didn’t let him. “And whether or not you accept my opinion is up to you. But, I have to say that I think joining the Blade would be in your best interest. You have spoken much about how eager you are to help fight in this war, and joining them will give you the opportunity to. You cannot limit your capabilities or wants because of the duty you feel you have towards the prince.”

Keith set his jaw, knowing that he couldn’t tell the doctor that it was more than just duty. Dr. Penman knew how much Lance meant to him, even if he thought it to be too codependent. Keith could not leave Lance. No matter how much he wanted to find out more about his mother, how much he wanted to help the war, Keith would not separate himself from his omega.

No matter how much he wanted to take Kolivan’s offer.

⋆★⋆

Keith mulled over his latest session with Dr. Penman for days after. As angry as he was at the doctor for suggesting to leave Altea in the moment, the longing began to creep in. The longing to join the Blade; to help save innocent people from Zarkon’s reach. And while finding his mother was not a driving force, it still tugged in the back of his mind.

Keith knew that he could find a way to take Lance with him, he would join in a heartbeat. But wishing that was pointless. Even if the knight somehow convinced Lance’s parents to allow him to leave, Lance had no Galran blood. He was not able to join the Blade, and would not be able to follow Keith into battle.

The guilt of keeping secrets from Lance was beginning to eat at Keith. He constantly found himself wanting to tell the prince about his mother and the Blade’s offer, but it never seemed like the right time. Either Lance was too distracted, they were with other people, or Keith found himself not wanting to think about anything but the moment.

Like now, where Lance was flushed against his vanity desk, looking so beautiful, that the thought of even trying to talk to Lance when he could be kissing him seemed unfathomable.

Keith thought that maybe, as he began to prep Lance with his fingers, that he could be using sex as an excuse not to talk to Lance. It wasn’t that he was purposely doing it, but times like now, it seemed easier to bend Lance over than try and tell him the secret he was harboring. And it wasn't like either of them wasn’t enjoying it. No, on the contrary, Keith was enjoying it very much. In these moments, Keith could forget all about his mother and the war, and just focus on his beautiful omega.

“Keith, hurry up,” Lance whimpered out, pushing back on Keith’s fingers. The alpha was holding down on Lance’s back, making it so that the prince could do nothing but uselessly try and find friction against the wood of his desk. Keith knew that Lance was going to complain about the setting later, no doubt going to whine about the come-markings on his ornate vanity. But now, there were no whispers of complaints as Lance locked eyes with Keith through his mirror. His cheeks were flushed red, the blue of his markings contrasting nicely as he grabbed the edges of his mirror, being careful not to knock over any of the objects over on the desk.

“Just a few more ticks, baby,” Keith grunted out, pushing a third finger into Lance’s hole. As promised, a few seconds later Keith ripped his fingers out, ignoring the pleads coming out of Lance’s mouth as he undid his pants, letting his hard cock escape the confines of his boxers. He quickly used the mess of Lance’s slick and the lube surrounding his hole to make the glide of his cock entering Lance easier.

Keith saw Lance’s eyes roll back into his head as Keith pressed into him, the mirror allowing Keith to see all of the prince’s expressions. Lance’s mouth dropped once Keith was perfectly flushed against him, a moan being ripped out of him. As Keith began to set the pace, he saw Lance’s eyes flutter shut and he quickly reached up to grab Lance’s hair, making the prince open his eyes again.

“Keep your eyes open, sweetheart,” Keith said through grunted breaths. “I want you to look at yourself as you fall apart on my cock, okay. Do you think you can do that?”

His tone was condescending, and in other situations, Lance would snarl back at Keith. But now, Lance just moaned again at the words, nodding his head rapidly to try and comply with Keith's wishes.

Keith let go of his hair and watched through hooded eyes as Lance forced himself to look at the mirror. The alpha could tell that he was struggling to keep his eyes from falling shut, his fingers turning pale against the side of the mirror as he held onto it.

“Look at how well you’re taking my cock, baby,” Keith said, unable to keep quiet. If he wouldn’t talk about the Blade, then he would at least talk about how gorgeous Lance was. “Do you understand why I love to look at you so much? Do you see how pretty you look when- ah, fuck -when your face twists in pleasure like that? Pleasure that I,” he said, emphasizing the ‘I’ with a particularly hard thrust, “bring you.”

Lance just nodded his head, continuing to look up at Keith in the mirror. “Shit, Keith,” Lance whined out, still trying his best to push back on Keith’s cock. The alpha continued his movements, aiming for Lance’s prostate and watching as the omega let out more delicious moans.

“So handsome,” Keith murmured in between his own moans. “Always so pretty and handsome,” he said again, the compliments slipping from his lips before he could think.

Keith felt himself growing close to his release, and so he reluctantly began to slow his movements and pull out of Lance. Lance whined loudly at the loss, but Keith knew that knotting in this position would be more unpleasant than not. 

Keith gripped his slick cock and began to jerk himself off, meeting Lance’s eyes in the mirror. He could see the hunger in them, and Keith just smirked as he sped up his movements.

“Just keep watching me,” Keith whispered, watching as Lance tried to find his own friction against the hardwood.

It only took another minute before Keith cried out, his come spilling onto Lance’s ass. He tried his best not to get any on Lance’s shirt, but he was so lost himself he was unsure if he succeeded. He heard Lance moan as he felt Keith’s release hit his skin, and Keith tipped his head back in pleasure as he came down from his high.

As Keith regained clarity, he reached down to grab Lance’s own cock, not wanting to keep the prince waiting for any longer. Keith grabbed at his waist, easing his dick from where it was pressed against the vanity to help Lance through his orgasm. The prince shook with his pleasure, and Keith heard himself moan as he felt the come hit his hand. Keith raised his head to look into the mirror, taking note of Lance’s blissed out expression, before looking back down at his own come that covered Lance’s ass, now beginning to drip down onto his legs.

As soon as they both had calmed down, Keith finally moved away to grab a cloth to clean them up. He did his own hand first, moving to pull up his pants as soon as it was clean, before coming back over to Lance. He quickly wiped up the mess that was on Lance before bending down to put Lance's own pants on again. As soon as the black fabric was repositioned on Lance’s skin, Lance stood up and turned around. Keith was quick to place his hands on the prince’s waist as Lance leaned into him, standing on his toes for a kiss.

Keith easily gave in, bending down to allow their lips to connect. The kiss was surprisingly sweet, the heat from their activities not finding its way into the kiss. But Keith was not complaining, and smiled into Lance’s lips.

It wasn’t until a few minutes later, after they both ‘unruffled their appearance,’ as Lance called it, that the guilt crept back into Keith.

He watched as Lance fixed the fringe of his hair, and Keith felt his stomach clench. He knew that he had to tell Lance about his mom. More so, he should tell Lance about the offer from the Blade. He was just nervous about Lance’s reaction, especially now that Keith had kept it from him.

He was even more nervous that Lance would be able to tell that Keith wanted to go.

“Are you okay,” Lance asked, drawing Keith out of his remorseful thoughts.

No , he thought. No, I’m not okay because I desperately want to join the Blade of Marmoa but I don’t want to leave you. I found out who my mother that abandoned me is and all I want to do is talk about it with you but I still don’t know what it means for me. And all I want is to be with you forever, but I’m afraid that my urge to fight will end up winning.

But Keith just nodded, knowing that he would have to save speaking those thoughts for another day.

“Yeah, I’m great,” he lied, walking over to Lance to grab his hand. He led them over to the door, his smile dropping off of his face as soon as Lance couldn’t see him anymore. 

“Let’s go.”

⋆★⋆

It seemed that the truth was growing impatient, and so Keith finally told Lance all that he hadn’t the next night. Or well, more like morning.

“You’re okay,” Keith whispered, the words familiar on his tongue as he calmed Lance down from his nightmare. He was grateful that this had become less frequent, but he still would never complain about lending Lance comfort.

As usual, Lance asked Keith to talk to him. And while Keith knew that he could speak about anything, the Blade jumped into his mind. And while he did not necessarily believe that this would be the best time to tell Lance, his mouth seemed to move faster than his mind.

“I- I have something I-” 

He cut himself off, wincing at the hesitation that he felt. But now that he had started, Lance wasn’t going to tell him not to tell him.

“What,” Lance said, sitting up so that he could face Keith. It was as if he sensed that what Keith was about to say was going to change things, and that he needed to be as alert as he could. Keith once again felt guilt, although this time it was because of trying to start this so early in the morning. Especially after Lance had just had a night terror.

“Nevermind,” Keith said with a shake of his head, urging Lance to lay back down. “I can tell you in the morning.”

But Lance shook his head too and reached to grab Keith’s hand, squeezing it lightly.

“No,” he said impatiently, “tell me now.” When Keith didn’t imminently speak, Lance sighed. “I can tell that you’ve been hiding something from me. You’ve been acting weird ever since you had that meeting with that rebel group.”

Having Lance call him out so blatantly made Keith freeze, which only confirmed Lance’s thoughts. “You know you can tell me anything?”

Keith nodded and squeezed Lance’s hand back. “I know, I just- I know we promised not to keep secrets from each other. But, something happened at the meeting, I just didn’t know how to even tell myself, if that makes sense,” Keith said, not counting the words he had shared to Dr. Penman. “But I do want you to know.”

He had expected Lance to be angry at him for keeping something from him. And he probably was, given by how his eyebrows clenched together. But he didn’t say anything and just nodded for Keith to speak.

“When I awoke the blade,” Keith started slowly, being careful with his wording, “I told you that I didn’t know why I was able to activate it.” Lance nodded but narrowed his eyes, likely seeing where this was going. 

“But, that wasn’t true. The blade that called out to me belonged to a woman named Krolia. Kolivan, the leader of the Blade, explained that she had been sent on a mission years ago before the group became what it is today. She was sent to the village where I lived with my dad, before she was forced to leave.”

“She’s my mother.”

Saying it in front of Lance made it seem all the more real, and Keith could feel his hands shaking slightly. He didn’t even know why he was getting so emotional over this, but he couldn’t help it. 

Lance’s eyes widened in understanding. Keith had told him about his mother, or lack of one, of course, and Lance knew that it was a sore subject for him.

“What!”

Lance’s suddenly loud volume made Keith wince and he moved back silently.

“Sorry, sorry,” Lance said quickly, lowering his voice back to an appropriate early-morning volume. “I’m just…surprised. And I guess I'm a little confused on why you didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know how to feel about it. I was so angry at this unnamed person for so long, and to find out she is real and a Blade was just-”

Lance nodded and reached to grab Keith’s other hand.

“I guess I get it,” Lance said sincerely, his mouth in a thin line. “I can’t say I’m not upset that you didn’t tell me, but I get why. This is- this is something personal to you. And you can deal with it however you need to.”

“Is she-” Lance started after a few seconds of silence, “is she still alive?” 

Keith nodded his head. “Yeah. It took me forever to get that information, but she’s undercover in the Galran empire. They won’t tell me where though.”

Keith’s hands clenched into fists. While he knew that it was important to keep her identity a secret, he still wished that he could just reach out to her. At least just to see what she was like.

“Kolivan told me that until this war is ended, she has to stay undercover. For her safety. And the rest of the Blade.”

Lance nodded along to Keith’s words, his eyes filled with something that Keith didn’t like. It wasn’t pity - Lance would never pity Keith - but it was too close to it for Keith’s comfort. Iit made him feel too many emotions. Happiness. Anger. Guilt. Sadness.

They all swirled around in Keith’s mind, and the alpha was blaming them for the next choked word that came out of his mouth.

“But-” he started, voice cracking at what he realized he was revealing to Lance. He wanted to take it back, if just to have a few more days to let his own mind work through it, but it was too late.

“But?” Lance questioned, looking deeply into Keith’s eyes to try and draw the answer out from him. Keith swallowed thickly, the early-morning air suddenly feeling suffocating. After a few moments of treacherous silence, Keith finally answered after he saw Lance’s eyes narrow.

“Kolivan said,” he said slowly, letting the words fall over his tongue carefully, “that because I awoke the blade I could…join them. Join the Blade of Marmora.”

The silence after the words left his mouth seemed more deafening than before. Keith watched as Lance’s body practically froze, the prince clearly running through as that meant. Normally, Keith would try to combat any arguments that Lance would think up before the omega has the chance to say them, but Keith’s whole mind felt blank. 

It only got worse when he felt Lance’s hand, which had still been holding Keith’s, pull away.

“Do you want to go?”

“I told him no.”

“That wasn’t what I asked,” Lance fired back, staring at Keith with a mix of shock and betrayal. “I asked if you wanted to go.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Keith said, but he could tell that Lance got his answer based on the absence of the word ‘no.’ “None of that matters.”

“Of course it does,” Lance said quickly, his eyebrows drawing up sharply. “Of course it matters. Keith,” he said, throwing his hands into the air, “you talk to me everyday about wanting to fight in this war.”

His volume had risen and Keith found himself shouting back before he could stop himself. It would seem that his temper was out to get him again.

“But not at the cost of being away from you!” Keith yelled. “I would never leave you.” In another case it would be sincere, but now the words only caused Lance to grow angrier.

“Then how long is it until you resent me for holding you back,” Lance responded. “You’re already keeping secrets from me. Kolivan’s offer. Your mother!”

“That is completely different! You are not allowed to be mad about that.”

“Yes, I am,” Lance said, crossing his arms. And really, he wasn’t, but when had that ever stopped Lance from doing something before.

“And either way,” Lance continued, “I don’t want you to look back at your life and realize that I kept you stuck here. I don’t want you resenting me.”

“I won’t resent you,” Keith yelled back, knowing that it was true. No matter how much Keith cursed his current situation, he never once held Lance as the person at fault. Keith vowed that he never would.

“Still,” Lance said, not able to just agree with Keith for a second. Neither of them said anything for a moment, both of them now on opposite sides of the bed. Keith didn’t know how this turned into an argument so quickly, but it seemed like that was happening more and more frequently recently.

Keith sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking down for a few ticks before looking back up at Lance. 

“Are you telling me that you wouldn’t be mad if I went?”

It was the question that was pulling at the back of Keith’s mind since Kolivan had proposed the idea to him. Now, as he addressed it to Lance, he was using it as a tool. Something to show Lance that Keith was right.

And Lance knew that, because he just glared at Keith and huffed, keeping his arms crossed. Keith just glared back, because he knew the answer. Yes, Lance would be mad. He would be furious. Not because he didn’t want Keith to have the opportunity to help with change. Or to find his mother. Or just for Keith to be happy. But because that was who Lance is. Someone who always felt so deeply, no matter what.

Keith hoped that Lance would respond to him, even if it was with another biting word. Instead, Lance suddenly got off of the bed and walked over to his bathroom. Keith just watched, not even having time to call out for Lance before the prince slammed the door behind him. It was too early for Lance to get ready for the day, but Keith knew that he would likely stay locked in the bathroom until it was time.

Keith couldn’t help but let the anger consume him. How dare Lance react like this. Keith knew that he should have been honest with him from the beginning, but he had his own reasons not to. And no matter how much he may want to, Keith wouldn’t join the Blade. He had been honest when it came to that. He wouldn’t ever leave Lance, not unless the omega wanted him to.

And it was that thought that made a rush of panic flood through Keith as he stared at that damn bathroom door.

⋆★⋆

Unlike the last fight Keith and Lance had, this one was resolved much quicker. 

For what felt like the first time, Lance was the one to reach out for Keith first. After a dreadfully awkward day of the two of them teetering around each other, Lance stopped Keith from going into the antechamber. He still didn’t apologize, and neither did Keith, but they both got a better night's sleep being next to each other.

The next two days were similar to the events of the first. Lance made sure to occupy his time with as many things as he could, forcing Keith to stand dutifully in the corner. Unlike last time, Keith wasn’t phased. He was upset with Lance too, and was more than fine with playing the prince’s icy game.

However, as the two got ready for bed on the eve of the third night after the fight, Lance finally decided to broach the subject. Keith had already been laying down in the bed, readying to turn off the lights as he faced away from Lance, repeating the same process in the previous nights.

Before he could pull on the lamp's chain, he felt Lance settle closely next to him.

“I want you to go.”

Keith whipped around faster than he thought possible, the words echoing dangerously in his head. Go? Did he want Keith to go into his own room after all? Had their fight finally cultivated into the climax.

Lance must have seen the question in Keith’s face, although Keith doubted that he saw the panic hidden in his eyes, because Lance elaborated, not referencing Keith’s expression.

“I want you to join the Blade.”

Now Keith’s expression morphed from his previous dismay to confusion as he took in Lance’s words. It was a complete change from the omega’s earlier opinion, and it left Keith feeling confused. The anger he had been holding onto suddenly felt as if it had no place, and his alpha felt unsettled.

“What?” Keith whispered, the word slipping out as he took in Lance’s open expression.

Lance just sighed and crawled in closer, making sure that he and Keith were fully facing each other. Keith sat up too, now in a position where he had to bend his head down to look at Lance as the prince stared at him with determined eyes.

“I said I want you to go with the Blade of Marmora,” Lance said again, his voice steady with hits of exasperation after having to repeat himself. 

“I heard that part,” Keith snapped back, the lingering anger from their fight transcending into his voice. “I just- why?”

It was completely out of Lance’s character to want Keith to go. The knight knew that the prince wanted Keith to stay with him; to be his mate. He also knew that even with all of Lance’s amazing qualities, he was not a stranger to selfishness. Lance wanted to be fighting in this war just as badly as Keith wanted to. To allow Keith to go out without him having the same opportunity was not what the alpha expected of him.

“Because you deserve it,” Lance said earnestly. “You do so much for me, and keep fighting against everything that gets thrown at you. And while I know you wish that you didn’t have to fight in the war,” Lance let out a dark laugh, “you still want to because that’s the type of person you are.”

“Lance,” Keith said, not even really sure what he was going to say. But Lance kept talking, letting Keith gather his thoughts for a few moments longer.

“You are a fighter. You fought for Altea. You fought for Shiro. You fought and continue to fight for me,” Lance looked deeply into Keith’s eyes, “but it's rare that you fight for yourself. Joining the Blade would let you do that. Sure, you would be fighting for the freedom of everyone, but you would be fighting for yourself at that heart. For your ability to be free. For your ability to find your mother and your family. For you. And I shouldn’t be holding you back from that.”

Lance’s words left Keith stunned. Hearing the way Lance was able to dissect him so completely made Keith feel too many emotions, although he knew that love was at the forefront. Because here was Lance, openly sharing how much he knew Keith. Here he was pushing Keith to leave because he knew it was what Keith wanted, despite it being everything Lance had been fearing.

Keith remembered the queen’s birthday and how upset Lance had been at even the thought of Keith leaving him. Before they had gone through the trials they had today, before they fell in love. When they were still on the border of Prince Lance and Sir Kogane. Even then Lance had been clear in his opinion of Keith not leaving.

And yet, Lance always had to surprise Keith.

“I don’t want to leave you, baby.”

Keith couldn’t help but let those words slip through his lips. Lance was his everything, for better or worse, and he could hardly bear the thought of being away from him for who knows how long.

Lance nodded to his words and Keith saw his expression finally collapse. The strong look he had been giving Keith fell away as he moved to sit on Keith’s lap, wrapping his arms around the knight to hold him close.

“I don’t want you to leave me either,” he said sadly, relaxing into Keith’s hands on his waist that came up to steady Lance at his sudden movement. “But it’s the right thing to do. You-” Lance seemed to struggle with his words for a few moments, “you need to do this Keith. You need to help stop the Galran empire. You need to try to find your mom. You need this.”

“I don’t even know if I want to join them.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but even Keith knew that if he really did have Lance’s support, there would be nothing truly stopping him from fulfilling the urge.

Lance, who of course knew this, gave Keith a look. “You do,” he said simply, “I know you do. You wouldn’t have kept it from me if you didn’t.”

Keith couldn’t deny it, but it still made his heart hurt with guilt. The alpha hung his head, suddenly finding it very difficult to look at Lance.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, not knowing what he could say to make the feeling in his chest go away.

He felt the movement of Lance shaking his head and Keith raised his own again to stare after Lance said, “There is nothing to be sorry for.”

“I’m proud of you,” he continued, keeping his gaze steady despite the tremor in his voice. “I know that I was upset before, and I guess I still am just because, but I really am so incredibly proud of you.” Keith’s fingers flexed against Lance’s waist as the omega shrugged. “And who knows, maybe I’ll be able to join you someday.”

The words made the reality come to Keith. That this was really something that Lance wanted him to do, even if it meant them being torn apart. 

All throughout the Altean civil war, Keith always reminded himself that nothing was bigger than the overall mission. Not himself, not his relationships. Nothing. He had kept that mentality all throughout the war, and knew that the Blade held a similar one. He would need to make it true if he were to join them. But now, staring at Lance’s blue eyes and matching color markings, Keith couldn’t imagine ever putting anything above his omega.

“Someday,” Keith repeated, finding it the only thing he could focus on. However, Lance took it as agreement, and perhaps it was, and he gave Keith a small, sad smile. Keith swallowed thickly as he took in the expression, the conversation finally beginning to be processed in his mind.

“Someday.” Lance said it this time more confidently before he moved down to capture Keith’s lips in a soft kiss. It was as if the kiss was their version of signing a treaty, a way for them to end their fighting and stick to the decision that was made. Because no matter how much Keith wanted to stay with Lance forever, to remain in a place where he could always have access to his lips and his smile, he also knew that the prince was right. Keith needed to go, needed to have the opportunity to make a difference. 

Even if it meant leaving Lance behind for a while.

Chapter Text

The next week was spent with Lance and Keith rarely leaving each other's side.

Now that they knew they were on borrowed time, neither of them wanted to waste a moment. They spent their days lounging in the observatory and having heated make out sessions behind closed doors. It was very reminiscent of how they acted during the early days of their relationship.

In thinking that, Keith couldn’t help but laugh at how little time they had actually spent together. He hadn’t even been Lance’s guard for a year, and they had been courting for even less. Even so, he knew that no matter how much distance was between them, they would remain strong in their love for each other.

The first few days after their late night conversation, Keith remained on edge, half expecting Lance to rebuke his earlier approval and insist that Keith shouldn’t go. And while Lance technically didn’t have any control over Keith’s actions, the alpha knew that he wouldn’t go if Lance disapproved.

But Lance remained strong in his conviction, never wavering in his answer every time Keith asked. So finally, Keith reached out to Kolivan, asking him if the offer was still good.

Despite how passive and Kolivan remained, Keith could see the slight twitch of his face. He was pleased that Keith was joining them. That knowledge alone made Keith more sure in his decision. Kolivan told him that it would take a few weeks for him to officially join their ranks, needing to figure out the best place for him. Still, he had asked Keith if he would like to join their base now to get an early jump start on training, but the knight had refused.

“I need to spend all the time I have left in Southern Altea, sir.”

Kolivan had nodded with a knowing look, likely remembering the illusion of Lance during Keith’s trials. He had ended the meeting with a swift goodbye, with his only lasting comment being that he was sure Keith would make Krolia proud.

Keith had thought about that more than he would have liked to admit. Would he be making Krolia proud? He didn’t know anything about her, and had always thought he was okay with that. But now knowing who she was, and that she was out there, made him realize how much he wanted to know his mother.

As soon as Krolia came back into Keith’s thoughts, his mind began to spiral with thoughts of her. About what she was like. About what he would want to tell her. About everything regarding her being his mother. He couldn’t deny it and say that it didn’t make him angry. But even still, he supposed that he never thought too much about how her absence affected him. He had been holding onto that anger, and then indifference, for so long, he had never stopped to consider how it was transferring into his life. His other relationships.

Keith knew that if Dr. Penman could hear his thoughts he would be proud. That thought alone made Keith roll his eyes, but he supposed he couldn’t hate it too much. Perhaps this line of thinking was always what Keith needed.

“So, I was thinking,” Keith said softly as he trailed his fingers up and down Lance’s arms. The prince was laying his head on Keith’s chest, the two of them sprawled out on the floor of the observatory as their eyes traced the star patterns above them. Lance was in between Keith’s legs, the alpha’s knees sitting up to bracket his omega.

“Mmh,” Lance hummed, not even shifting as he listened to what Keith was saying.

“We should tell your parents.” 

That made Lance move, the prince twisting his neck to look up at Keith the best he could. “About you- you joining the Blade?” There was confusion in his voice and on his face, and Keith realized that he should have clarified what he was talking about. He and Lance had agreed not to tell the king and queen until everything was official. Secretly, Keith knew that part of it was to keep them from replacing Keith too soon.

“No,” Keith said, calming Lance’s worry, “no, not about that. Not yet.” He felt Lance turn his head back around, comfortably resting against Keith once more. “I meant about us.”

And just like that, Lance’s head was completely gone from his chest. Lance sat up so quickly Keith was worried he would get whiplash. The omega turned around, hands on the cool ground as he faced Keith.

“What?” His tone was of surprise and shock, but Keith could see the smile that was fighting to get through. Clearly Lance didn’t want to get too excited before he was sure Keith meant it.

Keith shrugged before nodding his head. “Yeah,” he said, a smile beginning to rise on his face. “I mean, if we are going to be lightyears away from each other, I figured that at least your family can officially know that we are together. Hopefully that will let us see each other more when- hmmph.”

Keith was cut off as Lance launched himself back onto Keith, planting himself above the knight before smashing their lips together. Keith struggled for just a moment to get his bearings, but by the time he began to kiss back Lance had lifted his head up, a huge, wide smile on his face. 

“You really mean it?”

Keith couldn’t help but laugh at the pure, child-like wonder on the prince’s face. “Yeah,” Keith said simply, “of course I mean it.” While the argument to tell Lance’s parents about them had remained unsolved, neither of them had brought it up in a while. But Keith had been thinking about it. He knew that it wasn’t fair to keep asking Lance to keep their relationship a secret, especially when Keith was about to be who knows how far from him.

Lance reached down to kiss Keith again, offering pecks across the knight's face. On his forehead, his cheeks, his scar, before coming back to his lips.

It wasn’t until they had finally pulled away and Lance had moved to lay back down on Keith’s chest, his arms coming up as a pillow for his chin so that he could still look at Keith, that Lance questioned him.

“I’m definitely not complaining,” Lance said with a quirk of his lips, “but I am curious about what brought this on?”

Keith was silent for a moment before he spoke, his voice slightly hesitant. “In learning about Krolia, I’ve been thinking more about what she means to me. I mean, obviously she’s my mother, but my mother has always been this faceless person that left me when I was a kid. I haven’t thought about meeting her in years, and now that I have the possibility to, I guess I’ve realized how much her absence has affected me.”

Lance gave Keith a confused look as he pouted, and Keith hurried to continue.

“Obviously I’ve always known that not having a mother affected me but I’ve never really thought about it past the anger. But I guess I realized how much her not being there made me so unnaturally untrusting. I always try to see the worst in people and push them away, worried that they will leave me first. I did it with Shiro, with Adam. Even with you.” Keith thought back to when he quit right before the castle attack. Even he couldn’t make sense of his actions at the time, but now, after reflecting about his life, Keith realized that it was the fear that Lance would leave him that led Keith to abandon him first.

Keith moved his head so that he could look down at Lance better. “And so I guess, subconsciously, I didn’t want to tell your parents about us because I was worried that you would still reject me.” Lance’s face erupted in protest but Keith shushed him. “I know that you wouldn’t, Blue. I do. But I guess the fear was always there. With my mom leaving, and my dad too in a way, I have a habit of pushing people away first. And even though the last thing I wanted to do was push you away, I think not telling them was just another form of it.”

Keith could see Lance’s pout begin to transform into a full frown, and the prince shifted from where he was still on top of Keith. However, Keith just smiled at him.

“But I don’t want to have any reservations. I don’t, not about you. And if I am going to join the Blade,” he dropped his voice down to a murmur, “then I want everyone to know that you and I are connected. Including your parents.”

Lance just watched Keith for a moment, taking in his words. Keith was worried that he had offended Lance, knowing that even though that was far from his intention, the prince had a habit of twisting words into things they were not. However, soon Lance’s frown transformed into a smirk and he lifted himself up to hover over Keith once more.

“You saying you want to be tied to me forever, mullet?”

Keith let the shape of his mouth mimic Lance’s, knowing by the nickname and teasing tone that Lance wasn’t upset. “Of course, baby.” 

Lance’s smile widened and he pressed a peck to Keith’s lips. “Good,” he said, “because now that means you’re never getting rid of me.”

Keith reached up to get another quick kiss, and only pulled away when he felt Lance smiling too much to properly kiss him. Keith knew that he was probably looking at the omega with a soft expression that their friends would make fun of him for, but he couldn’t find himself to care. Not when he was with his omega.

“You’re stuck with me forever now,” Lance said happily, moving back down to rest on Keith’s chest. Keith just smiled and winded his arms around Lance again, his eyes finally scanning the ceiling of the observatory again. He couldn’t help but repeat the word, his own smile stretching over his face.

“Forever.”

⋆★⋆

Of course, forever did have a deadline. At least, for them to be together without the distance of galaxies between them.

Lance and Keith agreed to tell Lance’s parents about their relationship and Keith joining the Blade around the same time. They didn’t want the king and queen to learn about their relationship only to tell them a few days or weeks later that Keith was leaving, or vice versa. Instead, they agreed to have a meeting as soon as the Blade cleared Keith to leave, letting all the news drop at once. 

But although they agreed not to tell the king and queen, Lance had insisted that they tell Pidge and Hunk. Keith was worried, knowing how quick the news of their relationship had spread after the two of them found out (despite never miraculously reaching King Miguel or Queen Nancy), but Lance eventually got his way, as always. 

Hunk and Pidge had each reacted how Keith had expected them too. Hunk grabbed Keith in a giant hug, squeezing him as he told him how much he would miss the knight. Keith had awkwardly patted Hunk on the back, but he had said that he would miss him too, which was the truth. 

Pidge had been much more subdued in their response. They also told him that they would miss him, but couldn’t up but throw in a comment about being most disappointed that he wouldn't be there to control Lance and complain about the future “I miss him whines” that would come from the prince. Lance had let out an offended squawk at that, but Keith had just laughed. Later, he confessed that he had expected Pidge to be more upset with him leaving, and Lance told him that Pidge was always like that. Acting like they didn’t care until the moment Keith would be set to leave.

Whether that was true or not, both Hunk and Pidge insisted that they spend as much time as possible with Keith before he was set to leave. Lance had been slightly disappointed, not liking that their previous alone time was being interrupted every time either of the beta’s had some time off, but Keith couldn’t hate it. He knew that he would miss it once he was with the Blade of Marmora.

They were in the library which wasn't their usual hang out spot. But Lance had wanted to find a book detailing a planet that Allura had recently visited. The Northern Altean princess was still rapidly keeping in contact with Lance, and the omega always looked forward to receiving her letters. Keith knew that it made the prince’s urge to leave grow, but he still was always excited to hear about what planet Allura and Lotor had visited, or what battle they faced.

Hunk was helping him find it, the two of them working to try and balance on each other to reach one of the higher shelves. Pidge, of course, was sitting down next to Keith, laughing at the pair.

“You can just get a step ladder,” they shouted after Lance began to topple off of Hunk’s knee before steadying himself with another shelf. “I don’t need one!” Lance shouted back, and then let out a whimper of pain as a few books fell off another shelf and hit him in the face.

Pidge rolled their eyes and giggled, turning to Keith. “Shouldn’t you be helping him?” 

Keith shook his head as Hunk now let out a grunt of pain, the sound of more books falling reaching his ears. “I am staying out of this one,” he responded, knowing that if Lance wanted his help he would ask him for it.

Once Lance had successfully reached the book he was trying to get, and determined that it was in fact not the one he was looking for, he and Hunk went to a new shelf deeper into the library. Keith was about to move after them, finally deducing that maybe he should put a stop to this lest someone get hurt, but Pidge stopped them.

“You know,” they said, turning to face the alpha, “I’m surprised that you are really joining the Blade of Marmora.”

Keith faced them with confusion, his eyebrows drawn up. His expression must have made Pidge recalculate what they had said, because they smoothly backtracked. 

“Well, not surprised that you would join them, but more surprised that you would leave without Lance. You guys are attached at the hip, and not just because you’re his guard. And don’t get me wrong, I find it sickening, but obviously you don’t.”

Hearing Pidge say it so blatantly made Keith pause, but he didn’t even need to think about his response. It was all he had been able to think about these past few weeks. 

“He can’t come with me, even if I wanted him to. He doesn’t have Galran blood.”

Pidge rolled their eyes. “Well I know that. And that wasn’t what I was talking about.” At Keith’s silence they pushed themselves up on their knees, trying their best to tower over Keith even with their small stature. “There are tons of rebel groups. You know that. Every galaxy out there is involved in this fucking war right now. Lance could join any number of them, and you know he wants to.”

Keith let himself think about it for a moment. He hadn't even considered that Lance could go with another group fighting against the Galra. 

“Not with Lance’s parents,” Keith said, verbalizing his main following thought. “You know the king and queen would never allow it. They won’t even let him leave the castle.”

Pidge nodded their head thoughtfully, and let silence fall over them for a second. Keith watched them, their eyebrows furrowing together as they stayed deep in thought. Keith heard Lance let out a shout in the background, although he couldn’t pick up if it was pain or of glee. Before the knight could try and figure it out, Pidge spoke again.

“I guess I just thought- well you are such a fighter, Keith. I mean, you have to be, to put up with Lance.” Keith could imagine the frown Lance would give them if he had heard them say that. “And I can see how determined you are. We all know how hard you fought when the castle was attacked, when Lance was in danger. We all know that you would protect him just as ferociously out there,” they nodded their head towards the window. “So I just don’t understand why you won’t fight for him now. Fight for him to come with you.”

Keith let the words sink into his mind, and tried to find the right answer. Just saying “because his parents forbade him” or “it was too dangerous” didn’t fit right. Yes, it was dangerous, but Keith knew that Lance could handle it if he was given the chance. But his parents were a real issue, although he couldn’t deny it and say that Lance would be okay with disobeying his parents if it met that he could make a difference. It wasn’t ideal, as Lance regarded his parent’s opinions highly, but Keith almost forgot how much Lance had a rebellious streak. That was the whole reason Keith was even there in the first place; because Lance was disobeying his parents so much that they needed someone who could handle him.

“Just something to think about,” Pidge said, ironically interrupting Keith from doing just that. Pidge was right. They had mirrored what Lance had said about Keith being a fighter, and he couldn’t deny it. He had never been one to shy away from what he thought was right. And leaving Lance wasn’t, even if joining the Blade was. An impossible situation. 

Except, maybe it didn’t have to be. If Keith could convince Lance to try and find a group to join, Keith could surely be added as a part of the Blade’s new alliance agreement. Even if he couldn’t, maybe Keith could just join the rebel group Lance did instead. So long as Keith could be fighting against Zarkon, it didn't really matter where he was placed. So long as Lance was with him.

Suddenly, Lance came bounding back out of the shelves, Hunk trailing behind him, book in hand.

“I told you guys I would find it,” Lance exclaimed happily, waving the book around in the air. Pidge snorted. “I’m more surprised that you didn’t break a bone,” they laughed. Lance just glared at them and shook the orange covered book. “I’m very flexible I have you know,” he said, but flushed as soon as Pidge brought up how clumsy he was. They started to laugh at him again by bringing up when he ran into the scientific equipment a few months prior. His blush only deepened when Hunk added on, talking about the other clumsy adventures Lance had gone on.

Keith missed most of what they were saying, too busy running over what Pidge said. Thinking it over. Trying to decide if it was worth it. Worth it to try and convince Lance, his parents, the Blade, and anyone else that they needed to persuade. It was going to take a lot of work and planning, and might even come up with the same outcome there was now. Keith leaving Lance for who knows how long, the two of them separated and Lance stuck on Southern Altea.

But if there was even a chance that Lance could come, to make a real difference and finally get the opportunity to fight against the Galran Empire the way he wanted to, then didn’t Keith have to try and find a way to make it happen. 

And as he watched Lance laugh along to whatever Hunk said, his smile wide and face still red from his earlier embarrassment, Keith knew immediately the answer.

Yes, it was worth it.

⋆★⋆

“Lance, I need to talk to you about something.”

Lance didn’t look up from where he was organizing his closet, his tan hands picking up hangers and rearranging where the clothes hung. He just let out a groan, his voice dimmed by the sound of the hangers hitting the closet’s metal pole. “Do not tell me that you agree with Hunk about serving fruit cake at your going away party,” referring to the conversation the group had as they left the library. Lance had insisted that when Keith did join the Blade, they would need to have a farewell party. Hunk immediately jumped on the idea, and began to brainstorm the different food he could make.

Keith let out a laugh but he quickly sobered up, knowing that he had to speak to Lance about the idea Pidge gave him. It had not even been in his brain for that long, but it had been the only thing he was able to think about. “No,” he said, the word coming out more harsh than he meant it. “It's something serious.

Lance whipped around from where he was fiddling with his clothes, letting the last hanger fall onto the rack. “Okay,” the prince said, clearly worried about Keith’s tight frame. Keith decided to just jump straight into it, not wanting to go through the usual dance they did.

“I was talking to Pidge today-”

“A dangerous game,” Lance interrupted, giving Keith a smirk. Keith just stared back at him, knowing that Lance was trying to lighten the mood. But this was going to be a serious discussion, like many of their conversations these days, and he didn’t want Lance to get distracted.

“I was talking to Pidge,” the alpha repeated again, his voice stern, “and they were talking about how they couldn’t believe that I was joining the Blade. Specifically because it meant leaving you.”

“Aw,” Lance said, his smirk remaining as he moved closer to where Keith was standing. “I knew they were romantic at heart.” Lance reached up to wrap his hands around Keith’s neck, and Keith’s hands found his waist automatically. Keith didn’t let the new position distract him and he stared directly into Lance’s eyes.

“It got me thinking-”

“Also dangerous.”

“Lance,” Keith said, trying to make the omega calm down and let him speak. Lance’s smile faded and he gave a slight nod to his head. “Okay, sorry,” he said, even though Keith knew that it was insincere. “Go on.” Keith let a beat of silence between them before he took in a deep breath, hoping that he would be able to get through what he needed to suggest.

“It made me realize that they were right. We’ve been spending these past few days mourning the fact that we’re gonna be separated from each other, but why do we have to be?”

It was clear that Lance was not understanding, so Keith just let it come out.

“You could come with me.”

Lance was clearly taken by surprise. He startled back, his hands falling from Keith’s neck, and opened his mouth a few times to respond before he stuttered out, “W-what?”

“Think about it,” Keith continued, eyes wide, “If you came with me, then you would finally be able to make the difference you want. You would be able to help people.”

Lance’s eyebrows furrowed together as he took in Keith’s words. It was clear that he was running the possibilities in his mind.

“But, I can’t,” he said, craning his neck to stare up at Keith. “The Blade of Marmora is for Galra blood only, and if you haven't noticed,” he looked down at his own body, “I am clearly Altean. I think that my markings pretty clearly display that.”

Keith shook his head. “Not with the Blade, I know you can’t do that. But Pidge reminded me how many other groups are out there fighting against Zarkon and his troops. You could join any one of them. And then I could talk to Kolivan about adding me to that unit.”

“Could you do that?” Lance immediately asked, and Keith shrugged. “I don’t see why not. The Blade hasn’t found a place for me yet, and there was never a chance that I was going to go undercover, not with how public I am as your guard. I’m sure if I argue well enough, I can go with you. As a Blade ambassador or some shit.”

Lance was silent for another few moments before he asked the biggest question. “What about my parents, Keith? You know they would never allow it.”

Keith nodded, but set his mouth in a thin line. “Then maybe it’s time to stop listening to them.”

Lance clearly was shocked at Keith’s quick disregard for his parents - the king and queen - but Keith continued to speak before Lance could even gasp.

“Don’t forget why I am even here. I was brought in as your guard by Shiro because of how much you were misbehaving. Half the guards in the castle believe that you're too rebellious for your own good, and you know that your parents hold some of that same opinion, true or not.”

Memories of the past months flashed through Keith’s mind. Their first conversation, the way Lance immediately insisted that he didn’t need Keith. The nights they snuck out of the castle, or the “games” Lance would play as he ran away from Keith. Nights were even after Keith and Lance got together, Lance always still insisted on being himself unapologetically.

“Ever since the castle got attacked,” Keith said slowly, “you’ve lost some of that spirit. Obviously, not completely,” Keith said with a laugh, relaxing as Lance let out a soft chuckle as well. “But I’ve seen it. The Lance that ran away from me when we first met wouldn’t hesitate to jump on the front lines.”

Lance lowered his head, likely knowing that Keith was right. It was a truth that neither of them had admitted. For how much they both recognize the attack had affected them, along with the war and their past, neither of them wanted to admit that they had become complacent in their lives.

“You talk so much about wanting to go out and help, but it’s time to actually do something. I know how much you respect your parents and their opinions, but at some point you need to take what you want. You’re twenty Lance, and you can do so much more than what you are doing now. You need to decide if you want to wait for your chance, or take it. Not for me, and even for you, but for all those people that need help out there. For everyone that you could affect if you take that chance.”

The speech sounded harsher than Keith had meant it to sound. He saw Lance’s eyes hardened and he worried that Lance would be angry with him. But as Lance raised back up to look at him, Keith saw a fire behind the prince’s eyes.

“You’re right,” Lance said, his voice determined. “I need to take some initiative and go after what I want. And I want to fight. I’m tired of having my parents refuse me the ability to make a difference. And if it means that I get to come with you, why wouldn’t I take it?”

“We just- we need to make sure that we have a concert plan,” Lance continued seriously. “If we are going to do this-”

“Then we’ll do it right,” Keith finished, smiling. He moved so that he could intertwine his hands in Lance’s, bringing them up so that they bracketed their shoulders. Lance gave his own smile and nodded, although he still seemed a little unsure. But Keith knew that if this was something that Lance really wanted, then he would make sure that he had all his worries quelled by the time it was time for them to leave. 

Just the thought of them leaving together made Keith’s alpha roar with happiness. Keith’s smile grew wider, and he watched as the prince’s expression mirrored his own. After a few moments of silence, Keith spoke again.

“Well then Blue,” he said, his smile transforming into a smirk, “looks like we need to find you some rebels to join.”

⋆★⋆

It turned out, finding a group for Lance to join was much easier than Keith originally thought. 

Keith was worried that it would take them a while to find a rebel group that would take them. Obviously, those against Zarkon were not screaming it for everyone to hear. While both Southern and Northern Altea were very clear in what side they were aligned with, they had the resources to do not. Not every planet had the ability to be that clear in their intentions, and certainly not lone groups of rebels. Keith knew that it would be difficult to track down people that were actively fighting against Zarkon, let alone willing to accept Lance, a prince, into their ranks.

However, Keith forgot that they already knew people that were in the fight against Zarkon, and would have no problem letting a prince and his guard join them. It sure helped that they were made up of royals themselves.

Allura and Lotor.

Lance had still been regularly receiving letters from Allura, of which they include as many details as she could be allowed to share. Lance would often read them aloud, reveling in the details and wishing that he could be out there as well. 

Stupidly, neither of them had thought about Allura when they first started to come up with a plan to get Lance off Altea. They had been too busy focusing on trying to sneak around behind the king and queen to try and find a group they had never heard of, they hadn’t even considered people that they knew. It wasn’t until Allura’s next letter had been received that the idea popped into Keith’s head.

Lance imminently grabbed onto the idea, and wrote to Allura as soon as he could. He explained how Keith had been offered a position with a rebel group, and that Lance had decided that he wanted to follow him. He then had pitched the idea of him joining them and their crew, and sent it off before he could overthink it.

Lance had been nervously awaiting an answer for over a week. Keith tried to calm him down, but he was rather wounded up himself. This decision would affect the rest of their lives.

Just as Keith was trying to get him to relax, the alpha moving to pepper soft kisses along Lance’s neck, he heard a beeping behind him. Lance quickly dislodged himself from where he pressed up against Keith to grab his tablet off his nightstand, hurriedly looking over the message.

“It’s Allura,” he said quickly, eyes shooting up to Keith’s. “She wants to have a video conference.”

It was clear that Lance was nervous, his hands shaking slightly. Keith moved to steady his hands and looked at the prince. “Come on, it’s okay,” Keith said. “The worst she can say is no.” Lance nodded his head before reaching down to press the ‘accept’ button on his table. Immediately, the call was connected, the projection of Allura appearing on the large video screen that was connected to Lance’s tablet. It was mounted on the wall, and the only time Lance really used it was when he and Keith watched Earthan movies on the few occasions they did it in his room instead of the observatory.

“Lance?”

Allura’s smooth accent rang out in the room, and Keith turned around to face her. She was in armour, the white and pink colors looking beautiful against her dark skin. Her hair was tied back into a bun, and although she didn’t have on her crown, she still looked absolutely regal.

“Allura,” Lance said, scrambling off of his bed so that he could face his screen, double checking that the camera and microphone were on. “You’re looking beautiful as always.” 

Allura smiled at the flirtation, before rolling her eyes. “Hello,” she responded easily, smiling once she could fully see Lance. “Thank you for accepting my call. I just- given what you asked in your letter, I figured that it would be better for us to actually talk to one another. I promise you that this is a secure network. No one should be able to penetrate it.”

Lance nodded his head along to what Allura said before turning his head to beckon Keith over. The knight was still sitting on Lance’s bed, but he quickly got up to join Lance, moving to stand behind the omega.

“Keith,” Allura said pleasantly as the knight rounded the screen. “It’s great to see you.”

“And you, Princess,” Keith responded, bowing his head in respect. This was the first time he had truly talked to her after finding out that she and Lance were not together, and surely the first since he and Lance had gotten together themselves. Although it did not seem that long, it truly had been months.

After they exchanged a few more pleasantries, most of them involving Allura’s congratulations that they were finally together, Lance went right into explaining everything to Allura. He let Keith tell her about joining the Blade of Marmora, and Allura admitted to knowing them. Not much, but all of their crew were part of Galra, except for her, and so they knew about most of the Galra that were rebelling against Zarkon. 

Lance then spoke about how he had decided that he wanted to join the fight as well. He recounted how much he had been locked up since the attack on the castle, something that Allura knew from their letters. But he then told her how Keith had made him realize that he couldn’t wait for his parents to let him help. He had to take it into his own hands.

“I need to be out there,” Lance said, his voice steadfast as he spoke. “I need to be helping. I may have the least amount of claim to the throne, but I still have a duty to my people. How can I expect them to risk their lives if I myself am staying put.”

Allura, of course, agreed. “I agree. Of course, I was forced out of my home because of my grandfather’s fear and ignorance,” she said, recalling back to Limrik’s decision during the civil war, “but I am here now because I want to be a model for my people. And I am proud that you feel the same.”

Lance nodded his head. Keith watched as he took a step closer to the screen, ready to explain the rest of their plan.

“The main reason why I reached out to you was to ask you something,” the omega said, his expression serious and pleading as he looked at his old friends. “You are in no way entitled to say yes, and I promise I am not just asking this because you are my friend. I truly think that I could be of value and I want to help and I-”

“Lance,” Allura said, interrupting the prince’s rambles. “We would be honored to have you join us.”

Silence fell over the call for a moment before Lance shouted, “What! How did you know I was going to ask that?”

Allura laughed. “Lance, you are dreadfully obvious. Why else would you write to me about this? It was clear from the start that you wanted to join our rank.”

Lance’s mouth was gaping like a fish, and Keith couldn’t pretend and say he wasn’t surprised himself. “You are just going to agree so easily,” Lance asked, verbalizing Keith’s own thought. Allura let out another quiet laugh before nodding her head.

“Lotor and I discussed it when we first received your letter,” the alpha explained, “and while he does have some…hesitations, we both agree that having you with us would serve well. You have much knowledge, and a drive to do good that not many have. Plus,” she continued, shooting a look at Keith, “we hope that having Keith be with the Blade of Marmora would help us strike an alliance with them. Lotor has had contact with them, but their leader is hesitant to trust him. Despite how much Lotor has done against Zarkon, he is still the emperor’s son. With you by our side, perhaps we can convince them that we are here to help.”

“I would be happy to try and help,” Keith said, stepping closer to Lance in a sign of unity. Lance nodded his head and stood a little taller. “Thank you, Allura. I promise that I won’t disappoint you.”

“I know you won’t,” Allura said kindly. “I have every faith in you.”

After that, they started to discuss the logistics. Keith explained that he would need to communicate the plan with the Blade and hope that they agreed to the idea. Allura understood, and said that they could organize a plan to retrieve Lance as soon as Keith was prepared. The princess explained that the first few weeks of Lance being aboard their ship, Lotor would require him to go through certain training. 

“If you are going to be on the battlefield, then you need to know how to fight.”

Lance agreed all too readily. Keith knew that he was thinking of all the times he had been unable to defend himself. The time when his old guard Michelle died. The attack on the castle. Every moment in between. The alpha was sure that Lance would be more than capable of finding a weapon that would suit him, and as soon as he did, all their enemy’s would need to watch out.

With that expectation put in place, there was not much more to discuss. At least, not until Keith reached back out to Kolivan. Keith explained how he was sure to receive some push back, but he would work his hardest to continence him. Allura nodded, her face dead set, and Lance looked over at him with admiration. 

Soon enough, a door whooshed open on Allura’s side of the call, and her attention became drawn to whoever walked in, stopping the already ending conversation.

“Zethrid needs us in the council room,” a smooth, rich voice said from behind the screen. Allura nodded seriously, but then smiled and beckoned the owner of the voice over. “Of course. Just come say hi to Lance first, then we’ll go,” she said. Keith heard a sigh on the other line but then heavy footsteps. Before the alpha could think about who it could be, the image of Prince Lotor suddenly filled the screen.

Keith’s eyes widened, not expecting to see him. Keith had never met Lotor, and only heard stories about him and his banishment. Of course, he knew more about him now, with Allura being engaged to him and sharing many details about their relationship in her letters to Lance.

“Hey Lotor,” Lance said casually. Lotor nodded his head in acknowledgement, although his face gave away no emotion. Keith couldn’t help but compare him to Kolivan, and almost laughed at the fact they had yet to make an alliance. “Prince Lance,” Lotor responded formally. He then turned his attention onto Keith. “And this must be the guard .”

There was something about the way that Lotor said it. As if he felt that Keith was below him. As if he didn’t believe in what Keith could do. Keith immediately stood up straighter and narrowed his eyes.

“Knight,” Lance corrected, clearly having felt Keith’s posture change. “Keith is one of my parent’s royal knights. Although, he is serving as my personal guard at the moment.”

Keith relaxed slightly at Lance’s defense, and he subtabley moved his hand to cradle the small of the omega’s back, showing his thanks.

Lotor pursed his lips and narrowed his own eyes, clearly catching the movement and tone of Lance’s voice. “Of course,” he said, nodding his head now as an apology, “I did not mean to offend.” Keith was pretty sure that was exactly what Lotor meant to do, although he had no idea why. But with the way Lotor was now zeroing in on Keith’s hand still attached to Lance’s back, the alpha had his suspicions.

“Well,” Allura said quickly, clearly sensing the unfounded tension between Keith and her fiance. “I think this has been an excellent discussion. Keith, please let us know as soon as you hear from the Blade of Marmora. Then we can finish discussing Lance’s position here.”

Lotor nodded along to what Allura was saying, shifting his eyes away from Keith to stare at her. Despite how much Keith was bristled with him in their one minute interaction, it was clear that he was in love with Allura. To be honest, Keith was surprised that Lotor would be in a relationship with another alpha. While it wasn’t unheard of, alpha/alpha relationships were the rarest of same secondary-gender couples. However, now watching the way Allura and Lotor spoke to each other as the said goodbye to Lance, Keith could understand it. It was clear that they worked as a unit, and Keith could understand the appeal in battle.

Even if Lotor seemed like a dick, it was clear that he held Allura in high regard. Even had trusted her about Lance and Keith, despite not knowing either of them well, so Keith supposed he had to give him some credit.

Keith missed them saying goodbye, too busy wrapped up in his thoughts, and only said a quick parting word when Lance elbowed him in the stomach. As soon as the screen went dark, Lance turned to Keith with a relieved expression on his face.

“Looks like we’ve got a plan, samurai,” Lance said with a smile and Keith couldn’t help but reflect it. Because so long as Kolivan agreed, Keith would be able to join Lance on different missions. Of course, they would still have their own missions and duties to partake in, but they could be together. Be together more than what they would if Lance were to stay on Altea. 

“Looks like it, Blue.”

⋆★⋆

True to what Keith thought, Kolivan was difficult to convince.

Keith scheduled a video meeting with him the morning after speaking with Allura, and was very careful in how he presented the idea. Keith started by restating how grateful he was for the opportunity, to which Kolivan just gave him a blank stare. It wasn’t until Keith told him about Lotor and Allura’s crew that he showed any emotion.

Of course, the emotion was disappointment and slight anger. He told Keith that if he wanted to follow Lance around like a puppy (his exact words) then he would not be allowed to do it while wearing the Blade uniform. However, Keith persisted, and was not going to take no for an answer.

After probably an hour of the two of them going back and forth, they finally settled on an agreement. Keith’s first priority would always be to the Blade, but he would be permitted to accompany them on missions. Keith had argued that joining them on missions would help their success, and Kolivan could not disagree. However, he made sure to emphasize that Keith could be called for a Marmora mission at any time, to which Keith immediately agreed. So long as he had the potential to be next to Lance, Keith was okay.

After Keith tiredly dragged himself from the meeting with Kolivan, he was forced to attend his weekly meeting with Dr. Penman. The meeting was much of the same, Keith choosing to open up just slightly about how he was feeling regarding leaving with the Blade. He decided that he wouldn’t tell the doctor about Lance’s plan to leave as well, less it somehow gets back to the king and queen. It was already risky enough having Pidge and Hunk know, along with Shiro, who Keith of course had to tell.

The knight made sure to stop by his brother’s home on the way back from his appointment, wanting to discuss the plan with someone who was not as close to the situation as he or Lance was. Unsurprisingly, Shiro told Keith about his doubts. First with Lance leaving Southern Altea at all, and then joining up with Lotor. However, Keith explained to him how the arrangement could benefit them all, and by how important it was to Lance. 

In the end, Shiro had conceded and told Keith that he wouldn’t tell the king and queen. While he still did not think it was the best idea, he understood where Lance and Keith’s heads were at. “But don’t wait too long to tell King Miguel and Queen Nancy,” Shiro had warned, replaying words he had said weeks earlier in regards to Keith and Lance’s relationship. Keith just nodded his head, and worked his way back to Lance.

⋆★⋆

“Did he agree?” Lance asked as soon as he stepped out of Dr. Yoork’s door.

“Shh,” Keith hushed, looking around the hallways where he had been waiting for Lance to get out his own therapy appointment. “Do you want to alert the whole castle?”

Lance just laughed and looked around. “There’s no one here, Keith. Don’t worry. Now tell me, what did Kolivan say?” The prince was practically bouncing from excitement.

Keith just sighed and grabbed onto Lance’s wrist. He began to drag him towards their chambers, but Lance pulled against him. “Wait, no, Keith,” he said, trying to plant his feet into the ground, “I want to know!”

“Will you be quiet,” Keith snapped, trying to move them as fast as he could. It was difficult with Lance’s attempts to stop them, but finally they reached a door that Keith could pull them into. It was a small council room, but Keith knew that there was no way Lance would let him go all the way to their rooms without getting the information out of Keith. No one should be coming in here, so it would be perfect for them to use at the moment.

Lance shut the door behind them and Keith turned around so that he could face the prince. Lance was pouting, likely due to Keith dragging him down the hallway, but his eyes couldn’t hide the excitement he was feeling over the news.

“So?” Lance asked immediately as he moved closer to Keith, trying to physically press him for information. Part of Keith wanted to make him wait even longer, just to torture him, but Lance looked about two seconds away from throttling Keith if he didn’t speak right that second.

“It took some convincing, and Kolivan didn’t like it at first,” Keith started, his face serious, “but he agreed.” And then after a beat, “Eventually.”

Lance let out a celebratory shout, pumping his fist into the air as he bounced higher. “Yes!” he exclaimed, working to move himself closer to Keith. “I knew he would, oh my gods. This is so great! I’m coming with you, you’re coming with me. Oh my gods I’m leaving Altea! We’re leaving Altea! It’s almost razzle dazzle time and-”

“Lance,” Keith said, “you need to calm down less you alert the whole guard staff.” He titled his head towards the thin door. Lance gave him a miffed look at his celebration being interrupted and shook his head. 

“No, I will not calm down!” he yelled as he threw his arms in the air, his slightly oversized sleeves running down his skins towards his elbows. “This is a momentous occasion. This is the history that we are making. This is-”

“Exciting,” Keith interrupted, “I know. But I also know that we need to make sure that no one knows-”

“Other than Hunk. And Pidge. And Shiro, and probably Adam, and Allura, and her crew, and probably Veronica because she has been looking at me strangely, and-”

“Yes, other than them,” Keith deadpans. Wow, Lance was in an oppositional mood today. The knight told him as much, and Lance just scoffed.

“It’s not oppositional. It’s energetic. I didn’t realize that I wasn’t allowed to be excited about finally being able to help in this war with you beside me.”

Lance crossed his arms and gave Keith another glare, but the alpha just rolled his eyes again and walked up to the prince.

“You are allowed to be excited,” he said, “but I just need you to be excited a little quieter. Now that everything is in place, we need to figure out how to tell your parents. And until then, we can’t be yelling about it at every chance around the castle.”

Lance’s glare grew harder, and so Keith knew that Lance knew that Keith was right, despite not liking it. In order for their trip to be successful, the king and queen could not know until they had a definitive plan in place to leave. Keith knew that at this point, with Kolivan agreeing and Allura more than ready to have Lance aboard, everything was ready to be in motion. They had just to pick a day.

Once Keith was standing directly in front of Lance, he saw Lance tilt his head down. Keith wasn’t sure if it was in anger, defiance, or sadness, but Keith still moved his head down to the prince’s neck to comfort him. Lance stiffed for a moment, and Keith wondered if he was debating about pulling away as punishment for Keith running his fun.

“Come on, Lance,” Keith whispered up against Lance’s jaw. “I’m excited too-”

“You didn’t seem it,” Lance grumbled, and Keith let out a huff. After a second to compose himself and not snap at Lance for interrupting him, Keith instead decided to retreat. He pressed an apologetic kiss to Lance’s skin. “I’m sorry. I am, I promise. You have no idea how happy I felt when Kolivan agreed to letting me accompany you on missions.”

Keith offered one last brush of his nose against Lance to rub the final bits off his scent onto the omega before pulling away so that he and Lance could lock eyes. “And I don’t want anything to compromise it happening. So for now, let's leave the outward celebrations to when we are alone in your room.”

Lance raised his head to look at Keith, and the knight could see the argument in his eyes. But after a moment of silence, Lance relaxed against him and nodded his head.

“Okay,” he grumbled, “I’ll try to stay quieter.” Keith couldn’t help but laugh at the clear disgruntlement in his tone. That only made Lance glare at him again. “Hey don’t laugh at me. I just agreed, didn’t I?” Keith nodded his head and tried to tame his chuckles. 

“Yes, yes, thank you, baby.” 

Lance’s eyes only narrowed further at Keith’s sarcastic tone. “And if you want me to refrain from alerting the whole castle ,” he said dramatically, “then it's time for us to definitively set a date to tell my parents. As soon as everything is set up with Allura and the Blade, we tell them, okay? Tell them about us and about us leaving.”

Keith thought back to how terrified he used to be at the thought of the king and queen knowing about his relationship with Lance. How much the very thought of it made him freeze. He cursed at his past self for unintentionally trying to push Lance away, and he cursed Krolia for giving him those destructive patterns. 

But that was the past. Keith now knew that Lance wasn’t going to leave him, no matter what. They were in it for the long haul, future mates in the making, and nothing could change that. Not his mother, and not Lance’s parents either.

“Yeah,” Keith murmured, “As soon as everything is finalized.”

Lance’s mouth finally curled into a smile as he let his glare fade away. He pushed up on his toes to press a soft kiss onto Keith’s mouth. Keith tried to deepen it, but Lance was already on the ground again, letting their height difference stop Keith’s advantages.

“I love you,” he said, and Keith couldn’t help but smile back at him. It should be insane that Lance could still make his stomach feel so fluttery with those words, but he could.

Keith hummed. “Me too, Blue.” He reached down to wrap his arms around Lance’s back, settling them closer together into a hug. Lance followed suit, and the two of them stood there, almost frozen in the middle of the conference room, just content with each other. 

“We’ve come a long way,” Keith muttered a few minutes later. His mind hadn’t been able to stop thinking about how much he has changed over the past months. How even him a few weeks ago would have been doing things differently then how he was today.

“Yeah, we have,” Lance said before he let out a laugh. “It’s been a long time since I’ve run away from you.”

Keith pulled away just slightly to look down at Lance and quirked an eyebrow at him. “Well, it hasn’t been that long,” he said with a smirk that only grew as Lance rolled his eyes. “But you definitely have changed,” he continued, “we both have.”

Keith thought back to how he acted when Shiro told him that he was going to be Lance’s guard. He thought about the events before Keith had fallen in love with the prince. Their tentative start. Their growing relationship.

It felt like years ago that Lance first had opened up about his experience being attacked in the woods. Keith felt as if he had been connected with Lance for his whole life, rather than just a few months. Both Keith and Lance had changed so much, evolved into different people, that Keith couldn’t help but wonder if that was really even him at all. 

“Yeah,” Lance said, responding to Keith’s statement. “I guess we have.”

It was said simply, but Keith knew that the omega was thinking about the same event as him. He could feel the steady beat of Lance heart pressed against his chest, and knew that his own was moving in sync, just like his mind. Keith didn’t need to say it outloud. Lance already knew.

“So,” the alpha said after another tick, “I suppose that means you’re ready for us to change more?” Keith knew that them leaving to join the rebellion would change them in more ways than they could imagine, and not all for the better. But Keith also knew that he would be able to get through it, so long as Lance was by his side.

Lance’s smile grew wider and he moved his hands up to hold Keith around his neck as he swayed.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, mullet.”

⋆★⋆

“Mama, Papa, there is something that I need to discuss with you.”

Keith tried to keep his face impassive as he and Lance stood in front of the monarchs, but he felt like he was failing. His whole body was jittering with nerves and he felt like he was moments away before either falling over or yelling at everyone for no reason. No matter how many times he and Lance had practiced this conversation over the past week, Keith didn’t feel anymore prepared now that it was actually here.

“Of course, darling,” Queen Nancy replied easily, setting down her tea cup onto the white table clothed table in front of her. “Come, sit.”

Lance shot a nervous look over at Keith before moving to sit next to his mother at the table. It was lunch time, and one of the only true times the rulers took a break from their duties, especially since the war had started. Lance decided that it was one of the best times (out of no good times) to finally disclose their plans to them. He reasoned that it would be before the council meetings with the most annoying members of the court, so they were bound to be in a better mood than they would later in the afternoon. Plus, Lance had argued, food always made everything better.

Keith moved so that he was standing behind Lance’s chair. He was closer than he normally would be in the presence of the king and queen, but he needed to be there in support of Lance. 

“Okay,” Lance started as soon as he was seated, turning to look at both of his parents, “I have some things to tell you, and I don’t know how you guys will react. I mean, I hope you react well, but that probably won’t happen, so I just want you to know that I am adamant in my decision and there is nothing you can say to change my mind.”

Keith had to refrain from throwing his head into his hands. It wasn’t the worst way to start off the talk, but Miguel and Nancy’s faces immediately hardened after Lance told them that they wouldn’t like what he was going to say. Keith probably would have kept that detail until later, after he had actually got the plan out.

“Lance” the king said warily, “What did you do?”

Lance took a deep breath. Keith could tell that he was probably hoping to prolong this as much as he could, but with every passing beat of silence, the knight could see the monarchs growing more worried. He reached around to squeeze Lance’s shoulder, not caring about the way the queen tracked his movement, and felt the omega relax under his palm.

After one more deep breath, Lance finally began to explain.

“As you know, the war with Zarkon and his fleet has been getting much worse. As you also know, I have asked you both to let me join in with the fight.”

King Miguel’s eyebrows shot up and he opened his mouth to interrupt his son but Lance kept speaking, gaining momentum the more words he said.

“We need all the help that we can get! I wasn’t able to do much during the war with Northern Altea. In fact, I did nothing. It was only due to the bravery of the soldiers and knights on the battlefield that got us to the peace Altea is at today.” Lance offered a glance at Keith in acknowledgement, and Keith saw the queen’s eyes follow it again.

“And yet,” Lance continued, “we have now been faced with another war. This time across all the galaxies. And while people are out there risking their lives, I am here doing nothing!”

“It’s to protect you,” the king interrupted. Queen Nancy nodded and added onto her husband’s thought. “We love how passionate you are about wanting to help, but you are just not ready.”

“I don’t agree!” Lance shouted back. “You think that everyone out there is ‘ready?’ You think that all the children and young soldiers that are fighting are ready? You think that they want to be fighting in this war? How is it fair for me to get a choice when so many don’t? I should be out there, helping bring freedom for our people and beyond. It is my duty, not just as a prince, but as a person.”

There was a beat of silence where only Lance’s labored breaths could be heard before the omega spoke again. “I need to be out there,” he said sternly. “I need to be helping.”

More silence followed and Lance crossed his arms. Keith couldn’t see his face, but he was sure that it was that of his furiously stubborn expression. 

“Perhaps,” Queen Nancy said after another minute of terrible silence, “we can discuss a way for you to get more involved. Maybe you could oversee some battle plans or help Luis in peace talks-”

“No,” Lance said, shaking his head. “No, I- that’s not enough. I know you want it to be, but it can’t. I know that you just want to protect me,” he moved his head to take in both his parents. “I know that’s all you have ever tried to do.”

“When I was attacked in the woods those years ago, and Michelle died, it broke me. At the time I felt terrified about what could happen to me. And you both did such a good job trying to protect me then, even if I couldn’t see it. But with all the guards, soon that protection felt suffocating. I felt like I couldn’t be who I was without disappointing you or causing trouble.”

The queen and king’s faces grew sad as Keith watched them take in their son’s words. It seemed that they were finally speechless. The alpha knew that neither monarchs never intended to make Lance feel like that, and that hearing that they did wasn’t easy.

“I love and respect you both so much,” Lance said honestly, his voice growing in confidence, “but I felt hindered. I felt like a bird trapped in a cage, unable to get out or do anything but sit. And over the past year, I’ve realized that if I wanted to get out of that cage, then I would need to do something about it, not just wait for someone to set me free.”

Lance took in another deep breath, and Keith could see that he was shaking silently. He caught a whiff of the omega’s slightly souring scent, and Keith moved around the chair so that he could stand directly next to the prince. Lance looked over at him, and Keith hoped that the admiration he had for the man was set into his eyes. It must have been, because Lance offered him a tiny smile before turning back to his parents.

“So that’s why I made a plan,” Lance said definitively. “I’ve contacted Princess Allura, and she agreed to let me join her, Prince Lotor, and her crew in the fight against Zarkon.”

Chaos erupted immediately. King Miguel stood up from his chair so fast that it clattered to the ground as he shouted “No, absolutely not! I will not let you endanger yourself like that-”

“I’m not asking for your permission!” Lance yelled back, standing up as well. “I have already decided. I will go with them and join the fight-”

“You don’t know how to fight!”

“They will teach me! I will learn, I will adapt. You have always called me resilient, always said that I could do more. Well this is more. This is what I want to do. Why can’t you support me?”

“I can’t support you getting yourself killed,” Miguel answered firmly. “I- I love that you want to help Lance. Your big heart is always something I was proud of you for. But there are other ways. As your mother said, we can find something for you to do here. Right, Nancy.”

Keith had expected the queen to jump in to side with her mate, but the beta remained quiet. Keith moved his head to look down at her, and they locked eyes for a moment. Suddenly, Keith was drawn back to when they had talked over Lance’s bedside, the queen reminding him to look after her son.

“Not many people get a second chance. You do. Don’t waste it.”

Keith had promised her that he wouldn’t. He had promised her that he would look after Lance. And now, he tried to tell her that he would again. He wasn’t sure if the queen was able to understand what he was trying to communicate, but he hoped she did. I promise I won’t let him get hurt. I promise I won’t let him waste his chance.

“I agree with Lance.”

It was said so suddenly, slicing through the thick silence like a knife and making everyone turn to look at her in surprise. Sensing the confused glance from her husband, the queen steadily rose out of her chair and turned to the king.

“Lance is right. This war with Zarkon needs to be everyone’s priority. We have been limiting all our children, not just Lance, due to wanting to protect them.” She turned back to face Lance. “We need to give them a chance.”

“Nancy,” King Miguel said, shocked, but the queen paid him no mind. Instead she took a step forward towards her son and took his hands in hers. 

“I’m sorry, my son,” she said, smiling sadly at him. “I never wanted to make you feel like you were less than. I just wanted to protect you.”

“I know Mom,” Lance responded, giving her his own watery smile. “And I know that I needed it, even if I didn’t like it. But I don’t need it anymore.” Lance once again turned to look at Keith, and the knight could practically see the love in his expression. “I’ve changed a lot over the past year. I’m not the same irresponsible, energetic boy I was even a few months ago.”

Keith couldn’t help but let out a snort at the words, and Lance’s warm expression turned into a glare. Keith quickly regained his composure, realizing who he was in front of, but Nancy was already looking at him with a soft, knowing smile on her face.

“Anyways,” Lance said, drawing out the word to express his annoyance, “the point is that I am ready to do something. Ready to spark change.” He turned to face his mother again and once he saw her nodding, he looked to his father. 

“I know that what I am asking you to support is dangerous. But I need you to trust me. Trust that I know what I’m doing and trust that I can learn how to make a difference. Because I am going whether you want me to or not.” And then after a beat, “But I would really want your support.”

Keith could tell that Lance was holding his breath, waiting for his father’s reaction. Having the queen agree was good, and Keith knew that knowing that his mom supported him would ease Lance’s mind. But, that didn’t mean that he didn’t also want his father’s approval. 

Keith watched as Miguel just stared at his son. His face didn’t indicate anything of what he was thinking, and the knight began to think of the worst. The silence seemed to stretch on, and Lance’s face slowly began to fall. The queen had let go of her son’s hand and turned to face her mate, reaching for him, but Miguel put up a hand to stop her. After another few ticks of silence, the king let out a heavy breath and looked up to face Lance.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” he started, and Lance made a noise of protest. However, the king put his hand up again to stop the prince, and continued. “But I understand why you want to- why you need to do it,” he corrected. “I suppose that your mother and I have kept you too close. You are twenty now, and becoming a very fine man, and a fine omega. You are standing up for what you believe in, regardless of the consequences. It’s something that you have always been good at. And so even though I don’t like the idea of you out there in the midst of the war, I am proud of you and proud of your decision.”

The second King Miguel had stopped speaking Lance launched himself into his arms. “Thank you thank you thank you,” the prince repeated, wrapping his arms around his father’s neck. The king was surprised at the hug, and stumbled for a moment before finding his balance. Once he did, he wrapped his arms around Lance as well, holding onto him hard. Keith and the queen just watched their embrace with small smiles, and Keith found himself relaxing with relief. Despite the yelling, this had gone much better than he thought that it would. He knew that now that the monarchs were aware of their plans, it was only a matter of time before they would be able to act on them.

Keith and Lance would be gone before they knew it, out there and fighting.

⋆★⋆

After Lance and his father pulled away out of their hug, they finally all sat down again to go over the specific details. King Miguel (rather embarrassingly) picked up his fallen chair off the floor, and Keith found himself sitting as well, despite the fact that he would have rather been standing. But as the king and queen made themselves, Lance turned to whisper to Keith.

“I need you to sit next to me.” He whispered in a rush. “What,” Keith whisper-shouted back. “Why?” 

Lance rolled his eyes and nodded his head over towards his parents. “Because, now that the big news is out of the way, we can tell them about us. And the Blade.”

And oh, right. Keith had almost forgotten about that. He had been so worried about how the king and queen would react to Lance joining the war that he forgot that Lance also wanted to tell them about their relationship. He tried to calm himself down as he pulled up a chair, reminding himself that he wanted and needed to do this.

Luckily, Keith had a few minutes to actually calm down. Despite his parents slowly agreeing to support Lance in his endeavor, that didn’t stop their questions or concerns. King Miguel and Queen Nancy began to shoot a number of different questions towards Lance, starting with confirmation about his plans to join Allura and Lotor aboard their ship. Despite how much they were grilling him, Keith oddly felt as if listening to Lance explain their plans helped him relax. He and Lance had been talking about this for so long that it felt like routine at this point.

It wasn’t until the king swung his head to look at Keith for the first time since the conversation had started did Keith feel the nerves come bubbingling back up.

“I trust that you will be going with him?” the king asked once Lance had finished his explanation. The king looked extremely worried, and Keith wanted to immediately reassure him. However, he couldn’t exactly do that, and the knight found himself opening his mouth with a loss for words. Keith shot a panicked look over at Lance, who quickly took control of the situation.

“Actually,” Lance said, drawing his dad’s attention away from the alpha and onto him, “Keith had a bit of a different plan.”

That was clearly not the right thing to say because the king’s eyebrows immediately shot up his forehead. Queen Nancy also appeared worried, although her reaction was not as immediate and obvious as her mates.

“What do you mean?” She asked, giving Keith a questioning look. Keith paused and gave a glance over at Lance, hoping that he would continue to explain, but it seemed as if the prince was now expecting him to answer. That idea only got driven further once the queen asked her question to him again. “Keith?”

“I,” he started, before clearing his throat and starting again, his nerves coming back to him full force. “I have decided that I will be joining the Blade of Marmora.”

The answer caused both Miguel and Nancy to gasp and whip their heads to look at each other in disbelief. It made sense. Keith had been the first guard to last as long as he had, and had shown time and time again how much he would do for Lance. Why would he leave him now? It was the same line of questioning that Keith was sure that Pidge had when they had first told them. It was that line of thinking that got them to where they are today, and Lance was quick to interject with this as soon as the main news had been broken. Keith couldn’t help but roll his eyes at how Lance decided to come to his rescue only after Keith had nervously told the rulers about his decision. Because, of course.

“But don’t worry,” Lance said quickly, drawing his parent’s attention back to him. “Kolivan has agreed to let Keith accompany me on missions. Not all of them, of course, I can handle myself. I mean, really, after all that talk about me wanting to find my own path you guys really could have more faith in me-”

“Lance,” Keith said through gritted teeth, trying to get the rambling to stop. Lance let the interruption serve as a way for him to reset, despite the irritated huff he gave.

“So anyway, yeah, Keith won’t be coming with me, not technically and not as my guard. But he will still be there for me.”

“How can you be so sure?” King Miguel fired back. It seemed that despite the fact that he agreed to letting Lance go, the thought of him going unprotected was too much. Although, Keith figured that Lance was right when it came to that. Even if Keith did go with him as his guard, he still wouldn’t be able to protect him all the time. It would be up to Lance to hold his ground, and the king should recognize that.

Keith said as much, which made the king turn his head. Keith thought back to when he confronted the monarchs about Lance’s birthday. While Keith could feel his nerves still simmering beneath his skin, his familiar anger was too. His alpha was pushing against his chest, needing him to protect his omega.

“What did you say, Kogane?”

“I said that Lance is right,” he repeated, only mirroring the queen’s words just minutes earlier. “He is going to be out on the battlefield, and as someone who has been there, I can say that above all else, you need confidence in yourself. Or you won’t survive, no matter who you have protecting you.” Keith knew that he was growing bold, but he didn’t care.

“But I promise that I will still be there. And as for how Lance can be sure that I will still look out for him, it’s the same reason why I’m here right now. It’s the same reason why I begged you to come to your son’s birthday party, and why I came back to rescue him from the rebel attack. It's the same reason why I stayed here next to him, even when nobody else did.” 

It was clear by Miguel’s ever arching eyebrows that he was waiting for Keith to continue. If it had been anyone else, maybe they would have thought more about how they presented the next information. But Keith was too wrapped up in his defense for Lance, the anger and love burning in his blood.

“I’m in love with Lance,” Keith said. He ignored the gasps that once again came out of the king and queen’s mouths, as well as the one that came out of Lance’s. Clearly, the prince had been hoping to tell that news more calmly.

“And I won’t abandon him,” Keith continued, “not for anything. I can’t promise that I won’t make mistakes, because gods know I will. But I know I would never make one as big as letting Lance go.”

Keith turned to face Lance, and readily accepted the hand that the omega pushed out in front of him. Their hands intertwined, and Keith couldn’t keep the affection out of his voice if he tried. 

“I love him,” he said again, “and I will do everything that I can to keep him safe. Always.”

He felt Lance squeeze his hand as they stared at each other. Keith could see how Lance’s eyes softened at Keith’s confession, despite how many times he had heard the words before.

Keith decided that he could have stayed in this moment forever, but they did have an audience. A rather shocked audience.

Or well, the king was shocked. As Keith and Lance turned to face the monarchs again, King Miguel looked like he was two seconds away from throwing his chair on the ground again. His mouth was open as his eyes riveted between the two men.

The queen looked definitely less shocked. In fact, it seemed as if she was pleased.

This did not surprise Keith, not by much. He had never told Lance what his mother had said to him when Lance had dropped, and it was clear that Lance did not think that his mother was as intuited as she was. But she was, if her small smile said anything.

“And I love Keith,” Lance said, trying to get ahead of his parent’s questions. “I really really, really love him. And I know that he won’t let me down.”

The queen’s smile only widened, and it was clear that she was about to speak. But before she could, Miguel did.

“ What? ”

Keith almost wanted to laugh at the way he said it, the utter shock dripping off of his tongue. But he was too terrified to even dream about letting a laugh slip from his lips. At this point, they had well established that Lance would be doing what he wanted no matter what his parents said, but as Lance had repeated throughout the night, their support was still important to him.

When nobody said anything after his yell, the king continued to blubber. “What- just…just what? And when? How? I don’t-”

“Calm down, dear,” Queen Nancy said, bringing her hand over to touch her mate’s arm. “Don’t cause such a fuss.”

The king whipped his head around to look at his wife. “Why are you not causing a fuss? Our son just told us that he wants to join the war, which I am still trying to come to terms with, and now he is-” He waved his hand in Lance and Keith’s direction “ in love with his guard.”

“Please, darling,” Queen Nancy said as she continued to rub his arm, “you must calm down,” she said again. A few moments of silence settled over them as the king…wait, was he pouting? Before Keith could even process this revelation, King Miguel gasped.

“Wait, did you know!”

“No, I didn’t…”

“Don’t lie to me, Nancy.”

“I promise it was never confirmed,” she said slowly, her tone giving away that she did, in fact, know.

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“Well I didn’t want to get you so worked up in case I was wrong! But yes, I did have my suspicions.”

King Miguel gasped again in outrange and shot something back at his wife, the two of them continuing to bicker. They were so wrapped up in each other that they weren’t even paying attention to Lance or Keith anymore.

“I don’t even know what is happening,” Lance whispered to Keith as he leaned over. Keith nodded his head in agreement. “Me neither.”

“But,” Lance said, turning so that he could face Keith, despite how close their faces were, “we told them! At least it's out of the way now and they know.” And then, after a beat and another squeeze of his hand, “I’m proud of you for telling them.”

Keith knew that there were about a million sappy things that he could say in response, but instead he just smirked. 

“Well I had to defend my omega’s honor,” he said, grinning. “Can’t have his parents thinking that his alpha wasn’t looking out for him.”

Lance gave him his desired effect and rolled his eyes. “Oh, my alpha, huh?”

His tone was teasing, but Keith could hear the underlying affection. Still, their banter was one of his favorite things about their relationship, and he would rarely not edge it on. But just as he was about to offer another ribbing comment, he heard the queen’s voice cut through.

“Just look at them, Miguel. They are obviously committed to one another.”

Keith and Lance both swung their heads to look at the monarchs. Keith felt his face get hot as he realized that they had noticed their flirting, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Lance hang his in embarrassment.

“I suppose,” the king said grumpily, “though I still don’t think it was obvious.”

Queen Nancy rolled her eyes before landing them back on the two men, and smiled.

“Despite your father’s disgruntlement, we are both very happy for you.”

Lance raised his head up to look at his mother with wide eyes. “You are?” 

Queen Nancy smiled and nodded her head. “Of course I am, darling. It is clear that Keith means a great deal to you, and I trust that he will be the perfect alpha for you.” She moved her head to look at Keith as well, giving the knight a wider smile. “And that he will look out for you.”

Keith could only nod at her, not knowing how to verbalize everything that he was thinking. But he hoped that the look in his eye and his much earlier promise to not waste his chance with Lance would be enough for her. 

He figured that it was when she gave him a nod back. Keith decided to return the smile before looking over at Lance, who was watching the interaction. Lance didn’t say anything, although Keith knew that he would not be able to get the omega to stop talking once they returned to their rooms. Now, however, Lance just squeezed Keith’s hand again, and Keith squeezed it back.

“Well,” the queen said, now ignoring the still shocked look on her mates face, “now with that exciting news out of the way, I suppose we should continue our conversation.” 

It was clear that the king did not want to keep talking about the war. His eyebrows were still furrowed in confusion, and when he didn’t say anything, Queen Nancy just patted him on the hand as she asked Lance another question about how Allura was planning on assimilation Lance into her crew. Keith turned out Lance’s answer, instead staying focused on the hand that was now sliding into the king’s.

Now that all the news had settled, Keith finally let his mouth quirk into a smile at the couple’s antics. Despite being married for so long, and after all they had been through, they were still so clearly in love.

And Keith would deny it if anyone asked, but he couldn’t help but hope that he and Lance would be so lucky.

⋆★⋆

The following weeks flew by. 

Now that the king and queen knew of their plans, there was nothing stopping Keith and Lance from following through. The day after they told the monarchs, Keith and Lance had called their respective groups, and finally finalized the plan.

They arranged it so that they would leave the same day - Keith to the Blade and Lance to Allura. Keith would go to his base camp training, and get accustomed to the Marmora way of life. Lance would also undergo his own training (something he was more than excited for) before he would be allowed on the field. But Allura had faith that Lance would pick it up quickly, and Keith couldn’t agree more.

Despite how excited both Keith and Lance were to finally be able to contribute to the cause, the fact that they would soon be separated still made them both quiet. Keith knew that he would be able to get Kolivan to assign him to a mission with them soon enough, but it would at least be a few months.

Still, Keith tried not to let that drag him down. He had Lance next to him now, and that was all that mattered. He decided that he would soak up the lasting days with his omega, no matter what. Dr. Penman still called it too much codependence, but Keith just ignored him. Even though he had agreed to call the doctor for monthly sessions once he left, Keith decided that he was well enough acquainted now that he could make his own decisions. And he decided that he needed to be with Lance every moment while they were still on Altea.

Lance seemed to agree, and although they were already rarely seen without the other, their connection only grew deeper. The king and queen had finally agreed to let Lance leave the castle, considering he would be anyway, so Lance had begun to drag Keith back out to the woods. They spent much of their days lounging in the grass, Lance trying his best to weave flowers into Keith’s long “stupid mullet.”

(They also spent a lot of time in their bedroom, Keith taking Lance apart with his hands and his mouth. Once Lance realized that he wouldn't be getting Keith’s knot for at least a month, he had decided that getting it now should be one of their top priorities. And Keith definitely was not complaining. Not when Lance was moaning into his ear and whispering I love yous into the pillow).

Keith’s birthday came and passed (not without a big celebration hosted by Lance, of course) and as fall grew deeper, their plans finally came to a head.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Hunk blubbered as he hugged Keith tight. For a cook, he was surprisingly strong, and Keith felt himself get squeezed tighter. But he couldn’t find it in him to scowl, and instead just fell into the embrace. “I’m going to miss you too, Hunk.”

Pidge’s goodbye was far less teary-eyed, but they still clung tightly to Keith as they told him to not “fuck this up.” Keith promised he would try his hardest, and hugged them back. 

The goodbyes were taking place outside, Lance and Keith waiting for their hovercraft to pick them up. Kolivan had insisted that an official Blade of Marmora ship would collect them, and once they got a secure location, Keith and Lance would go to their respective posts. Lance had already said goodbye to his friends, although Keith was sure that he wouldn’t leave before giving both Hunk and Pidge a final hug. But now, the prince was saying goodbye to his family, an affair where almost all of them were in tears.

Just as Keith was watching Silvio and Nadia launch themselves in Lance’s arms, the two pups hugging him tightly around his neck, the knight felt a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re not going to leave without saying goodbye to me, now are you?”

“Shiro,” Keith said, turning around to face his brother, “of course not.”

Technically, they had said their goodbyes the night before. Keith had visited him for dinner, leaving Lance to have his own final family dinner. Keith had spent the night talking about everything and nothing with Shiro and Adam, and spending time with his brand new nephew.

“Elijah is going to miss you,” Shiro had told him after Adam went to put the pup to bed. He was only two, and the mated couple had only officially adopted him two weeks before. “He barely knows me,” Keith argued back, knowing that the kid was still getting adjusted, but Shiro shook his head. “He knows you. And he will continue to know you, because I won’t be able to stop talking about how proud I am of his uncle.”

“Adam told me to give you his regards for not being here. Elijah was getting a little fussy.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” Keith said with a smile, “you should be with your pup. We said goodbye yesterday and you are still on leave.” Shiro shook his head. “Adam can manage. I couldn't handle not seeing you again before you left.” With that, Shiro pulled Keith into a hug, holding on tight as he forced the knight’s head into the crook of his neck.

“I’m so proud of you,” Shiro whispered, and Keith could tell that his soft volume was trying to be used as a way to stop him from crying. Shiro had barely kept it together the night before, and Keith was sure that he would leave the palace a teary mess.

“Thank you,” Keith answered back, “it really means a lot.” The words were lame in comparison to everything that Keith was feeling. There was no way that he would ever be able to verbalize how much he appreciated Shiro. If it wasn’t for him, Keith wouldn’t be here.

And not just physically here, with Lance. Shiro forcing Keith into this job was just one of the many things that Keith would never be able to repay.

“I love you,” Keith said instead, squeezing Shiro tight. Shiro returned the action, and Keith found the embrace was almost as tight as the one he had with Hunk.

“I love you too, kid.”

Keith just settled deeper into Shiro’s arms, inhaling his strong scent. He would have been content to stay like that for the rest of the afternoon, but soon he began to smell the sweet aroma of starfruit and the sea.

Keith reluctantly left his brother’s arms and turned around to find Lance staring at him. The prince was still surrounded by his family, his niece and nephew attaching themselves to his legs, and Pidge and Hunk gripping his arms, but he was looking right at Keith.

“The Blade of Marmora is approaching the atmosphere,” Keith heard the king say from somewhere behind Lance. Both Lance and Keith nodded their head in confirmation, their eyes still locked, the two of them having a silent conversation.

“Are you ready,” Lance asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

“Of course,” said Keith’s smirk. “I’ll always be ready with you.”

“I’m scared too.”

“Yeah, me too. But we’ll figure it out together.”

There were so many emotions swimming in Lance’s eyes, but he returned the smile that Keith shot him. That was all the confirmation the alpha needed to know that they were ready.

With some final goodbyes to Shiro, with a promise to try and still visit, Keith moved over to where his and Lance’s things were. They were traveling light, so they didn’t have much. Just a few pictures and trinkets. Lance had to leave most of his shoes behind, which he complained about thoroughly, but Keith knew that he was just trying to start an argument. He had his skin care packed away, his signature bracelets on his wrist, and his alpha by his side. There was nothing else he needed.

Keith felt Lance settle next to him, the prince finally tearing himself away from his family. Keith could smell the tears that dripped down Lance’s cheeks, but when he looked over, he saw the omega smiling.

“Thank you,” Lance said, and Keith gave him a look of confusion for what.

“For what?”

Lance took in a breath and Keith was getting ready to prepare for a long Lance patente speech, but instead the breath exhaled back into the smile.

“Just…thank you.” Lance offered a little shrug. “I don’t know what is going to come next. But I know that I can handle it.  So long as you are next to me.”

Keith could feel his own eyes prickle with tears (not that he would ever admit it. And even if he did, he would blame it on all the events of the day.) But they were there but Keith refused to let them fall. Instead he reached down to peck a soft kiss on Lance’s lips, and slid their hands together.

They disconnected as they heard the sudden rush of wind as the Blade’s ship flew through Altea’s atmosphere. Keith looked up to see the small, black hovercraft locking onto them, and began to make a direct path towards them. 

“There it is,” he heard Lance mutter. He squeezed Keith’s hand before turning over to him. Keith once again could see all the different emotions flickering in his blue eyes. The happiness. The fear. The hesitance. The excitement. It was all there, only for Keith to see. 

Lance let his smile widen as wind rushed over them as the ship landed. He squeezed Keith’s hand again, and the alpha returned the gesture back, not taking his eyes off Lance for a second.

Lance leaned up on his toes to get closer to Keith, yelling at him over the loudness of the landing. Still, even with all the commotion, Keith would have been able to hear him over anything.

“You ready for this, mullet?”

Keith couldn’t help but laugh at the nickname. Something that he despised in the beginning had turned into something he loved so gratefully. He supposed it was like Lance, in a sense. The love snuck up on him, but he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Keith moved to wrap his empty hand around Lance’s waist, not caring about all the eyes on them. He offered one last glance to where Shiro and Lance’s family stood, then over at the ship, before finally settling back on his omega.

“With you in my arms,” he said, voice soft even with his smirk, “I’m ready for anything, Blue.”

Chapter Text

“Are you sure that it’s not too blue?”

“I don’t think something can be too blue.”

“Of course it can! What are you, colorblind? Something can absolutely be too blue. Remember the ground on Crazka? Now that was too blue!”

“Okay, you may be right about Crazka-”

“I absolutely am!”

“But not about this. Because I can definitively say that your suit is not too blue. It looks good.”

Lance pouted, not trusting a word that was just said. He had been confident of the color choice up until about five minutes ago, where he pulled the suit of its protective bag and hung it up on the door to stare at it intensely. He needed tomorrow to be perfect, and it couldn’t very well be if all his guests were blinded by his outfit, now could it?

He said as much and he heard a groan behind him. Before he could process the sound of the bed creaking, he felt strong hands incircle his waist.

“It’s the perfect color, baby,” Keith said, pressing a kiss to Lance’s jaw. “And it will look perfect on you tomorrow.”

Keith forced Lance to turn around and face him, and the omega couldn’t help but pout as he looked up at him. Keith had no fashionable eye at all. How was he supposed to trust him?

“You’re just saying that because you are marrying me.”

“I’m saying that,” Keith answered slowly, “because it’s the truth. You picked out the suit design months ago, and have loved it every time you’ve tried it on. The color is gorgeous and will look even better once it’s on you.”

Lance tried to maintain his frown but he felt himself struggling at Keith’s words. He could never hold back a smile when his fiancé was praising him. But still, he couldn’t help but feel the doubt creeping in. It took them so long to get here and he needed to make sure that he didn’t miss a single detail.

“Are you sure it looks good?” He asked in a small voice, turning to glance back at the offensive piece of clothing. Keith just chuckled (the jerk) and forced Lance’s head back to face him.

“Yes,” he said, giving Lance one of his ‘please stop arguing with me‘ looks. His thumb circled Lance’s cheek from where his hand was holding into the prince’s jaw, and he gave Lance a smile. “It looks wonderful. Now can we please get back into bed. If we don’t sleep soon you’ll be exhausted tomorrow and I do not want to hear you complain about that.”

Lance rolled his eyes and was about to offer a retort but as he opened his mouth he caught sight of how tired Keith looked. Even after four years together, Keith still would sometimes hide when he needed to rest. No matter how much Lance, Shiro, or Keith’s therapist told him he shouldn’t, sometimes the alpha still won.

“Okay,” Lance relented, letting himself relax against Keith. “Yeah, let’s go to bed.”

Lance let Keith drag him to the bed before they both got under the covers. Keith settled behind Lance’s back, swinging his arm over to hold the omega close to his chest.

As per Altean tradition, the couple spent the night before their wedding in separate rooms. As per Lance tradition, he didn’t listen to the rules and had snuck Keith into his room. Even after all these years, Lance always slept better when he was next to his soon to be alpha.

It had been hard when Lance and Keith were first separated. Even though Lance enjoyed all his work with Allura and Lotor, enjoyed doing good, he still couldn't help but miss Keith. He knew that Keith felt similar during his missions with the Blade of Marmora. Still, they made it work. They would call on secure channels almost daily (except when they were on missions) and wrote more letters than they could count. They also were able to look forward to when Keith would have permission to join Lance on missions. They weren’t as often as they would have liked, but they were better than nothing. 

And a year ago, after Lotor officially defeated his father and ended the war, Keith and Lance were able to be together permanently. Keith joined Lance and the rest of Lotor’s generals in promoting their mission of peace and helping war refugees. It was good and honest work, and Lance was happy to go back to it after the wedding.

After all, Lance and Keith did always work better as a team.

And tomorrow, they will be able to do so forever.

⋆★⋆

In the end, Lance’s suit was not too blue.

From the moment he had woken up the next morning - woken up on his wedding day - he had known. After kissing Keith goodbye and kicking him out, Lance turned to the outfit with a smile.

He had taken careful time getting ready, Hunk, Veronica, Rachel, and Allura fluttering around him as he slid his golden bracelets on his wrist. They complimented the flow of his suit nicely, and he knew that Keith would smile as soon as he saw them.

He had been right. The moment Lance started to walk down the aisle, both his parents on either side, Keith’s face lit up in a smile. There may have also been some tears, which Lance was ready to thoroughly make fun of him for.

So maybe Lance was crying a little too. Okay, maybe he was crying a lot, and maybe his Altean markings were glowing from how much emotion he was feeling. But that wouldn’t stop him from calling Keith out on crying too. It was why the alpha loved him, after all.

But crying aside, the wedding was beautiful. Despite all they had been through over the years, Lance was lucky enough to still have his family for support. As soon as he and Keith announced that they were engaged, his mother had insisted that he could have the wedding in Southern Altea, and they readily accepted the offer.

So within his home, surrounded by his closest friends and family, Lance was finally able to marry his soulmate. 

Lance knew that the memory of Keith’s vows would not be leaving his head anytime soon. He likely would make Keith repeat them for hours on end in the future, not letting his alpha go very far from his side. But now isn't the time for that. Now was the time to- 

“Party!” Lance shouted, dragging Keith towards the ball room. All of their guests were already inside, saving themselves from the summer heat that surrounded the gardens where the ceremony was held. Lance and Keith had snuck away for a few private moments, the two kissing softly and maybe crying a bit more. And while they wanted to stay like that for the rest of the night, they knew that they should actually attend their reception.

“Lance, slow down,” Keith called but Lance didn’t listen. He knew that if Keith really wanted to stop him, he would. 

Lance burst through the ball room door, Keith coming up next to him through their intertwined hands as everyone clapped. Instantly they were swarmed by people offering their congratulations, and Lance couldn’t help but beam. He was probably the happiest he had ever been. And although he wasn’t facing Keith, the squeeze of his hand told him that the knight was feeling the same.

It took the couple a while for them to make their way through the crowd, and once they finally did, they made their way over to eat. Lance knew that all the excitement of the day would make him hungry, but he severely underestimated how much the garlic knots that he specifically requested would call out to him.

It was when he was stuffing another garlic knot into his mouth that he heard his mother over the microphone.

“I think it is officially time for the happy couple’s first dance!”

Lance has never swallowed anything faster in his life. Of course his mom would choose now to announce this. He quickly stood up, and felt his chair tetter. He almost lost his balance too, but luckily Keith’s quick reflexes were there to catch him.

As soon as he was steady, he gave a sheepish look to Keith. Keith just rolled his eyes but smiled and moved his hand to get a better grip on Lance’s wrist, pulling him to the dance floor. Their guests cleared a path for them, and Lance let himself get swooped into Keith’s arms. Despite how much Keith claimed to hate dancing, he did seem rather eager to do it with Lance.

Keith settled his hands on Lance’s waist, and as Lance moved to fit himself into position, he let himself take a moment to admire his husband (husband!!). Keith was wearing a traditional black suit, but Lance had convinced him to add some red detailing around the trim. He looked more than handsome, and Lance couldn’t wait to have him all to himself later that night. Now that they were married, the only step left was to let Keith finally place his mark on Lance’s neck. 

It had been something that Lance had wanted to do even before they were married, but Keith had been strict in his conviction that they should wait. Something about trying to stay on Lance’s family's good side, although Lance thought that it had more to do with the idea that Keith still didn’t feel like he deserved Lance. Which was obviously stupid, but Lance supposed that he had his own twisted ways of thinking about things. 

Either way, now that they had tied the knot, it was time for Keith to stick the knot and finally bite him. So yes, Lance was very ready to officially call Keith his mate, and no, Keith did not laugh at his word play when he told him.

“What are you thinking about?” Keith muttered, probably able to sense that Lance’s thoughts had wandered. Lance just smiled and batted his eyes innocently. “Just thinking about how handsome my husband is.” Keith’s eyes narrowed and it was clear that he didn’t believe him, but before he could question Lance any further, the music started.

By now, the two of them were very familiar with the melody that was being played. It had become “their song” so to speak, and Lance had insisted that it be played for their first dance. Despite their family’s confusion at why they would want an odd Earth song to be played, they had agreed. The orchestra and singer had been practicing for weeks, according to Pidge.

You're in my arms

And all the world is gone

Keith began to sway them, moving them steadily across the floor. Lance let him lead, placing his hands around Keith’s neck. It was a little uncomfortable, Keith still being much taller than omega despite the slight late growth spurt Lance had gotten, but Lance wouldn’t trade it for anything. He just kept staring at Keith’s eyes, his lips, his scar, his hair. Everything. 

Because the gods, was his husband handsome. The four years had only made Keith more attractive, and Lance found himself thinking how unfair it was that he could still pull off his long hair (which had only gotten longer). Still, Lance supposed that he should be grateful to whoever gave Keith all his looks. After all, Keith was his now until forever.

Suddenly feeling very overwhelmed, Lance took a moment to look around the ballroom. 

He saw Hunk and Pidge over by the food, watching as Hunk’s mouth moved rapidly while waving a cupcake in his hand as they watched the dance. The prince was sure that Pidge was only half listening to what he was saying, but Lance still found himself smiling. One of the hardest parts of being away for so long was not being able to see his best friends, and he was glad that he could have this time with them.

Next to them was Allura and Lotor. The two of them had finally tied the knot a few months ago, much to Lance’s delight. After Lotor ended Zarkon’s reign, many thought that he would be the next one to take the throne. Surprisingly, he didn’t. Instead, he decided to join Allura in her future rule over Northern Altea, and said that there should be a new line of rulers for Daibazaal, those that would not manipulate the power.

Those people ended up being the Blade of Marmora. With Keith’s help, they had formed alliances with many people during the war, and Kolivan seemed like the perfect fair and just ruler to put in charge of the new Galran Republic.

And even more surprisingly, the person who stood beside him was Krolia.

Keith had met her a few months into joining the Blade, and while it took them a while to get accustomed to one another, they were now as close as they could be. Keith had to deal with a lot of healing from Krolia leaving him, but ultimately, he listened and understood her explanation as to why. It is something that Lance knew, and promised to never share, no matter how much Pidge had tried to get it out of him.

Lance let himself watch Krolia as she smiled at the pair dancing. He knew that she felt guilty for missing so much of Keith’s life, but was trying to make up for it as much as she could now. The prince knew that it meant a lot to Keith that she was here, and Lance made a mental note to talk to her again once the dance was over.

Lance let his eyes skirt over his family, the majority of them all watching the dance with rapt attention. He could hardly believe how much had changed since he had left. Marcus finally pulled his head out of his ass and found himself a wife, a sweet beta named Molly. The pair was pregnant with their first child, and Lance couldn’t wait to meet his new niece or nephew. His current ones, Silvio and Nadia, had grown so much he could hardly handle it. The pups grew up way too fast.

And great, now Lance’s mind couldn’t stop thinking about pups. While it was definitely too early to be thinking about having kids, he knew that he would want them one day. Keith was a bit more hesitant, but Lance knew that he would turn around once it became the right time.

With his thoughts now back to being overwhelmed, Lance turned his focus back to Keith. His alpha could always make him feel better. When he finally let his eyes go back to Keith, he found that the knight’s eyes were already on him. 

What did Lance do to deserve Keith looking at him like that?

“What are you thinking about now, sharpshooter?” Keith said, clearly having been watching Lance’s eyes flit across the room the whole time. Lance smiled at the nickname, something that was created to accompany the ‘samurai’ name Lance had given Keith years ago. Because, turns out, Lance was good with a gun. Very, very good.

Lance turned back into the music, hearing it swell and getting drawn back to the first time they did this dance. Back when everything was so much more uncertain. So different as to now.

“Just about how lucky I am,” Lance said, knowing that it was the closest thing to the truth. “How lucky I am to have so many people here to support me. To support us.”

Keith smiled and nodded his head. “Me too,” he said softly.

Before Lance could berate him for not saying more, Keith moved down to capture Lance’s lips. Lance could hear the faint sound of cheering overtop the music, but nothing else mattered. Not when his husband and future mate’s lips were on his.

It wasn’t a steamy kiss by any means. Not with everyone watching them. But it still made Lance remember the fact that they were supposed to be bonded by the end of the night, and his blood ran hot.

“Mmh,” he whimpered into Keith’s mouth. “Is it too early to leave and go to our bedroom?”

Keith just laughed and nodded his head. “I think so, baby. But I appreciate that you got all hot and bothered by just a kiss.”

The Keith of four years ago would never say “hot and bothered,” but Lance liked to think that he changed him the same way Keith did him. At Keith’s words though, Lance pulled away, deciding to still pout even though he knew that there was nothing he could do.

The orchestra started to slow down the music, and the singer offered the final words to their song.

So close, so close

And still so far

Lance couldn’t help but think about how different the lyrics applied to them since the first time he heard them. Back then, he and Keith really were as close and as far as they could be; a perfect oxymoron.

But now, they were simply together. 

Gods, Lance was way too sappy today. He hoped that Keith wouldn’t hold it against him, even though he was just thinking the thoughts.

As the song closed, Lance saw Keith smirk slightly, because it seemed to be one of the only expressions the alpha could make.

Yeah, he could definitely tell how emotional Lance was. And yet, somehow, Lance couldn’t find it in himself to care.

⋆★⋆

As the reset of the night progressed, Lance found that one feeling was growing ever the more present. He felt like he was going through the five stages of grief, but wedding addition.

The Five Stages of a Wedding went like this:

First, was the nerves. Which, that was obvious. Next was what Lance was coining as the “omg I’m getting married” feeling, which was the transition between nervousness and happiness. Then was the full blown happiness, followed by the soft feeling of finally being tied to your person. And finally, came the last stage-

Horniness.

Now Lance wasn’t trying to be one of those sex-crazed omegas that could only care about getting a knot in them on their wedding day. He had been planning this event for months and wanted to soak it all up.

But, as the hours drifted by, he had decided that he had soaked up enough. It was time to get Keith in his bed and not let him leave until he was thoroughly fucked out with a mating bite on his neck.

Lance let his gaze drift from Rachel, who was talking about how she thought Veronica and Acxa were going to end the night in bed together. Any other time would have had Lance excitingly joining in on the gossip, never letting an opportunity to tease his siblings slip through his fingers. However, he couldn’t find it in himself to pull his attention away from Keith.

He was leaning up against the wall, a drink in his hand as he talked to Shiro and Adam. It looked as if their son Elijah was playing with his uncle’s shoelaces, but Lance could tell that Keith didn’t mind. He was too focused on his new niece, a tiny baby girl that was bundled in Shiro’s arms.

Despite his focused attention, Keith looked up and met Lance’s eyes, almost as if he could sense that Lance was looking at him. He probably could, in all honesty. While they weren't mated yet, Lance already felt tied to Keith in a way that couldn’t even be described.

But that wasn’t to say that he didn’t want to already be mated.

Lance smiled and moved his head a bit towards the door, silently asking Keith for them to leave. While they were technically the hosts of the party, half of their guests had already departed. And Lance was sure that the other half wouldn’t miss them.

Lance couldn’t exactly make out Keith’s expression, but he was almost positive Keith rolled his eyes. Still, after Lance let his smile transform into a pout, Lance could see him let out a breath. He was sure that Keith’s eyes narrowed, a new hunger taking over his face, and he nodded.

Just as Lance was about to celebrate, a sudden finger snapped in front of his face.

“Hey!” Rachel said, giving Lance an unamused look. “Are you even paying attention?”

Lance gave his sister a sheepish and apologetic look, although he couldn’t exactly be sorry. Not when Keith had just agreed to finally fuck him. “Sorry,” he still said, but he could tell that Rachel didn’t believe him. “But I think that Keith is calling me,” the omega continued. 

Rachel looked behind her to where Keith was still taking glances at Lance, his attention torn between his niece and his husband. When Rachel turned back, she just rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. 

“Fine, go hang out with your husband,” she said, pushing Lance towards Keith. He could see that she had a small smile on her face, so he was sure that she really wasn’t as upset as she was playing. He thanked her and made his way towards Keith, carefully making sure not to get caught by anyone that would want to talk to him.

Lance slid up next to Keith, pressing a gentle hand to his arm as he did so. He couldn't help but inhale the smokey scent of the knight, something that had somehow become the most comforting smell in the world to him. Keith smelled like a beach bonfire, and Lance wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“Ah, Lance,” Shiro said, smiling over at him, “we were just talking about how we would love to have you and Keith babysit for us.” Lance smiled and looked over at the tiny pup in his arms, all thoughts of his previous mission going out the door. “Of course,” he said brightly, “I would never refuse to spend time with my new niece and nephew!”

He looked to the ground where Elijah still sat, although now he had given up on Keith’s laces and went to hug himself around Adam’s legs. Lance looked over to the couple in amusement and Adam just sighed.

“I think the pups are starting to get tired,” he said to Shiro, nodding over to where their daughter was fluttering her tiny eyelids. Shiro nodded his head. “I know you’re right. It’s too much excitement, isn’t it Isabelle?” He put on a patented baby voice as he talked to his daughter, and Lance couldn’t help but smile. Seeing someone as fearsome and brave as Shiro be so soft with their child was heartwarming. “We should probably get them to bed.”

In hearing Shiro mention going to bed, Lance was suddenly reminded of why he came over here in the first place. Lance wanted to get to bed himself, although for an entirely different reason. Lance squeezed Keith’s arm, silently telling him that he also wanted to get out of here.

“Yeah,” Keith agreed ineloquently. “We should probably be retiring soon ourselves.”

Keith gave a glance to Lance, but Lance was too focused on the knowing smiles that took over Shiro and Adam’s faces.

“Right,” Adam said as he reached down to pick Elijah off the floor and settle him on his feet. “I suppose you two will be.”

His tone was entirely too teasing for Lance’s likening, and he blushed at the fact that they knew what they wanted to get up to. But hey, it was his wedding, and if Lance wanted to fuck his beautiful husband, then he should be allowed to without shame.

Lance saw Shiro give Keith a serious look, something that only siblings could decipher. Lance was sure it said something along the lines of “you better behave” and he couldn’t help but let out a little giggle at the thought.

Once Keith had apparently given Shiro the silent answer that he was looking for, Shiro backed away. He moved Isabelle carefully into Adam’s arms so that he could give Keith a hug, slapping the other alpha on the back.

“Congratulations again you two,” Shiro said once he and Keith unattached. He moved to take Isabelle back from his own mate and said something to Elijah about getting ready to go.

As soon as they walked away, Lance turned to Keith with a waiting expression. He didn’t even have to say anything before Keith nodded his head.

“Yes, yes, we can go now too, Blue.”

His tone was that of boredom, but Lance knew that it was just an act. Something to spark their typically pull and tug routine. Lance smiled up at him, choosing not to comment, and instead moved his hand down his arm to grab his hand. “I knew I married you for something.”

And with that, he tugged him towards the door.

⋆★⋆

“Fuck,” Lance said as Keith pressed him up against their door. He let Keith use the force of their bodies to push the door shut. Before he could get another word in, Keith’s mouth covered his, the alpha imminently slipping his tongue into Lance’s awaiting mouth.

Despite how much of a non-eager act Keith put up during their reception, it was now clear that he was just as desperate as Lance was. Lance could feel his hardening cock through the material of their pants, and just the thought of it being inside him made him let out another moan.

Normally, Lance would be fine with standing her and letting Keith defile his mouth for as long as he wanted, but not tonight. Lance was already impatient in bed, and the thought of having Keith’s bite on his neck only made him more so. There were only a few minutes between Lance now and the Lance that was mated to his soulmate, and he didn’t want to make it stretch farther than it had to.

Keith clearly was thinking the same thing because the alpha began to pull Lance towards the bed. He stopped kissing Lance only to help remove their clothes. The expensiveness of the suits meant nothing to them, and in a matter of seconds the suit that had made Lance so worried the night before found itself discarded on the floor.

“You look so beautiful,” Lance heard Keith mutter, the knight coming back to press a soft peck to Lance’s lips before pulling away again to pull off his own trousers. “You’re such a vision, baby.”

Lance couldn’t even bother making a comment about how much reverence was in Keith’s voice. The affectionate tone went straight to his cock, and Lance could feel slick begin to trickle down his thighs.

“Please, Keith,” Lance panted out, running his hands along Keith’s arms. He was still impressed by how much muscle Keith had, and had spent probably too much time admiring them. The prince wanted to get himself ready on the bed, but he couldn’t stand the thought of losing Keith’s touch, even for a second.

As soon as Keith was naked, his hands came back to hold Lance’s waist. The grip was tight and Lance was sure that he would have bruises the next morning, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Not when Keith was backing them up towards the bed and softly resting Lance onto the mattress.

Keith’s lips found Lance’s again, and Lance was helpless against the movements of his mouth. Lance moved to wrap his hands around Keith’s neck, twirling his fingers into his long hair. Despite how much Lance made fun of what he still thought was a mullet, he secretly loved Keith’s hair. It was one of the first things he had noticed when his parents made Keith his guard all those years ago, and still remained as just one of the things he loved about his husband.

Lance whined as Keith pulled away again, but the alpha tapped Lance against the hip.

“Need you to flip over, sweetheart,” Keith said, his voice somehow gravely despite having hardly done anything. It made Lance’s stomach flip, and he scrambled to obey.

Keith’s hands remained on his waist as Lance turned over on his knees, settling down on his elbows to give Keith better access to his hole. His slick was likely coating his entire entrance, and Lance wasn’t at all surprised when he suddenly felt Keith’s lips near it.

The alpha was pressing light kisses across Lance’s ass, making his way closer to Lance’s hole with every press. Lance knew that his scent always got Keith going, and he would always gravitate to where it was the strongest.

Lance couldn’t stop wiggling, each press of his husband’s lips making him wetter and wetter. He could probably come just like this, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was waiting for the main event. Lance gave a sudden jolt as he felt Keith’s mouth finally go over his leaking entrance. The omega moaned and Keith just gave a kitten lick.

“Fuck, you smell so good,” Keith groaned, letting his tongue pick up more of Lance’s slick. “Taste so good for me. Always so good for me. Gods, fuck, I love you. Can’t wait to bite you, baby. Make you officially mine.”

Each of his words were accompanied with another swipe of his tongue or peck of his lips. Lance probably should be embarrassed about how much this was getting to him, but he just pressed his ass further into Keith’s hold. Still, he could never resist the opportunity to argue.

“M’already yours,” Lance muttered. “Already married you.”

“Yeah, you did, baby,” Keith hummed, and Lance didn’t have to be facing him to know that he had a love-struck look on his face. “Married me in front of everyone, looking completely gorgeous in your suit.”

Lance felt the sudden prodding at his hole, and could barely understand why before he felt Keith press one of his fingers inside.

“But now it’s time to make it really official. Now it’s time to finally make sure everyone knows who you belong to.”

Every word was met with a punch of Keith’s finger. Lance could tell that he was trying to tease him, even as Keith spread another finger through his hole. Keith’s other hand was holding open Lance’s ass, giving him enough purchase to keep the slow torture going.

“And to make sure everyone knows that I belong to you,” Keith continued, working a third finger into Lance. Lance let out a moan at the insertion, and once again pressed back on Keith’s fingers.

“Time for us to finally be mated. Time for me to finally place my bite on your neck. To give you everything. You. Are. Begging. For.” His fingers speed up, Keith working harder and faster to work Lance open. Lance's mouth had fallen open, letting a whimper escape from his lips.

“Please,” he gasped, “Keith, please. I need you to fuck me- ah - alpha, I need you to make me yours. Make me yours make me yours make me yours.”

It was like a mantra, something that Lance couldn’t dream of to stop repeating until he got everything that he wanted. Until he got Keith.

Luckily he didn’t have to wait long. Keith suddenly pulled his fingers out of Lance, and Lance heard the obscene sound of Keith popping them out of his mouth. Gods, only Keith could make that seem sexy.

Keith’s hands found the omega’s waist again and flipped him over again so that Lance’s back was once again flush against the mattress. Keith crawled up his body so that their heads were parallel to each other, and Lance couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

“Hi,” Lance giggled, his voice barely above a whisper. It was such a sudden switch from the desperate noise that was falling out his mouth just seconds ago, but now that Keith was right in front of him, he couldn’t stop himself from taking in the moment.

“Hi,” Keith answered back, his own voice soft. “You okay?”

Lance nodded his head. “Yeah, I’m okay. I just- I’m just really, really happy. And I love you.”

Keith’s own mouth stretched into a smile. “I’m really happy too. And I love you.”

Part of Lance would have been content with staying like this for the rest of the night. Just embraced in his alpha’s arms. But the larger part of him, the part that was leaking slick onto their sheets and felt Keith’s hard cock press against his thigh, was ready for them to finally make it official.

Lance reached up to kiss Keith’s lips but pulled away before Keith could deepen it. 

“Glad we established that. Now can you please fuck me into tomorrow and and mate me?”

Keith’s expression turned into a grimace at the sudden change in tone but it quickly morphed back into a smile. Lance suspected that Keith couldn’t stay mad at him, especially not on their wedding night.

Lance gasped as Keith began to slowly sink his cock into him. Keith was moving slowly, always afraid that he would somehow hurt Lance, and the omega just had to hold on tight to Keith’s back. He knew that Keith would probably complain about the scratch marks tomorrow, but now the aided pain just made Keith moan.

As soon as Keith bottomed out, Lance moved to smash their mouths together again. Keith responded easily, moving his mouth against Lance as he began to set a steady rhythm. He began to fuck Lance in earnest, and the two of them moaned into each other mouths.

It only took a few minutes before Lance could feel himself getting close. He told Keith as much and felt Keith smile against his lips.

“Yeah, fuck. Go ahead and come for me. I’m right behind you. Fuck- you feel so good,” Keith said as he thrusted harder, making Lance jolt as he pressed against his prostate. Lance let out more moans as his cock rubbed against Keith’s stomach, the alpha doing nothing to get him to tip over the edge other than continuing to drill his cock into his hole.

“Wan- oh fuck, Keith- wanna come with you. Wanna come with your mark on me.” 

“Yeah, baby? Want to come with my cock inside you and my mark on your pretty little neck?  Ready for everyone to know that I’m yours and you’re mine, huh omega?”

Lance could only nod his head as his eyes fluttered shut, the urge to just let go getting stronger with every thrust. But he wanted to do it with Keith.

Keith moved one of his hands off of Lance’s waist and grabbed at Lance’s intertwining their hands together as he pressed them into the bed. It made his thrust a little slower, but Lance gratefully squeezed it, forcing his eyes open to stare into Keith’s.

Now that his eyes were open, he could see the soft blue glow that was emulating out of his markings. The light reflected off of Keith’s cool violet skin, but Lance was too focused on the absolute adoration he found waiting in Keith’s eyes. 

It was as if Keith was trying to make sure that Lance really was ready, despite all the begging the omega had been doing throughout the night. Lance found himself falling in love with the knight all over again, knowing that he would always be safe with him. He was sure that he was able to communicate that through his look, and Keith smiled.

The next thing Lance knew, he was feeling Keith’s teeth scrape against his jaw. Keith pressed a few fleeting kisses down Lance’s neck, sucking and biting at every piece of free skin except the one that Lance was desperate to have his mouth at the most. But before Lance could beg him again to hurry up, he felt Keith finally sink his teeth into his bond mark.

Lance screamed in pleasure as he felt the bond flow through him. The slight pain of the bite faded away as Lance found himself coming against Keith’s chest. The room exploded in blue light as the glow of his markings shone brighter. He felt tears of pleasure drip down his face, as moan after moan spilled from his lips.

As soon as Lance’s orgasm passed through him, the omega felt Keith groan into his neck before coming into Lance. Their connected hands squeezed together tightly as they reached their highs, Keith’s knot locking in place as the bond settled over them.

Lance didn’t know how much time passed. He felt completely floaty and stated, too happy and fucked out to be able to think about anything other than alpha alpha alpha .

Keith was clearly in a similar state, the knight simply breathing heavily into Lance’s neck, nosing at the fresh bond mark. He was still gripping onto Lance, both from where their hands were connected and on his waist. Lance knew that Keith’s knot would also take longer to go down then normal because of the added factor of them bonding.

After a few doboshs, Keith rolled over on the bed to put them in a more comfortable position. Lance found himself face to face with Keith, the alpha - no - his alpha moving his hand to brush Lance’s sweaty hair off of his forehead. He then moved to wipe away Lance’s tears, something that Keith still smirked at being able to tear out of Lance during sex.

And finally, his hand drifted down to the new bond mark. Lance shifted slightly at the touch, his skin still raw, but he brought his own hand to feel it for himself. Keith just watched him through hooded eyes, and Lance found himself blushing. He didn’t know why. Keith had seen him in more debauched states than this. But it probably was due to the fact that now, Keith wasn’t just his knight or his lover. He was his husband. He was his mate. His alpha.

He wanted to say so many things to Keith. So many thank yous and appreciative words. A thank you for not giving up on Lance those years ago when Lance first pushed him away. For continuing to stay throughout everything. For loving Lance so completely and totally that Lance found himself feeling set alight every time Keith so much as looked at him.

But in this moment, like most moments between them, only a few words mattered. And here, wrapped up in each other, bonded and married and completely totally enraptured with one another, they were the ones that mattered the most.

“I love you, Keith.”

“I love you, Blue.”