#'i thought you were dead' SHUT UUUPPP

[lxiewrites]

Pink Bug Drug

“Hey, Lance, you have a visual on Keith?” Pidge asked.

Lance peered through the scope on his sniper rifle, the technology zeroing in on Keith despite being forty feet up an alien tree. Through the dense canopy, he could see the red armor dart in between the sentries posted, dispatching them quickly with little to-do.

He tore off his helmet; sweat matting his black hair to his forehead and neck. Shaking his head, with the help of the scope, he could see every drop of sweat that was flung off of him. Setting his helmet down he took a leather-like strip he got from a planet from a hidden compartment in his armor to tie his hair up, a stumpy little ponytail in the back of his head.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, ye-yeah, I got a visual.”

“You okay there, buddy?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, Hunk. Just need some water. This is a very humid planet. Just stay on standby until we need ya.”

“Well, it should be relatively low populated. Whoever was here before must have either gone underground or escaped when the Galra arrived.” Pidge intoned, sounding just like a nature documentary voice over. When he said so he could hear her eye roll over the comms. “Really?”

“Well, I’m not calling it your hacker voice.”

“Uuuggghhhhhh. Shut uuuppp!”

“Guys,” the voice of reason sighed.

“Sorry, Shiro,” they chorused.

Lance cleared his throat again. “Well, it doesn’t seem like there’s anyone here but me and Keith. And a few sentries but they’re dead now.”

“Hmm, okay, just be careful, you too Keith, okay? The scans said the place was abandoned but you can’t be too sure.”

“Uh, yeah, he can’t hear you, he took his helmet off.”

”Goddamnit Keith.”

Lance deactivated the comms and snickered, peering through the scope again he could see the red paladin poking around the sentries that he took down. From the distance, it looked as if he found something, a small jar in a pouch attached to the robots. Keith peered at the tiny creature in the capsule, eyes squinting as he held the jar close to his face, making Lance internally roll his eyes at his actions of putting some weird alien bug-thing near his face. Granted, it was pink and fuzzy, how dangerous could it be? But still, that guy has absolutely no sense of self-preservation. Or fear. Even if he were suspicious of something he’d be the first to test it out to make sure it’s safe. Something that Lance can’t help but admire. Keith was just the type of guy to face anything head-on if it was for the greater good.

Lance allowed a small smile at the thought.  Then a loud guffaw when the little pink bug in the jar escaped, unnaturally squeezing its fuzzy body out of a minuscule opening.

Keith the red paladin. Keith who faced down Zarkon himself. Keith who flung himself out of space on more than one occasion, who does amazing shit on a fucking daily basis… Keith who was afraid of a fuzzy, pink, heart-shaped bug.

He was swatting at air, frantic movements and bending backward dramatically trying to get away from this small pink streak flying around him. Lance mentally willed him to put his helmet back on, like, come on bro.

The little pink bug zoomed right up to Keith’s face; he could hear the faint sound of cursing from his helmet. The bug zipped in between the flailing limbs, its target: Keith’s dumb mullet.

Even without the helmet Lance could hear Keith’s exclamation of, “FUCK!” before he tripped over his helmet and fell down on his ass.

#rekt

Lance waited a bit, waiting for him to get back up and check out the abandoned Galra base…but he didn’t get up from the spongy ground. Lance bit his lip; worry slowly starting to creep in. But he should be fine right? It’s just a dumb bug.

A dumb alien bug that was held caged by Galran sentries whose base was abandoned…

That worry quickly froze over into panic.

“Keith!”

Bayard deactivated, he slid down the rubber-like bark, the texture slowing his process by catching on his armor in an extremely annoying way. He ran as fast as his legs could get him, heart thumping, anxiety building. Goddamn idiot can’t stop poking at random shit. Impatient little fuck, poking at glass containers just because it doesn’t satisfy his curiosity fast enough.

He allowed the grumbling in his mind to continue until he finally made it to where Keith fell. He was still on the ground, one leg resting on top of his helmet but otherwise still. He ran and fell to his knees by his head. “Come on, Samurai, you can’t be taken down by a pink fuzzy wuzzy.” Picking up his head gently he set it on his lap, untying the string holding his hair back to explore his head for any bumps. Threading his fingers through silky black hair.

“I swear to God if you’re pranking me I’m putting goo in your gloves.”

He ran his fingers through his bangs, pushing them out of his face. It seemed to be serene, peaceful, as if he was asleep. That’s what scared him the most. Whenever he looked at him there was some sort of expression on his face, a furrowed brow, a slight quirk of his lips, or even a gentle look like this but… there was always some life. Hell, he’s not even this relaxed when he is sleeping, he seen him drop dead on the couch, he might be sleeping but something was happening in that dumb head of his. This serene, sleeping Keith gave him the heebie geebies. He moved his hand to the underside of his jaw, sliding along the skin to his pulse; he held his breath.

His breath left him with a whoosh. He still has a pulse. Lance dipped his head down, hands still cradling Keith’s head, to check if he was breathing. Small, puffs of air fanned over the bottom of his cheek and jaw, the sound of him breathing barely audible past his helmet.

Okay, so far Keith’s alive, good, check. What the fuck did the bug do to him? Where did he get bit? He removed the hand under Keith’s jaw and turned the comms back on.

“Uh, hey, guys, Keith got bit by a weird alien bug thing and heeeEEE—“

Lance cut off his screech when Keith moved his hand from his cheek to his mouth, eyes closed but face still calm. Slowly, he opened his eyes and Lance screeched again, muffled by Keith’s glove. “EEEEEE UM! His eyffs are bink! Like his pubils! That’s not supbosed to be a ing, sumething’s weird, he’s hoding my fface, I don’t know what’s happening!”

Keith’s pink eyes focused on him, the pink glowing neon before fading to a deep rose. His pupil back to black but the slightest tinge of dark pink right in the center. He blinked a few times, confused. “Lance?”

Lance removed his hand from his mouth, holding it out of the way. “Samurai! Are you okay? I just saw you get wrecked from that bug and you didn’t get back up. Your eyes are pink or were pink pinker than now but I can’t find where the bug got you.”

As Lance continued with his rambling Keith’s face steadily morphed to confusion but strangely not annoyance. “Lance, what the fuck did you just say.”

The boy above him heaved a sigh. “You were bit by a freaky weird alien bug and—it’s in your hair!”

“What?!”

“AHH!”

Keith rolled off Lance’s lap to shake the intruder from his head but Lance was already there with the jar that was abandoned trapping the bug with a few locks of Keith’s hair.

Keith slowly drew the strands out from under the lip and Lance secured the lid on top so no creepy ass bugs did shit.

“Holy fuck, holy fuck, holy fuck, what the fuck,” Lance was about to lift it closer to his face when nope, nope, not that stupid. He just tuned into the voices yelling at him in his ear. “Sorry! Sorry, we’re fine; I got the bug. It’s good, he’s standing.” He looked over at Keith who was just staring at him with a bemused little smile. “I think he’s fine but… yeah, okay, I’ll do my best.” He turned off the comms, orders clear. “We need to get you to the castle.”

An eye scrunched the slightest bit in confusion. “Why? I’m fine.”

Lance locked eyes with him, staring into those normally starry eyes but unerringly focusing on the slight tinge of pink in the center. “Dude, you’ve been attacked by a mysterious alien bug, you need to go to the castle and Coran or something.”

His pink lips hitched up just the tiniest bit on one side. “Lance,” he started, fondness in his voice. “I think I’m fine, I’m up and running with no side effects. We should at least check out the Galra base.”

Lance firmly shook his head. “Don’t think so, buddy.” His muscles tensed, words ready and waiting for whatever argument Keith was going to hit him with.

Except he didn’t, he didn’t say something about him being paranoid or stupid or how the ‘mission is more important,’ he just rolled his eyes and said, “Fine. Okay.”

Keith reached down, scooped up his tie that was dropped in the scuffle and gathered his hair back. Letting Lance finally get a clear view of his face without all the shagginess, showing off a strong jaw that somehow happened, smooth skin achieved purely from genetics and not a rigorous ritual like Lance, and a long pale neck. He bent and grabbed his helmet, and placed it on, the red color only emphasizing the pink in his eyes. “Come on, before they send down the lions.” He strolled by, grabbing Lance’s hand along the way.

Lance stared at their hands, brow furrowed. He looked up at the back of Keith’s helmet. He seemed fine, all motor functions running, no stagger or deathly screams. He pouted and looked back at their hands. That was a little out of place.

Though they were growing closer as a team, and since then everyone got a little cuddlier. Courteous of Hunk and Lance, who were the big huggers, but everyone has gotten more comfortable with physical touch. Even Keith has been the recipient of a few group hugs, but he’s always accepted the hugs and touches, never really initiating.

Lance shook his head. It’s just a hand; it must be Keith’s baby steps. He felt warmth spread through his chest, expanding until he felt like he could take off. He sped his speed up until he wasn’t being dragged but was speed walking just ahead of Keith, still holding hands. He slid a sly grin toward the other boy to be met with raised brows and a grin.

Keith sped up until he was just ahead of Lance, who matched him, which Keith reciprocated, again, again, and again. Until they were both running and racing toward their lions, laughing, trying to beat the other.

Still holding hands.

-

“The scans aren’t showing anything particularly wrong,” Pidge said, adjusting their glasses. A 3-D form of Keith’s body on the holo-screen rotating slowly in front of them, different systems of the body flashing through on the mini-Keith. “Other some bumps from the fall he’s fine.”

“What about the eyes?! Pidge! That can’t be normal!” Lance exclaimed, a tired Keith slumping against his side, not even flinching at the volume.

She flung her arms up in exasperation. “I don’t know! I’m not a space entomologist! That might be the only thing it does, I don’t know!” She spun around and sped through they displays until it landed on one with Keith’s brain and some science mumbo jumbo on the side. “The chemicals in the brain seemed to have changed, I can’t be sure, I’d have to check the last results pre-bug. I should probably examine the bug too.”

“You do that Pidgerino, I’m going to bring this one to his room,” he said gesturing to the sleeping paladin at his side. He brought his arm around his back and turned until they were face to face. Keith’s nose brushed along his cheek and he fought down a blush as he maneuvered him so he was over his shoulder. Hoisting him up like a bag of potatoes, supporting the dead weight lugged over his shoulder with an arm around his back and under his butt, he stood up.

Pidge gave them an odd look, raising her eyebrows almost skeptically at them. She turned toward the monitors and coughed, “Gaaaayyy,” into her fist.

He felt his face heat up and, due to lack of mobility of his arms, stuck his tongue out at her, which she reciprocated.

“Have fun with your ento-what-algist stuff, Pidge!”

“Entomology!”

“Whatever!”

He chuckled when they were out of earshot, adjusting his hold on the lump that is Keith, all the while telling himself that this is completely normal. Like, if he could lift Hunk he would totally do this for him too. It’s a thing that happens, bros supporting bros and all that.

Keith stirred in his sleep the limp arms draped around his shoulders tighten and he snuggles his face closer into the crook of Lance’s neck. “Mmm, Lance,” he mumbled.

Lance’s heart hummed. He hugged him close and hid his smile in the sleeping paladin’s shoulder. He’s really too cute for words.

-

They were at the dinner table, poking at their green goo. Shiro doesn’t like to have ‘shop talk’ at the dinner table, saying they needed to have a break from that part of their lives but let’s be honest, what else are they really going to talk about? Oh, Lance found some more Atlean skin care while nosing around the castle? Pidge got past level 5 on the learning Altean module with minimal battles? Their lives practically revolve around this, kinda impossible to find non-Voltron or mission-related stuff to talk about. But there’s an effort!!!

“So, I’m thinking the Galra just bailed on this planet. There’s like nothing here man.”

“Lance,” Shiro warned, “no paladin talk at the table.”

He raised his hands up in ‘what?’ gesture. “Shiro, it’s not like it’s that bad, no one was there but a few sentries. Other than the bug nothing seemed aggressive.”

“I actually agree with Lance,” Pidge said, she held up a hand to stave off whatever Lance was going to say. “Trust me, I was surprised too. But I think that they might have left because there weren’t really any resources on this planet? The planet was very low on quintessence.”

“They could’ve left because they didn’t want to be on a planet with homicidal bugs, like, that’s an option.” Hunk pointed out.

“Hunk,” Pidge sighed, “The bug is perfectly harmless.”

“Who knows Pidge! This bug might have done something to our buddy Keith without us knowing!”

“Hunk,” Allura reassured, “I’m sure if there was something wrong either Pidge or Coran would find it.”

“Don’t you worry, Hunk! I have an entire Altean library on the various strange and beautiful creatures of the known universe 10,000 years ago! I’ll find it soon enough”

“Yes, but does anyone know what that bug might do?”

“You know, this is why I don’t want mission talk at the table.” Shiro intoned. “There are a time and place for these things.”

Pidge snorted and raised her brow the way she does before she says something snarky when the doors opened to reveal a tired and grumpy Keith.

“Hey, Mullet, back from the dead?” Maybe he was being paranoid. Pidge’s probably right, she’s usually right. The weird thing with his eyes might be the only thing that affects him. Just a pigmentation of the eyes, nothing to freak out about. Keith’s fine, Lance was fine, it’s cool.

Keith grumbled and plopped down on Lance’s lap and started to eat his goo.

Everything’s fine.

Ignoring the new weight he reached around the grumpy kitten to grab at his spork. “Hey! That’s mine! Get your own, Keith.”

Keith guarded the food close to his chest, curling his body around it to protect it from Lance’s flailing arms before turning around and shoving a spoonful into his complaining mouth.

Lance reluctantly chewed as his heart sped up. Quite honestly, in all scientific aspects… what the fuck. Nono, nono, he’s just trying to get more comfortable with the team. It’s perfectly reasonable for him to sit on his lap. Lance lounges on Hunk all the time; it’s basically the same, right? Right. It’s Keith, but it’s the same.

Lance felt eyes on him. He looked up to see the rest of the team openly gaping at them, expressions varying between baffled to shocked to completely and utterly weirded out.

Coran broke first, coughing into his fist. “I’ll, uh, I think I shall go check on some books of fauna. See what that little bugger is.”

Pidge’s chair squeaked as she ran to follow a quick, “Me too,” left in her wake.

The rest of the team more or less stared at them and each other. “Uh, buddy?” Hunk asked.

“Yeah, bro?”

“There something you want to tell us?”

Lance inhaled deeply through his nose, the smell of the shampoo he convinced Keith to buy filling his lungs. “Not really?”

“O-oh, okay.” Hunk pouted and looked to Shiro who looked like he was trying to mentally communicate to Keith. Allura, as well, was studying the two; he could see the gears in her head turning.

“Hey, Keith, do you want to spar?”

He looked at him, a weird look on his face. “Right now?”

Shiro shrugged. “Why not?” He got up and gestured in the direction of the training rooms.

Keith placed the bowl, only a few spoonfuls left, back onto the table and slowly got off Lance’s lap. “I guess.” He prolonged the contact as long as he could, staying near his side until he finally left with a final pat on Lance’s shoulder.

When the door slid shut it was like it vacuumed the air in the room shut, tense and aware like the air in a sealed pop bottle.

Hunk popped the seal, fresh air breathed into the room. “Okay, is it just me or was that weird?”

“It was…definitely out of character.” Allura said; she had a slight pout on her lips as she thought. “He seems…friendlier.”

Lance shrugged. “It’s Keith, I think it’s his way of trying to be more touchy.” Hunk looked at him for an uncomfortable amount of time. He couldn’t help but squirm in his seat, darting looks between him and Allura. “What?”

“By sitting in your lap?”

“Uhhh, it’s Keith? The guy is, like, all or nothing.”

Allura settled her forearms on the table. “You have to admit, Lance. It is quite odd for Keith.”

Lance shrugged and got up from the table. “Character development. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Taking the scenic route to his room he walked past the training deck, door closed, and battle cries heard. He paused in front of the doors. He should probably say goodnight. He poked his head through the doors. Shiro and Keith were so focused on their sparring they didn’t notice the door opening. Shiro had Keith on the defensive with his Galra arm, blocking any attacks Keith tried with his sword and aiming for weak spots in his defense.

Keith finally broke through with a well-timed parry and finally had Shiro on the defensive, his sword a red blur around him. His eyes were laser focused on his opponent; breaths labored as sparks flew off of his sword and Shiro’s prosthetic. For one moment Lance allowed himself to appreciate how graceful Keith looked fighting. Like his bayard was just an extension of him. He’s really just watching to learn how to fight in close combat better. Just watching his form and ferocity, the fact that Keith’s beautiful has nothing to do with it.

He sighed.

For a brief moment, Keith’s eyes flickered to him, eyes widening in surprise, before turning his head and smiling at him. In that moment Shiro took advantage his loss of focus. He lunged forward, grabbing Keith’s still sword with his tech arm and yanking it from his grip before tackling him to the ground, human hand to his throat.

“Keith! You lost focus! What the hell… oh, hey, Lance.” He looked back at Keith with a knowing look, before Keith hit him in the face with an open palm, surprising him but not overtly hurting him. Enough to get him off of him.

Keith scrambled off of the floor while Shiro stayed on the floor moving to sit like a little kid. “Hey, Lance, need anything?” Keith asked, running a hand through his hair.

“Just wanted to stop by to say ‘night.” He waved at the both of them with a cheerful smile. Keith smiled little before nodding and looking off to the side while Shiro waved back.

Keith walked over to Shiro and helped him up, arm flexing to get the bigger man off the ground. “If you need anything just holler. Night, Lance.”

He saluted before leaving before he got too far Keith was in the doorway calling out, “Do you want to spar with me tomorrow?”

Lance's feet stumbled across themselves before he turned around and walked backward, hands in his pockets, and a smile stretching his mouth. “Sounds good! See you then!” He waited until the doors closed to sprint back to his room, unable to contain his smile.

-

“Okay, buddy, just keep your eyes on me, not your feet.” Lance encouraged, pushing and pulling their arms, twisting both their bodies. One shoulder going back, then the other, and forward. He laughed when Hunk tripped over his feet to get out of the way for Lance’s.

“Dude! Slow down!”

“Come on, Hunk! You told me you wanted to dance at the next ball thing!” Lance said with a grin.

“Uh, I’m not sure if you noticed, Lance, but I’m pretty stable on the ground.” Hunk looked down at his feet again, making sure he wasn’t stepping on what shouldn’t be stepped on, i.e. Lance’s feet.

Pidge threw some pen-thing that she found, it also does a weird glowing thing but it hasn’t blown up yet, at Lance. Who made some sort of ridiculous sound before karate-chopping it away from him. “We’re not even going to be dancing this fast with this ridiculous footwork Lance. It’s going to be waltzing or some alien dance or something, ya dork.”

Lance released Hunk and made grabby hands to Pidge. “Come on then, Pidge, if you talk the talk you gotta dance the walk.”

She rolled her eyes but made their way over, avoiding Hunk who sprinted to switch places with them. She held out her hands and allowed Lance to pull them into a dance. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

”You don’t make sense.”

They spun around a few times, Lance getting bored with how Pidge kept up with his fancy foot movements and started to just fling her around everywhere just to hear her screech and laugh. Hunk eventually joined in, catching Pidge by the ankles, trying in vain to rescue her. The rescue ended up with the three of them spinning around in a circle until they fell in a heap.

Which is how Coran found them, alien encyclopedia in hand.

“Ah, I see you three are all bonding quite nicely, keep up the good work! Pidge! If you could, please bring up Keith’s profile before and after the bug incident.”

Pidge looked up from where her head was resting on Lance’s stomach. “Uh, okay,” She rolled until her socked feet were in Hunk’s face, who maybe or maybe-not pretended to gag. She shot him a dirty look and went to her computer, which is never too far from her person, and brought up Keith’s health stats.

Coran and the two boys crowded around her. “Hmm, excellent,” Coran hummed, stroking his mustache. “Now, if you could bring up the chemical and hormone stats.”

She did. “What’s this about Coran? The only difference is a slight increase in some chemicals and neurotransmitters that aren’t doing anything harmful. If anything it’s making him happier. HUNK! Stop touching my equipment!”

Hunk retreated his hands with a frown, but then his eyes widened with shock and worry. “Oh man, oh man, I hope that Keith didn’t get on some sort of space drug man.”

Coran flapped a hand at him. “Don’t be a newborn yalmor, of course not. It’s a diligitis cimex, otherwise known as a love bug. If you look at the chemicals you can see that it’s the chemicals serotonin, norepinephrine, oxytocin, and dopamine that’s been increased.” He clicked between the two charts despite Pidge’s squawking. “Hmm, or maybe not…” He looked back at the encyclopedia and back at the charts.

Pidge had enough and pushed him out of her personal space and reclaimed control over her computer. “This is what I was talking about. There’s no real difference, whatever difference there is between amounts of the chemicals aren’t significant. There’s some but not enough to warrant its effect of the bug and not just, oh, I don’t know, having his older brother back?”

Coran waved his pointer finger around in the air, punctuating his sentences. “But I swear on the name of King Groggery the Infirm that this is the diligitis cimex!” His mustache twitched in irritation as he crossed his arms, still holding onto his massive text.

Lance shrugged, stood up and arched his spine in a curve until the pops made Hunk wince. “Well, he’s not acting that much different. I think I—we—would’ve noticed. Maybe the venom doesn’t work on him because he’s part Galra?”

Shrugs and looks around. Hunk’s face scrunched up in his thinking face until his eyes popped open, Lance could almost see the light bulb above his head. His best friend turned to squint at him and looked at Pidge, silently communicating something. Pidge must’ve caught on to something and started scrutinizing him. Then Coran joined, but Lance suspects he doesn’t really know their silent communication.

He placed his hands on his hips. “Care to share with the class?”

“Mmm, not yet, it’s just a theory,” Hunk said.

“Correction, science headcannon,” Pidge corrected.

Hunk nodded at her. “Yes, thank you Pidge. A science headcannon.”

Lance rolled his eyes, leaned back on his heels to the tipping point before swiveling on his heel and walking to the doors. “Well if you care to share,” he said over his shoulder, “I’ll be in the training room.”

-

Lance lost track how many times he ended up on the floor.

He opened his eyes to see Keith hovering above him, backlighted by the bright lights of the training room. His shaggy hair tickled his face, the rosemary-mint smell swirling around him; he could see the repressed smirk on Keith’s lips. “Had enough, McClain?” Keith asked, reaching down to lift him up.

Lanced hopped up, bouncing a bit in place. “Oh, please, Lance McClain? Had enough? Never, gimme all you got, Samurai.”

Keith scoffed but resumed fighting stance, no weapons, but hands still deadly. Lance brought his dominant leg back and lowered his center of gravity. He got a few good hits, dodged a few hits that would’ve sent him on his ass again, but he left himself open and Keith already grabbed his arm and had him on the ground, no breath in his lungs.

He let go of the arm he was still holding and sat down next to him, leaning on him, arm braced on his chest casually. “You’re getting better,” he remarked.

“Really?” Lance coughed out, he held up a thumbs up before flopping it back down. “Good to know I’m not completely horrible.”

“Hey,” Keith poked him in the side. “If you had your gun I’d be down. This is to make sure you’re still alive if you don’t have it.”

Lance closed his eyes and laughed, breathless, but for a different reason. “If you’re there then I think I’d be fine.”

…

His face burned at the received silence. He risked a look. Keith was staring intently at him, pink in his eyes glowing bright before fading darker than before. What was a deep rose in his pupils was so dark it was barely noticeable unless looked for. “Yeah,” Keith said, hushed, “I got your back.”

His heart was a hummingbird in his chest, no longer beating but just a comforting thrum. He held up his arm, hand open, an offer.

Keith grasped his hand, tight and secure.

“And I got yours,” Lance said with a smile.

-

It was a little strange. The bug bite didn’t seem to do anything. Keith was Keith, nothing weird, he didn’t start to fart rainbows or speak in alien languages or start any strange behavior. The only difference was the dull pink in his eyes that faded by the day. And that he made a better effort in actually being a part of the team.

He was there giving out awkward hugs, or sitting close, or even going as far as to hold hands. It was more common for him to touch shoulders or arms to get someone’s attention but having Keith’s warmth at his side during movie night was one of the best feelings ever.

Pidge didn’t make a comment on the possible change or side effects in Keith except that Coran said whatever side effects from the bug should fade after a few days. Though, he did see a couple of looks exchanged between Hunk and Pidge as the week progressed. Their silent communication through a twitch of the eyebrow or the slightest purse of lips irritating him, but not for long when Keith would touch his elbow and ask him if he wanted to work on close combat.

It was during movie night the pink finally disappeared. They were watching a strange action-packed movie with several alien animals and well-placed explosions with a background story of what seemed to be romance between a yelmor herder and a merchant. Most of the time these Altean movies make no sense to them, Allura and Coran would try to explain but… still didn’t make sense.

Pidge was on the floor like the little gremlin she is, on her computer even as she pays a quarter of her attention to the movie, leaning against Hunk’s legs as he ate his space popcorn he made. Hunk was avidly watching gleefully laughing when anything of semblance of a joke came on. Particularly the physical humor, that translates well enough, but only Allura and Coran laughed at the context humor. They were on the other side of the couch, reminiscing, their smiles wistful and a little sad. Shiro was just passed out, thirty minutes into the movie and Space Dad was dead asleep.

Keith was sitting right next to him, a warm heater of a human being leaning against his side. He leaned back, resting his head on top of that mop of fluffy hair. The head under his cheek shifted until a nose was right under his ear and lips brushed the edge of his jaw.

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” he whispered.

He tilted his head down the slightest bit, those lips brushing the skin next to his lips. He pursed his lips, heart humming away. “Neither do I.”

The soft huff of laughter kissed his lips.

Lance turned back to the movie; face hot. He cleared his throat and tilted his head to the side, mouth a safe distance away, but his hushed tone could still be heard. “I think the woman there is, like, a princess disguised as a herder thing and she’s fallen in love with this one dude that sells these orb things.”

“Then what’s with the explosions and the frog thing?”

“Uhh, maybe the frog thing likes to explode?”

Another huff of laughter and shifted until his side lined up with Lance’s resting his cheek against his shoulder, arm wrapped around his. Lance couldn’t help but lean into his heat. A few more minutes of watching in confusion, gentle blue light flickering, listening to Hunk’s laughs, Pidge’s typing, Allura’s faint chuckles, Coran’s hums, and Shiro’s soft snores.

It was a rare moment of peace.

“Hey, Lance,” Keith whispered.

“Yeah?”

His head tilted up and Lance could see the vibrant pink in his eyes. “I really like you.” Then the pink faded to nothingness.

Lance felt his breath stall in his chest when it did come out it was hoarse. “I really like you too, Keith.”

Keith’s eyes widened and pink swept up his face to his ears. He fidgeted in his seat, adding some space between their bodies. Lance shuddered, his side cold where Keith left it. “What? You-you what?”

Lance felt the rest of him go cold. “I, uh, like you?” The statement he felt with his entire being sounded like a question.

“Oh,” Keith’s thumb ran over his knuckles. “I-I guess I do too?”

Lance was…very confused at this point. “O-okay?”

Keith slowly leaned back into him, stiffer than before, spine unyielding. Lance cautiously put his arm around Keith, snuggling him into his side, gradually warming up again.

By the time the movie ended Keith’s spine was relaxed and he was asleep.

-

Somehow it seemed that they’ve gone backward into their relationship as they advanced. They awkwardly became boyfriends but the casual hugs and the ease were replaced with hesitancy and tentative touches at the elbow. The got their groove back when they sparred or stopped thinking so hard, relying on their own instincts. Gave into the instincts of sitting on each other’s laps or holding the other close secrets whispered against skin.

They were hanging out with their lions when Pidge came in asking if they could borrow Keith. Keith so easily abandoned his wonderful boyfriend to follow the glasses gremlin. Lance followed because, hey, it’s not like he had anything better to do.

After a quick scan, she puttered around on the computer while Keith finally let Lance play with his hair after incessant prods to his side. Lance behind him was working on French braiding Keith’s bangs out of his face.

“Huh,” Pidge said. “That’s interesting.”

“What’s interesting, Pidgey?” Lance asked, not even looking up from his work.

“It seems like the levels of chemicals in Keith’s brain went down.” She scooched around to face them, simultaneously bringing up several 3-D Keith on the holo-monitor. Two became enlarged, the others moving to the back as the three took center stage.

“These are Keith shortly before the bug attack, right after the bug attack, and literally twenty minutes ago.” She pointed to the bar chart next to them. “It seems that there was a jump of these chemicals, basically love chemicals.” She sent them a sly look that was ignored. “But, it seemed like a natural progression, so it didn’t seem like it affected Keith, or at least to the point that was explained to Coran. It might be because he’s part Galra or something else, who knows.” She pointed to the most recent one. “But, the chemicals here are lower than the love bug one, which might as well prove that, hey, it did affect him on a level, but it’s not as low as it was pre-bug.” She sent them another sly smile, the light glinting off of her glasses. “So, science headcannon confirmed.”

She jumped up and rushed out the doors. “See you gays later!”

Lance looked at Keith and back at the holos before looking at him again. He reached out to smooth his furrowed brow. “So, uh, wanna talk about that? Because I was under the impression that we were together because we were together and not because of a bug.” Lance was all too aware of the high-pitched tone his voice took.

Keith’s brow wrinkled despite the soothing ministrations of his boyfriend. “I,” he started, “I remember everything, but it felt different.” He leaned into the strokes across his forehead and over his hair. “Like, I looked at you and just felt so secure. I liked you before but it was like all of that uncertainty of liking you was gone and you liked me back. It was if we’d been together for years, so when I told you I liked it you, it was the best goddamned feeling ever. Every time we’d been together it was just proof that we were together and I told you I liked you like I had the right to and it was amazing until it devolved into what the fuck did I just say.” He shook his hands on either side of his face, voice cracking at the memory.

“But I said I liked you back.”

Keith dropped his hands and smiled. “Yeah, you did.” He threaded his hand with Lance’s free one. Lance dropped his forehead to Keith’s, feeling his breath fanning across his face.

“I really hope you’ll feel that secure again. We’ll get there.” He playfully glared at him. “I’ll make you so secure and deliriously happy it’ll feel like you’re on some pink bug drug.”

Keith burst out laughing. “How romantic.” He squeezed his hand. “Same though, I’ll make sure you feel like you’re on some pink bug drug.”

They giggled as they went off to try to find an Altean movie they could possibly understand.

Ao3