#if someone asks i’ll explain why lance being compared to hestia makes me go insane

[autisticlancemcclain]

They’ve stopped at tons of different planets in their time in space, but none so many as on their long, long trip home. Desert planets, jungle planets (a lot of those, actually) sprawling urban planets, you name it. They’ve seen ‘em all, and they’re all cool in their own ways.

Tonight’s planet, though, is particularly spectacular. It’s essentially a giant evergreen forest, and the locals all live in quiet cabins and huts. The very air is green and fresh, and it’s wonderful.

Keith’s biased, of course. He’s always been fond of forests, ever since he was a baby — his Pa regularly took him to the giant ones in east Texas, where the only thing you saw for miles was pine trees and dirt. He’s always found the scenery beautiful, and camping is always fun. (Even if that’s the only way they’ve been living for months. Poor Hunk is at his wit’s end, as are Allura and Shiro, but Keith could live like this the rest of his life and be happy.

Well, maybe not the rest of his life. His back certainly misses mattresses, that’s for sure.)

“Earth to loverboy.” A dark hand waves in front of his face, shaking him from his thoughts and back to the present, where he’s gathering firewood with Allura.

“That doesn’t even make sense. We’re not on Earth. Who taught you that?”

She shrugs. “Pidge and Shiro have been updating me on Terran slang so I blend in once we get there.”

“I wouldn’t trust them as a reliable source of information,” Keith says, snorting. He adjusts the stack of firewood in his arms. “Pidge enjoys lying for her own amusement, and when I was a kid, Shiro had this can of dried beans and every time I misbehaved he took one bean out. He told me that once the can was empty, the world would end. So I’m not saying that they’re intentionally misleading you, but, you know. Not sure I’d take them at their word.”

There’s a long stretch of silence between them. After several minutes, Allura adjusts her own stack of wood (which is, technically, several full-sized logs for them to sit on) and looks at him solemnly.

“Everything about your childhood is confusing,” she says. “But at the same time, explains so much about you as a person.”

Keith nods. He really can’t argue with that, as he was raised first by one (1) hermit monsterfucker and then two (2) gay losers.

“That’s fair.”

They chat idly as they make their way back. They’re the first to arrive to the campground, so they start setting up as everyone else starts trickling back in.

Pidge arrives next, face buried in her holopad. She throws a bag of freshly washed laundry at Keith’s head, snickers to herself, and then scampers back to her lion before Keith can grab her and throw her into a stream, like she deserves. (Allura also points and laughs at him, but Allura could beat him up blindfolded and with one working limb, so he’s long since accepted his fate on that front.)

Coran and Krolia aren’t far behind, completely wrapped up in their conversation about the rare medicinal ingredients in this quadrant. Next is Shiro and Romelle, carrying a massive bucket of water between them. (Well, it’s mostly Romelle and her Altean superstrength, but Shiro is Doing His Best, so.)

“Anyone seen Lance and Hunk?” Keith asks, once he’s gotten the fire going and Pidge has deemed it safe to emerge from her lion. (Fool choice, that, but Keith will wait until she least expects it.)

“You know Lance,” Shiro says. “Hunk too, honestly. We sent our two biggest nerds — besides you, Pidge — on what amounts to a nature walk. They’re going to stop to ogle at any bug and critter they see. Let’s just hope they actually remember to get us food.”

“We’re here! We’re here! Sorry we’re late!”

“Speak of the devil,” Pidge says with a grin. “Or, both of them, I guess. I’m fucking starving.”

“Sorry, we got distracted,” Hunk explains, hurriedly putting a pot over the fire and dumping in some ingredients. Lance speedwalks over to the pot of water Romelle brought to add some of that.

“Hold it,” Allura says, making Lance freeze. “You’re walking different. Explain yourself.”

Lance turns back to face her, hands behind his back and expression the picture of innocence.

“Dunno what you’re talking about,” he says, very obviously full of shit. Keith narrows his eyes, trying along with everyone else to figure out what changed. It’s not his hair — it’s gotten a little longer and curlier since they left Earth, but nothing drastic. He’s wearing his regular baseball tee and jeans. His eyes are as mischievous as ever.

But wait a second. Is that —

“Did you get your ears pierced?” Keith asks, and Lance beams.

“No!” he says with a lot of enthusiasm. Keith blinks. That’s — that’s a confusing mesh of a response, there.

“Huh?”

“Tone doesn’t match what your saying, buddy,” Hunk supplies helpfully.

Lance is undeterred, but pats Hunk’s head in acknowledgment. “I’ve had my ears pierced for years! Couldn’t wear earrings in the Garrison, though, so I wasn’t wearing any when we went to space. But when Hunk and I were looking around for mushrooms and stuff, and I saw something cool in a tree so I climbed it to get it and it turns out it was this phial for a potion that this cool witch lost to a bird —”

“Cool witch?” Romelle mumbles, but Lance doesn’t hear her.

“— and she was so grateful that she wanted to give us a gift, and Hunk and I said she didn’t need to repay us, obviously, but she insisted and gave Hunk a cool bracelet —” Hunk dutifully holds up his wrist, showing off a pretty leather band with several ornate stone beads — “and me these beautiful little gold hoops! Aren’t they awesome?”

“They look dope as hell, dude,” Pidge says, uncharacteristically earnest, making Lance grin sunnily at her.

Everyone else offers their compliments, but Keith is — he’s struck. Without his permission, his brain is thrown back to his nine year old self, with a flashlight and an old, worn copy of collection of Greek myths under the blankets of his bunk bed in the group home. He remembers reading about the hearth goddess Hestia, and how all the gods loved her so deeply and desperately that they were ready to tear apart the universe to earn her hand. How she choose to remain an eternal maiden to avoid a civil war. He remembers rolling his eyes, wondering what was so good about a goddess of the hearth that made gods fall to their knees before her.

He looks at Lance, at how the warm glow of the flames sends dancing shadows over his face. His eyes — deep and dark and endlessly, endlessly brown — reflect the soft burn of the fire, and his new earrings gleam.

And suddenly he understands.

“I like your earrings.”

The words are nearly a rasp, barely escaping the dryness of his throat. He’s — he’s breathless, in shock. The feelings he has for Lance aren’t new, exactly, but in the warmth of the campfire and the quiet of the forest, the intensity of them nearly bowls him over.

Lance smiles, shy.

“I haven’t worn them in a while. I’m excited about them, but I — I wasn’t sure if they were right for me anymore.”

“They suit you. You look — you look really nice, Lance. I mean, you always do, but — you get it.”

Lance laughs softly. His cheeks are red. Keith wonders if it’s from the heat of the fire, or something else.

“Yeah? You think so?”

“‘Course I do,” Keith says, grinning. “You know it, too. Now you’re just fishin’ for compliments.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am —”

“Alrighty there, Romeo and Juliet,” Hunk says drily. “Dinner’s ready, although I’m not sure I have the stomach for it after seeing that.”

Well, Keith sure as shit knows what Lance’s blush is from now. He’s got one that matches.

“Thank you for the food, Hunk,” Keith says, loud and telling. Lance laughs along with everyone else, even though they’re the butt of the joke. The conversation moves on quickly, warm stew and good company making everyone loose and jovial — even though a good amount of that joy comes from teasing Keith and Lance as often as possible.

Keith shakes his head, grinning. He looks at Lance, who’s happily teasing Allura right back about all the goo-goo eyes she makes at Romelle, and feels something warm settle in his chest. Despite all the teasing and nosy comments, he’s happier than he’s ever been.

He thinks that nine-year-old Keith, quiet and sullen, sure that love was stupid, would be so happy to see how things have changed.

———

based off this picture by @intrepid-class again because i’m so serious when i say i think about it every day