Chapter Text
“Take it off,” Lance commanded, rolling his eyes as Keith gave him a half-glare-half-scowl, but took off his binder and discarded it on the floor. Keith pulled on a loose shirt and slipped into the bed with Lance, Lance immediately slipping an arm around his waist, something he'd discovered he liked more than he was willing to admit. (much like that bonding moment Lance “couldn't remember”)
“Much better,” the blue paladin mumbled, way too focused on the warm body that was lying next to him, painfully aware that Keith’s shirt had ridden up slightly and was exposing his toned stomach. Lance imagined kissing his way down the other boy’s soft skin, reaching the waistband of his red boxers and-
“I get you’re horny but keep your dick in your pants,” Keith growled slightly, a little threateningly, but more of a playful warning. He smirked as he watched the hungry expression on his boyfriend grow a little, teasing lance was probably his second favourite thing to do to the blue paladin, right after kissing him.
“Oh come on, kitten,” Lance purred, smirking as he adjusted himself until he was straddling Keith's hips.
“Babe, I'm ace.” Keith reminded him. He’d done that a lot recently. He didn't mind but it was kinda annoying he had to keep reminding Lance to keep his hands above the elastic of his boxers.
“Oh yeah...Sorry… but I can still do this, right?” Before Keith could reply and ask what he was talking about, Lance leaned down and kissed him softly before pressing a little harder. Keith felt his heart flutter like a someone flipping through the pages of a book.
Is this a mild heart attack? Keith still wasn't used to being ‘into' someone, let alone someone like Lance. The constant flirting alone made him feel like pudding, but he never let Lance see that. He had a reputation to uphold.
“You sure you don't want to go farther?” Lance asked Jesus this guy was really horny.
“yes, Lance. I was ace 4 seconds ago. I'm still ace now…. but I don't mind doing that again...” Keith said, a smirk on his face as he pulled Lance down for another kiss. The Cuban boy obliged and parted his lips when Keith prodded his tongue into his mouth.
Keith froze when he heard Lance moan a little into the kiss. But kept going when other boy deepened it, not aware of Keith’s moment of shock.
But eventually, the heated make-out session slowed into a cuddly mess of tired teenage boys who really should sleep. But instead, they lay tangled in each other, sleepy kisses being pressed to temples and collarbones. Lance passed out pretty soon, but Keith lay awake for a little longer, looking at the stupid glowing stars Lance had bought at the earth store in the space mall. But a little later his eyelids began to droop and he knew he was going to fall asleep soon.
“I like you a lot,” he whispered to Lance before he fell into a light sleep.
Pidge didn't think to knock, only needing to steal back her headphones from Lance. Instead, she found him spooning Keith of all people. Their legs intertwined together, Keith’s messy black hair splayed out on his pillow, a few strands in his mouth as well as Lance's. The blue paladin's nose just touching the nape of Keith’s neck. Without disturbing the two, Pidge slipped back out the door. She could get her headphones later.
A bright light aroused Keith from his sleep. He cracked open his eyes, only to hear catch a glimpse of someone in the hallway before the door shut behind them. He was too tired to care who or why they had been there.
However, that person had been Pidge. And as Pidge did best, she observed and recorded. She analyzed the two paladins for signs of anything unusual between them, mentally recording every time one of them slipped out of the room when the other had left, or how they would engage in their own deep conversations together, something, Pidge noticed didn't usually happen before. She smiled to herself when she came to the conclusion that Keith and Lance had finally figured out the thing between them (it had been obvious to Pidge a few months ago, she was just waiting for them to catch up.)
Now, how long would it take for everyone else to figure it out? She thought.
As for the rest of the team figuring out about Lance and Keith’s relationship?… well... that was put on hold when Keith joined the blade. Lance had been upset and not his usual self after Keith had broken it to the paladins, explaining that he needed to do this. Lance wouldn't stop him, but that didn't change that lance didn't want Keith to leave.
Lance cried on nights when he missed his boyfriend, his family, and the familiar stars that surrounded Earth. Sometimes the darkness of his room was too much for the blue paladin, but he pushed through.
Keith, on the other hand, hit a wall. His blade partner, Regis, who he’d trained with and had been friends with, died in an explosion. Keith had been too late to help. It hit Keith hard, harder than leaving the closest people in his life on a spaceship that was light years away. He didn't know if they were safe, happy, or even alive. The tears that should have been cried over many years finally eroded his stone walls, leaving him a crumpled mess.
Weeks turned into months, and finally, both Voltron and the Blade of Marmora had agreed on a battle plan against Zarkon and the rest of the Galra Empire.
Finally, after the long and tiring battle, Keith and Lance got the reunion they had been waiting for for months. Both of them felt a wave of relief as they heard each other's voices over the communication links. Neither could wait until they could embrace one another for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
When they arrived back at the castle of lions everyone was excited to see Keith. Shiro was anxious to see Keith, wanting to talk to him about his time with the blade, but also wanting to discuss plans with the other Galra from the blade of Marmora. they followed him and Allura back to the control room to talk about important stuff. He could ask about stuff later.
“Hey everyone! guess what? Keith's back,” Lance tried to keep his voice from shaking as he saw his boyfriend for the first time in months. Keith was dressed in his blade uniform that showed off his muscles. All lance could see and think about was Keith. He drank in his features from a distance, re-memorizing every inch of him. He was particularly worried about the bleeding gash on his cheek.
“Yeah, I guess I am.” Keith smiled, maybe it was more of a smirk. Either way, it felt strange after so much blood had been spilled. Keith thanked every god he could think of that Lance was fine and that the other paladins were safe as well.
Lance watched as Keith said hello to everyone, jealousy taking over his mind as Keith was fawned over by the other paladins. Lance wanted to hold his boyfriend, feel him pressed up against his chest because the whispers of ‘hey, sharpshooter’ over the com earlier wasn't enough for him.
Lance caught Keith’s hand as they started to walk back through the lion’s hangers, splitting off from the rest of the group to say hi to red. As soon as the others were out of sight, Lance immediately pulled the shorter boy towards him, cupping his face in his tan hands.
“Hey,” he whispered, unsure how to start.
“Hey,” Keith responded, nuzzling his cheek into Lance’s hand, taking in a deep breath of that clean laundry smell Lance had. “Long time, no see.”
“Haha, no kidding,” Lance sighed, running a hand though Keith's sweaty and tangled hair, the stupid mullet was still there, but Lance had missed it so he didn't complain that it had gotten longer. “Are you ok?” he asked, worried. The deep cut was now bleeding more, a little blood dripped off the pale boy’s chin and speckled the floor. “How have you been?”
“Pretty shitty... You?” Keith admitted. He'd bottled up the feelings for too long. He didn't feel the need to lie and tell Lance he was A-okay.
“About the same.” they both laughed halfheartedly, too absorbed in drinking in each other’s smell and finding features that had changed in their time apart... Like how Keith had a scar that ran through his eyebrow (they both thought it looked pretty cool), and that Lance had a little bit of stubble that scratched Keith's chin as he kissed Lance.
“I missed you... I-I love you” Keith whispered as Lance hugged him, swaying back and forth in their own dance, too tired to hold back everything he wanted to say, not caring that he was supposed to be strong and be emotionally inarticulate.
“I missed you and I love you too,” Lance said softly, pressing a kiss to the top of Keith's head.
They continued to sway back and forth, dancing to imaginary music, not noticing that Hunk had walked into the hangar in search of the two missing paladins.
Hunk wasn't really that surprised. Pidge had informed him of the character development between the two paladins. Honestly, he was excited from the two! He'd known Lance was into girls and guys for a while. (one time while lance had been really drunk, he'd told the yellow paladin he was bi. But the next day he couldn't remember what he'd said.) Hunk didn't care, it didn't change anything so he never brought it up. But he never thought Keith and Lance were actually a thing.
Now it was confirmed. And with Keith! Keith, the guy who had been gone away for a long time and had finally come back... and looked like he'd been through hell. No wonder they wanted to be alone. Hunk left as Lance and Keith waltzed in the red lion’s hangar, promising himself to bring them dinner in a little bit.
After catching up a bit, Lance recalled that Keith had a nasty cut that seemed to be getting red and puffy. “Keith, babe? Com’on. you need to get that looked at.” Lance reached down and gave Keith a hand up.
“Get what?- oh. I'm bleeding” Keith said, tiredness seeping into his voice.
“Great observing skills, mullet. I don't want this to get more infected, so down to the med bay with you!” lance pushed Keith out the door of red’s hangar to pay a visit to Coran.
A couple weeks later and Keith was barely getting back into the swing of things, if just barely being able to function as a half human half Galra. Adjusting to life back on the castle was strange for Keith. The worst thing about it was the nightmares. He didn't have them for so long and now, yet here they were. It almost seemed like every time he closed his eyes as he watched his teammates get burnt into nothingness as the bomb exploded. each time waking up with a shriek as Lance barged into his room, hearing his scream from his room next door. Eventually, it got to the point where Keith wouldn't sleep. He couldn't watch Regis and other blade members die over and over again.
And eventually, Shiro had to haul him into a healing pod when Lance showed up at the black paladin’s door with a delusional Keith trailing behind him, the poor boy trapped in a state between reality and dreaming.
“Lance?” He called out as Shiro placed him in the pod. “Lance? Lance! Don't let them get me, please… please… don't let them...” he was clearly distressed. Shiro tried to get him to stay in the pod, but he refused to stay still long enough to get him strapped in, that was until Lance stepped in.
“I got this,” Lance said to Shiro before kissing Keith and strapping him into the pod. “Shhh, it's ok,” Lance assured the former red paladin running his hand though Keith's tangled hair. “you just need some sleep, love.” Keith was completely out of it though, unable to hear or respond to Lance, mumbling incoherent words as the pod door swooshed shut.
Shiro just stared, wide-eyed. What the fuck???? What??????? The fuck???? Lance and Keith? The two that were constantly fighting, and getting into each other's face? No way.
“Uh… Shiro?” Lance squeaked as the black paladin pinned him to the closest wall.
“Yeah? OH! Oh my god I'm sorry!” Shiro apologized, taking a step back from lance, not even realizing his reaction to the fact Keith and Lance were a thing. He may be just a little overprotective of Keith.
“It's ok?” Lance wasn't sure how to respond to his hero pinning him to a wall.
“... So you an Keith, hun?” Shiro wondered aloud after a growing silence had taken over the conversation.
“Haha, yeah. Me and Keith,” Lance laughed, “Who would have thought?”
Not me, Shiro thought.
“What's wrong with him?” Lance asked after yet another silence fell over the two.
“I'm not sure. He told me about how one of his friends at the blade died in an accident. I think he felt responsible for it? I'm not sure.” Shiro thought for a second, “ I remember having nightmares about my experience with the Galra, maybe he was having them too…. did he tell you anything?”
Lance thought for a second. Keith had barely said anything about his time with the blades. He mentioned a person named Ryker and another named Regis.
“Something about a dude named Regis? I think he was his training partner.”
“Was?” Shiro asked, gazing at the exhausted teen sleeping in the pod in front of him.
“Yeah. And there was a one with wings named Ryker and a kid named Loki? Like the bad guy from the Avengers.”
“He’s Keith favourite character from that series,” Shiro chuckled, remembering the good times when Keith would have Marvel marathons at the garrison. “He's a huge Marvel fan.”
“No fuckin’ way.” somehow Lance loved him a little more now (if that was possible.)
“Language.” Shiro scolded, before realizing this was more of a casual talk than a profession one. “Sorry. Jesus... you're dating my brother. That's crazy.”
“Hold in a sec. Keith is your what?”
“My brother? Not genetically, I just kinda took him in at the garrison, he didn't really have anyone else.” The black paladin said, “I don't know… we just got really close. I guess I think of him as my little brother.” Shiro sighed.
“So... you know he's trans then.” lance prayed he didn't just out his boyfriend to Shiro. He really should have thought about that before talking.
“Yeah, I was there for him through most of his transition. It was rough… still is honestly.” The older man sighed. “I don't know what's up with him recently. But I really think you've helped him, Lance. I didn't know it was you until now. So thank you” Shiro Said, turning back to look at Keith.
“The worst was a while ago, he's seemed better since-”
But Shiro never finished, the pod swooshed open and Keith flopped out when the restraints let go of his arms and legs.
“Woah, steady there,” Shiro said, catching the wobbly teenager.
Tears lined Keith's eyes, wide and scared. They darted around the room before falling on Lance. “What…?” He groaned, his head throbbing, a migraine was probably on its way.
“Hey Keith,” Lance said softly, wrapping an arm around his waist, “how're you feeling?”
“awful,” he complained, eyebrows furrowing as he felt a jolt if pain stab his head. Yep. Killer headache coming through.
“No shit, Sherlock. The pod said you hadn't slept for three days, and you're dehydrated.” Lance said as Keith tried, unsuccessfully, to deny everything. “It's literally written right there. Common, let's get some water into you and then straight to bed.” Lance ordered. Keith couldn't help snickering at the “straight to bed” part, even if it made another pain shoot through his head.
Shiro persuaded lance to go back to his room, while he got Keith back in his bed.
“Hey, it's going to be ok,” Shiro said when Keith broke down, tears falling down his cheeks as he curled back in on himself, nose running and head pounding. “Do it for Lance,” Shiro said, petting the top of Keith's head like he did during his panic attacks at the garrison.
“For Lance,” Keith whispered after the door shut behind Shiro when he'd calmed down enough.
“I'll do it for Lance.”
...
Life after that had been… weird. Lance and Keith had to basically remake their relationship. But now it was stronger and one where Keith felt safe… that that he hadn't before with Lance, but now it felt stronger.
“So… does anyone else know you're trans,” Lance asked when Keith had spent another agonizing day in Lance's room as period cramps rolled through him.
“I think just Shiro and Coran… oh yeah, and Ryker.” He added after thinking for a bit.
“You should tell me about him, this Ryker guy you talk about sometimes. Not Shiro, I know him pretty well.” Lance said, a smile tugging at his lips. He didn't know much about Keith's time with the blade of Marmora. Afterall, it was knowledge or death with them, and Lance didn't want to risk the death part.
“Uh… well, actually they don't have a gender.”
“Woah! really? Like none. Zippo. No gender.”
“Yeah,” Keith laughed. “Their species reproduce asexually, so they have no need for gender.”
“That's so cool,” Lance said. No gender inequality. Great! “so… do they all look the same?” he asked.
“I'm not sure, I never asked them.” Keith thought for a second before changing his answer. “Yes, they would be different since they're part Galra.”
“But… if they reproduce asexually, then how did one mate with a Galra?”
“Genetic modification? Maybe the Galra were trying to create a hybrid?” Keith wondered, but then felt sick at the thought of the Galra creating his friend, specifically choosing their traits... Making them a lab rat.
“Anyway, what are they like?”
“Uh… they're pretty chatty, way more than the rest of the blade members. And they have wings, those were pretty cool.” Keith said, remember for his time with his teammates.
“Bat or bird?”
Keith was pulled out of his memories back into the conversation “huh?”
“Their wings,” lance repeated. Sitting up on the bed. “Feathered or not feathered wings?”
“Oh. feathered? I think they were more like furred, like Galra fur. And they were really soft. They would get me to preen their wings for them because they couldn't do it themselves… I think it was like a bonding thing that they did on their planet?”
Lance couldn't help the twinge of jealousy, bonding moments were his thing.
“so how did they find out you were trans?” Lance asked, steering the conversation away from bonding and furry shit. Oh god, he hoped his boyfriend wasn't a furry.
“I thought they were a girl… so I asked if they had periods… so yeah. That was real awkward.” A blush crept over Keith’s pale skin.
“I bet.” Lance chuckled. “Speaking of being trans…. When we went to the space mall last week Shiro and I found some stuff like human testosterone.” Lance beamed, he'd kept this a secret for a while. Obviously, Coran had to do some testing to make sure it wouldn't accidentally kill Keith, but he'd gotten the aye ok from Coran this morning and he'd wanted to share this with Keith as soon as possible.
“Wait… you what?!” Keith stood up abruptly, excitement coursing through him. “You found some?” He spent a few minutes trying to say something, but his mouth shut off as his brain processed what Lance had just said.
“When can I start?”
“If you let Coran do a test on you to see if it'll kill you or not, then probably tomorrow? Sometime this week at least.” Lance felt his cheeks begin to hurt from smiling so had, but he couldn't care less.
They were both in the med bay in less than a minute
“This might cause some minor side effects,” Coran informed Keith as he injected a dose he'd established to be safe. “Probably an increase of oils from your skin, something called acne? lance has informed me is a common thing in young humans. Oh, and you'll have an increase in hormones so be prepared for increased sex drive, mood swings and such things.” Coran finished his little rant about stuff Keith already knew, he removed the needle from Keith's arm and applied s bandage.
“You might experience facial hair.” That got Keith excited. He'd seen lance shave every few days and Keith wished he wasn't 'blessed with no facial hair’ as Lance had put it.
They finished up and Keith returned to Lance's room and changing his space tampon before flopping down on Lance's bed with a happy sigh.
“You're not allowed to grow a beard. Or anything like Tony Stark. Ill personally shave it off for you.” Lance smirked as Keith lightly punched him in the shoulder.
“Oh god. You're giving me that look.” Lance groaned, laying next to Keith.
“What look?”
“That stupid look you get when you're going to do exactly the opposite of what I said,” Lance explained, tangling his fingers in Keith's black hair.
“I do not have a look” Keith argued
“You do!” Lance said, fake annoyance in his voice. “You definitely do.”
“Do not, you asshole,” Keith smirked before tickling the spot that he knew made lance giggle.
“Haha! Y-you one hundred- oh my god stop!” Lance laughed harder as Keith sat on him and continued to tickle him, “you, one hundred percent, have a look.” he finished, gasping for breath as Keith finally stopped tickling him.
They stayed like that, Keith sitting on Lance, pinning him down on the bed for a solid minute before the two broke into laughter.
“In all seriousness,” Lance whispered after catching Keith's lips in a kiss, breaking off his small chuckle, “I could get used to you sitting on me like this...maybe minus some of the clothes,” Lance smirked as his boyfriend blushed.
“Shut up, Lance,” Keith muttered, blush spreading across his cheeks.
They both froze at the sound of the door opening, and Keith quickly scrambled off lance when he says Coran and Allura in the doorway. Allura liked shocked, while Coran looked unfazed.
Five for five now
“Uh… Keith, you have a message from the blade… it's uh, it's waiting for you in the common room.” Allura said, awkwardly.
“Thanks, Allura,” Keith said, just as awkwardly.
After Allura and Coran left, Keith excused himself to go view the message, lance following behind him.
When they got to the common room lance split off and went to the kitchen, seeing Hunk. Allura, Pidge and Shiro all having a hurried conversation.
“They've been dating for that long?” Allura hurriedly whispered.
“Yeah, I'm not really surprised though,“ hunk added.
“Me neither.” said pidge.
“I found out last month, but it was kinda weird, I didn't know Keith was gay.” Hunk shot Shiro a look. “Woah, not like that. I think it's great he's found, someone.”
“You all knew?!” Lance yelled from across the room. Immediately everyone stood up to face lance, all of them looking somewhat embarrassed.
“I only just found out,” Allura admitted, a sheepish grin on her face. "I thought you liked females of your species."
Lance was about to explain that he'd kinda liked boys before but Keith walked in before he could open his mouth.
“What's going on?” Keith asked, “Did I miss something?”
“They all knew.” Lance groaned, facepalming.
Panic replaced Keith’s confused expression. “Guys, I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier but-”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Keith.” Hunk interrupted, walking over to the former red paladin and giving him a bear hug.
“Yeah, nothing at all,” Pudge added, joining the hug.
“But, aren't you all mad I hid such a big part of myself from you?” He asked
“Keith, being gay isn't a bad thing. No one's mad at you.” Shiro stated what everyone was saying.
“Woah, wait what? I know that.” Keith said, confused. “What are you guys talking about?”
“What are you talking about?” Allura asked, confused as well.
“Wait… so if you're not talking about you and lance… then what are you talking about?” Pidge asked, closely inspecting Keith for any hints.
“I thought… fuck. I thought you guys found out-" his voice cut off. he didn't have to tell them... he didn't have to out himself. he could still- the voice in his head was silenced as lance wrapped his arm around his waist
"you can tell them if you want. but you don't have to." Lance whispered, reassuring him. "you don't have to do anything you don't want to."
At first, Keith was tempted to stay quiet and to just run away and lock himself in his room. but in the back of his mind, he knew he was going to have to tell everyone or risk them finding out on their own.
he took a deep breath and felt his voice catch as the words tried to force their way out of his throat. "I'm…" Lance gave him a reassuring smile. "I-I'm trans,” Keith admitted, stumbling over his words. he wanted to explain but he already felt a lump rising in his throat and he wasn't going to cry in front of the other paladins. He definitely didn't think this is how he'd come out to the others.
“You're trans?” Hunk asked, in shock. “Really?”
“Yes, hunk! Why would I lie about that.” Oops, there was his anger again. “Sorry.” He felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. “This is why I didn't tell you, I knew you were going to take it badly-”
I said I wouldn't cry
He didn't finish because he was once again engulfed in a hug from Hunk, and soon everyone else.
“Keith, don't you dare, for a second, think we don't like you, or think of you differently than we did before,” Pidge said, Hunk nodding in agreement.
“Allura seemed confused, “what is... what is trans?” She asked.
“Uh… well, I was born a girl, but I always knew I was a boy… so I’m transgender, I transitioned from female to male.” Keith tried to explain in the best way he could think.
“Ah, so like soul shifters,” Allura said, now fully understanding.
“What?” Lance finally added to the conversation.
“Soul shifters, Alteans can just change their appearance, but their souls stay the same. We called people like you soul shifters.” Allura explained.
“I much prefer that to transgender,” Keith muttered.
After everyone ate dinner and everyone asked Lance and Keith personal questions about their relationship, and Allura asked Keith some awkward questions about being a boy with a girl's body, lance and Keith were able to escape back to Keith's room
“Jesus, that was some crazy day.” Lance sighed, flopping down only Keith's bed,
“Yeah, it definitely was.” Keith agreed. “Allura wouldn't stop asking me questions.” He groaned, remembering the very personal and awkward questions she had been asking.
“At least she got you something for your cramps,” Lance said. “Feeling better now?”
“Yeah, loads.” Keith sighed eyelids fluttering shut “today's has been a hell of a day.”
“Yeah.” Lance agreed, kissing Keith's forehead before turning off the light. “See you tomorrow morning.”
But before he could sneak out of his boyfriend's room, Keith caught the bottom of his shirt between his fingers, tugging lance backwards.
“Stay.” He mumbled, sleep already taking over his brain. “Please?”
Unable to resist, lance stripped down to his boxers and crawled into the small bed next to Keith.
“Goodnight, Keith.”
“G’night sharpshooter.”