Chapter Text
Lance snuck into the castle’s kitchen for the fifth time that day, eager to get more of the new drink that Hunk and Coran had come up with. The taste was a strange cross between tea and egg nog--or maybe apple cider. It was smooth and spicy, and could be drunk hot or cold, though Lance preferred it hot.
It had been a rough day on all fronts. Between a morning drill, several hours on cleaning duty, and extra training, Lance was ready for a break.
They had spent the afternoon doing the mind-meld exercise, which Lance didn’t mind at all. He was beginning to enjoy opening up to his teammates, especially with thoughts about his family. It had been going well, but after a while Keith had gotten weird, throwing down his headpiece without warning and storming out. He had been acting like a skittish cat ever since, and seemed to be avoiding Lance specifically. The image of Keith’s furrowed brow and clenched jaw was stuck in Lance’s mind, and he pushed it away with a huff. So Keith was being broodier than usual, why was he feeling so hung up about it?
Grabbing an oval cup off the rack, he stood in front of the drink dispenser, sighing in happiness as the bluish liquid poured out. He was very sentimental when it came to food--well, a lot of things, really--and something tasty never failed to improve his mood.
Lance had just lifted the cup to his mouth when arms wrapped around his middle, causing him to jump and make an undignified squeaking sound. Checking and finding he had not spilled anything, he turned his attention to who could have cuddle attacked him. The body pressed to his back was too small to be Hunk or Shiro, and too big to be Pidge. It could be Allura, but-
His thoughts cut off abruptly when he glanced down and saw the familiar black gloves and red and white jacket sleeves that were wrapped around his waist. His eyes widened and he nearly dropped the cup again.
“Keith?!” He asked incredulously, looking over his shoulder. Sure enough, the mop of black hair resting between his shoulderblades removed all doubt, and Lance squirmed in irritation. He half expected Keith to make a jab at him or something, anything to distract Lance from the warmth of Keith’s palms bleeding through his shirt, dredging up feelings he was uncomfortable with. “Keith?” he tried again, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Keith muttered, still not budging.
Lance opened his mouth to deliver his trademark sass, but then closed it, furrowing his brow. For all their petty fights and rivalry, he didn’t hate the other boy. Something was obviously bothering him, and Lance was too merciful to give him a hard time. He chuckled softly and reached a hand back over his shoulder to ruffle Keith’s hair.
“Aww, does the big bad paladin miss his mommy?” he asked. Keith instantly tensed, body going rigid, and Lance sighed.
“That’s it, isn’t it.” He patted Keith’s head once more before moving his hand to one of the arms on his waist. “Tell me about her.”
There was a long pause in which Lance sipped his not-tea, unsure whether Keith would take him up on the offer or not. Finally, Keith broke the silence, in a voice so small Lance had to strain to hear him.
“I don’t remember,” he said, and Lance recoiled in shock, turning slightly to get a better look at the other boy.
“Wha-How could you not remember? ” he asked, voice pitched with disbelief. Keith let go and jumped back like he had been burned, scowling at the kitchen floor.
“I just don’t, okay! I was too little,” the red paladin retorted, crossing his arms angrily. His eyes were still glued to the floor, but he was hunched in on himself in a way that made Lance’s gut turn uncomfortably. Without looking away, he set the cup down and took a tentative step closer, ducking his head in an effort meet Keith’s gaze.
“What do you mean?” he asked, voice deliberately gentle. Keith moved away until his back was against the wall, taking a deep breath before letting the words spill out like water from a dam.
“She died when I was four. I was in an orphanage ‘till the Garrison. Sometimes I forget what she looked like, and I don’t even know her name .” Keith clutched his head and went to move away, but Lance intercepted him, grasping the front of his jacket with one hand to keep him in place.
“Keith,” he said softly. “Why’d you come to me?” Keith swallowed and looked away.
“I just...needed…”
“Needed what?” Lance prompted.
“I don’t know!” Keith burst out. “Just...someone.” He drew in a wet, shaky breath that made Lance’s heart ache. The shorter boy bowed his head, still refusing to look at Lance even though they were so close Lance couldn’t miss the water building in Keith’s eyes.
“I don’t even know what happened, I was just thinking, and…everyone thinks I like being alone but I don’t.”
Lance’s mouth opened, but he couldn't speak. All the air had left his lungs, a gaping hole slowly growing in his chest. He stood rooted to the ground, unable to move or respond, and a few ticks passed before Keith continued speaking, voice even quieter than before.
“I always wanted a family...a family like yours,” he admitted, eyes downcast like he was ashamed of the fact. “I just wanted someone who would care if I died or didn't eat enough or had a nightmare. Someone who wouldn't leave me-”
Keith choked on the last word, and Lance watched in shock as a tear made it’s way down Keith’s cheek, falling from his chin and onto Lance’s hand. The small warmth sent him a surge of emotion--something strong he had never felt around Keith before--and he shook off the hesitancy between them. Pressing close to the trembling boy, he brought his hands up to cradle the back of Keith’s neck.
“Hey,” Lance said hoarsely, hindered by the sudden lump in his throat. “It’s alright, you’re not alone here.”
More tears fell down Keith’s cheeks and Lance had the urge to kiss them. He nearly had a heart attack at the thought, but pushed the freak-out away for later. For now he rested his forehead against Keith’s and stroked the side of the other’s neck with his thumb. Keith continued to cry softly, small sobs and inhales sounding so broken Lance could practically feel the pieces rattling in his chest.
After a moment, Keith’s hands fluttered over Lance’s ribs before clutching the front of his green jacket. Slowly, he tucked his face into the taller boy's neck, light breaths flitting across his collarbone, and Lance’s mind went blank. His heart pounded, and his whole world narrowed down to the points of warmth where Keith was touching him.
“I’m sorry I ran out of training earlier,” Keith said, breaking Lance out of his daze. “I wasn’t mad at you, I just…” He sighed and Lance waited patiently for him to find the words. Finally, Keith shifted and spoke again.
“Can you tell me about your family?” he whispered, voice getting trapped between them. “I want to...I wanna know what it’s like to be loved.”
The simple words ripped through Lance’s chest like a blade, and his composure crumbled. Throwing his arms around Keith, he clutched him tightly, tangling his fingers in Keith’s hair and letting the tears overflow.
It hurt. It hurt to know what Keith had been going through, and if Lance’s family were here they would be hugging the daylights out of this boy and loving him till he exploded. But Lance was the only one here, and he would be damned if he didn’t channel them all and pour every ounce of care into Keith so he never felt alone again.
Keith lifted his head when he felt Lance’s body shake against his own.
“Are you crying?” he asked, and Lance squeezed him tighter, trying and failing to hold in his sobs.
“Yeah,” he replied with a wet laugh, knowing he was naturally soft-hearted and not ashamed of it. He opened his eyes and stared at the wall behind Keith, tears still soaking the red paladin's shoulder. What could he say? How could he properly describe the feeling of being loved to someone who had apparently never experienced it before? Thinking back to his own family and all the ways they showed their care and affection, Lance suddenly knew what to say, the words filling his heart and welling over
“Being loved...it’s amazing, Keith,” he whispered. “It feels warm and safe, like somehow you know someone else’s home is in your heart. You bicker and scuffle over stupid stuff like who gets the first shower time or the best slice of pot roast. It’s horribly wrapped Christmas presents and little siblings who draw pictures of you together. It’s when someone patches you up when you hurt yourself and kisses you goodbye every time you leave the house. It’s when you have a place where you know people would rather see your face than anything else in the universe, who’ll laugh with you, cry with you, and beat up anyone who looks at you wrong.” He huffed a laugh as a particular memory flashed by, then squeezed the motionless Keith even tighter.
“It’s knowing you’re more precious to someone than any treasure and gold and...and all that stupid stuff.” Suddenly aware of how much he was rambling, he blushed and trailed off awkwardly.
“Wow, that...” Keith whispered, breathless. “I want that.”
Lance cuddled him closer. “Of course you do, it’s ok,” he assured, not knowing what else to say. Keith sniffled and curled a little closer to him.
“But what do I do, Lance? I’ll never have that. No one ever wanted me,” Keith said quietly, and apparently the universe was going for a record on how many tears Lance could shed.
“Keith, you do have that. It’s us!” he said fiercely, squeezing the dark-haired boy so tightly it must have hurt. He wasn’t quite sure what he was saying, but words spilled out of his mouth in desperation to say something, anything, that would stop this precious human from feeling so worthless.
“We all love you like that,” Lance declared. “We’ve got this whole space family thing going on, ya know? Sure it’s kind of unusual. But hey, it works, and that’s what matters, right?”
Keith remained silent, and Lance’s cheeks grew hot with the thought of just how vehemently he had included himself among those that loved Keith, but he wasn't about to take it back. He could deal with a little embarrassment if it meant Keith’s well-being. The red paladin relaxed a little, but still said nothing. Lance figured Keith needed time to process all this, which was fine, but the silence was stretching on and in danger of getting awkward. He was still holding Keith like his life depended on it, though the boy’s tears had pretty much ceased.
Before he could panic thinking what to do next, there was a thump from the doorway and Hunk walked in carrying a large box. Keith nearly jumped out of his skin, away from Lance, and they both scrubbed at their tear-streaked faces.
“Hey, I’ve got some top-notch local vegetables here,” Hunk was saying, setting the box down on the counter. “We’re gonna eat good tonight!” His gaze flickered between the other two with a warm smile, and Lance shot him a grateful look in return, knowing his best friend was more observant than he let on. Hunk paused for a second in thought, then made his way over to them.
“You know what?” he said happily, “I could use some help here in the kitchen.” He threw an arm around each of their necks, pulling them close till their heads nearly bumped. “We can make it a surprise for the others. There's that big mission tomorrow everyone’s worried about, and a little something nice would be good for everyone.”
“Sounds great, Hunk,” Lance agreed, sneaking a glance at Keith. The red paladin’s hair was falling in his face as he was squished into Hunk’s chest, but there was a small, genuine smile on his lips, and it warmed Lance’s heart.
“You guys alright?” Hunk asked in a caring tone, voice rumbling through Lance’s chest. For a split second Keith’s violet eyes met his, and Lance swore he would go through a thousand battles to protect the small light that had appeared in them. Quickly, Keith looked away, and Lance smiled softly.
“We’re gettin’ there, Hunk,” he said. “We’re gettin’ there.”