Lance was happy. Sort of. When Keith and Shiro had approached him and asked if he wanted to join their relationship, Lance was ecstatic. How long had he wanted to be with them? Longer than he could remember. Whenever he saw Shiro smile and kiss Keith on the cheek, Lance ached. Whenever Keith would laugh and playfully fight with Shiro, Lance yearned. But now...they were saying they wanted him too? It was almost true good to be true.
But Lance still felt like an outsider sometimes.
Like right now, specifically.
"Use your hands more!" Keith shouted. Lance grunted and tried to bring his fists up to cover his face but that didn't stop Keith from punching Lance in the stomach.
"That was a dirty move!" Lance shouted.
"You weren't' paying attention," Keith countered.
"Yes I was!" Lance yelled. "Wasn't I Shiro?"
"Keith's right," Shiro said, looking at Lance with a frown. Lance felt his stomach drop. "You weren't paying attention."
"Oh sure, take Keith's side, like alway," Lance huffed.
Shiro narrowed his eyes. "I wasn't taking anybody's side. There are no sides, Lance." Shiro's eyes widened in realization. "You know there are no sides in our relationship, right Lance?"
Dead silence.
Shiro and Keith stared at Lance for an uncomfortably long time before Lance huffed and crossed his arms defensively. "Of course I do," he said.
"Lance.." Shiro drifted closer, grasping Lance's chin and forcing him to stare into Shiro's eyes. "There are no sides in our relationship. We're all equal."
"I mean yeah," Lance said, darting his eyes to the left so he wouldn't have to stare into the dark onyx eyes of one Takashi Shirogane. "But like, you and Keith have been together longer, so it's understandable that you'd rather....you know...choose him...?" Lance said, cringing slightly at how that sounded.
Shiro was staring at Lance, horrified at what had just come out of his lovers mouth. What the hell was Lance talking about? Did he really think that Shiro would rather have Keith over him? "Lance, I'm not choosing Keith over you...I'd never," Shiro said. "You'd never choose one of us over the other would you?"
"Of course not!" Lance said angrily. He sounded like he was offended. "I love the both of you equally!"
"As do we," Shiro said. Lance clamped his mouth shut to stop from saying anything. "Lance when we asked you to join our relationship, we meant as an equal. Not so that we can love one another more than you. That's not how polyamory works."
"I'm sorry," Lance said.
"Don't be sorry," Keith said, finally entering the conversation. "If anyone should be sorry here, it's me."
"No you--" Lance started, Keith interrupted him with a kiss.
"Listen," he said. "I shouldn't have been pushing you so hard. I was just so worried. What happens if you get caught and you don't know how to defend yourself? I just don't want anything to happen to you."
"It's okay Keith," Lance said, turning his head so he could look at Keith. He cupped Keith's face with his hand, and Keith pressed against it. "Sorry for being a baby and making it about me. I didn't mean to--"
"Nope," Shiro cut him off. "None of that. There is nothing wrong with expressing how you feel Lance. Communication is very important in relationships."
"And we wouldn't want you to feel this way for a long time without ever coming to us," Keith added. "How long have you felt this way?"
"What? That I was just an add-on? Something to spice up your sex life every now and then?" Lance asked. Shiro and Keith went rigid beside him. "A while I guess. I don't really like bringing up my problems. Not when other people are dealing with much heavier stuff."
"Is that really how you see yourself?" Keith whispered. "Do you think that really all you are to us?"
"I...I mean...yeah? I guess. I don't really know how I feel, honestly," Lance said, trying to find the right words to describe how he felt. "I mean, I just couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why two people as perfect as yourselves would need someone like me to make you happy, you know? Being an add-on was the most logical explanation for it."
"How about the fact that we love you?" Keith demanded. "How's that for logical explanation?"
"Lance, you are not an add-on," Shoro said softly, his voice pained. "Keith and I love you so very much, and the truth is, we weren't happy without you. We need your calm aurora and amazing personality to survive. We love you, Lance. Never doubt that."
Lance didn't realize he was crying until Keith wiped them away with a ginger brush of his fingers. Keith pressed a kiss to Lance's cheek while Shiro kissed Lance's forehead. "I love you guys too.." Lance whispered. Shiro smiled.
"After we take a shower I suggest cuddle." Shiro said, pulling Lance up off the floor. Lance laughed and nodded his head, wiping his nose with his hand.
"I'd like that," Lance said. "I'd like that very much."
