Mindtrap

Honesty

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Yeah?"

The door slid open. Lance's breath hitched when he saw Keith standing there, watching him. The new black paladin had shed his red jacket, clad in only a fittied black t-shirt.

He must have been training, Lance thought absentmindedly. His long hair was disheveled and messy in most places; his jet black bangs fell over his pale skin and indigo eyes that were a constant reminder of his Galra heritage, but Lance couldn't help but think were so beautiful.

Seeing Keith like this was definitely enough to give Lance thoughts that were definitely not absentminded.

But Keith just stood there, arms crossed, but his expectant gaze was enough to bring Lance back to a less NSFW reality.

Putting one foot in front of the other was almost difficult for Lance, and maintaining a neutral expression was even more so.

Keith dropped his arms to his side, standing a couple feet from his bed. Lance approached him slowly, but was sure to keep his distance.

"H-hey man," Lance began carefully, trying to muster up a bit of confidence, "I just wanted to talk with you because..."

He trailed off. How could he start.

I don't know where I belong. I don't know if I belong. I want to belong. I want to belong with you. I'm always second to you. I hate you, and I think I love you.

(A/N: ALRIGHT Y'ALL HERE'S WHERE EVERYTHING STARTS GOING TO SHIT)

"I-I'm worried," Lance's voice cracked, and he hated it, "And I needed to talk to someone."

Keith looked over him dubiously, very confused but still curious.

"Why me?" He asked, crossing his arms; his voice was steady and low, very different from Lance's own.

"You're my-" Lance coughed, "Our leader now... right."

Keith averted his gaze for a moment, the grip that his arms had around his own chest tightening slightly. Lance cringed internally; it was obvious that Keith had heard those words enough.

"Shiro's back; he's the leader," Keith replied, his tone growing a bitter edge.

"You're right," Lance admitted, desperate to say anything to keep Keith from looking at him like that, "You're right."

Then it came to Lance that Keith was right, and that was the reason he had come in the first place.

"N-now that Shiro's back," Lance began, "There's six paladins, and only five lions. That means-" he gulped, "There'll be one paladin without a lion."

"Shiro will take back the black lion?" Lance questioned carefully, eyes darting around Keith's face, trying to discern any emotion that he could recognize.

Even though he already knew the answer, the simple motion that was Keith nodding was almost enough to stop Lance's heart.

What happens when you've spent your whole life as a placeholder, but suddenly you don't have a place at all?

"A-and you'll go back to Red."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "If she'll have me," Keith's tone was airy, obviously not aware of the heavy weight bearing down on Lance's mind.

What happens when that person that you've been chasing all your life returns, and wants their place back?

Lance ran a hand over his face with a silent sigh. "A-allura will keep the blue lion," Lance said, volume barely over a breath, and this time he wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement, "She's proved herself a better pilot than me already."