The Taylor

Chapter One: You Belong With Me

He couldn't take it anymore.

Lance was too adorable.

Keith had thought him pretty when they saved Shiro, but then it went on. Lance teased him, and made him the butt of his jokes, something that should've annoyed him, but instead the jokes made him feel special. He felt included in the Paladin family because of Lance. There were other, subtle things too. The way Lance spoke to him when the others weren't around, it was softer almost, like he was letting his guard down. How Lance leaned towards him when Keith rescued him from the airlock, how he nuzzled his face into Keith's neck when Keith picked him up and put him in the healing pod. The time they got stuck in the elevator was the worst, he was trying not to stare at Lance's abs, covering his face with his towel and telling Lance to stay away from him. Not because he didn't want to be near him, but because he did, and it made him nervous that it would push Lance away. He had grown close to Lance, even getting Lance to confide in him, when he had left.

For Lance.

Now they were headed back to Earth, Keith occasionally catching himself thinking about how Lance had called him 'grizzled' and wondering what that meant to Lance. But he couldn't ask, he told himself.

They stopped at a nearby planet with water to get more supplies, and Allura split them into groups. Of course, Keith got stuck with Lance.

Lance was so happy to be headed home, there was none of the usual banter. That might've bothered Keith if Lance wasn't so goddamn perky. He was smiling and gliding along the rocky, tree root covered ground in a way that Keith hadn't seen since they had first started forming Voltron. He was content just to think about how Lance would be even more cheerful when they got to Earth. And then he realized that Lance was singing.

It had started as a hum. A soft pulsing hum of a stupid, cheesy 2000's pop song. Keith had heard it before, but he couldn't remember what it was called. Then Lance opened his mouth. His voice was a little off, but he was happy, which made Keith happy. He finished the song and started another, this time a song from around 2017. Keith was now becoming determined to not let anything make him stop. He relaxed a bit, staying a safe enough distance away from the cheerful, cheesy Cuban. Lance kept singing as they neared the fresh stream they had been directed to, when Keith accidentally stepped on a fallen branch that broke with a loud SNAP.

Shit.

Lance jumped and went rigid, turning quickly to Keith with a red face.

"You didn't hear anything!" His voice cracked, they stood still facing off. After a second or two, Lance groaned and covered his face. "Oh, quiznack." He sighed, peeking through his fingers at Keith.

"Please don't tell the team," Lance started, cautiously, as if he was afraid that Keith would tell the team just because Lance had said not to.

"I don't sing around other people often, Hunk and Pidge would never let it go."

Keith was still in shock from the adorable singing, and didn't respond. Just stared at Lance, which made the blue-eyed boy even more flustered.

Lance began to turn and walk to the stream quickly, breaking Keith from his thoughts to follow quickly. Every few seconds, Lance would catch him staring, but they managed to collect a few gallons of fresh, clean water to take back to the group.

As soon as they got to the circle they had made with their lions, Lance took off to sit on top of Red.

Keith began banging his head against Black's leg softly. Why hadn't he just... responded to Lance's embarrassment? He could've comforted him, reassured the beautiful Paladin's nervous expression! But he couldn't do anything, say anything to him.

He couldn't take it anymore.

Lance was too adorable.