The last paladin

T h i r t y

"So what's your problem with Keith?" Wally asked as he sat on the counter with his sandwich as the little league snacked while the Paladins were else where.

"What?" Conner looked at him confused with his arms crossed.

"You usually aren't to bad at being sore loser but you haven't said a word in a few hours," Wally took another bite as he talked with food in his mouth.

"He's right, is everything okay?" Megan looked at him concerned now.

"I'm fine, I just didn't have anything to say," Conner shrugged it off but Wally and artemis gave each other a look.

"Then you do like Keith?" Megan asked slowly.

"Nope," he nodded calmly.

"What?! Why not?! You don't even know him!" She exclaimed surprised.

"The galra are evil, they killed a lot of people including Lances team, what makes Keith any different?" Conner shrugged not caring.

"My guy, my dude, no... that's not how that works," Robin covered his face shaking his head.

"Why not?" Conner frowned.

"Did the galra not kill thousands of innocents?" He asked.

"Well yea-" "did they not enslave thousands of planets?"

"Yes but-" "weren't they the ones that tried destroying earth?"

"I guess-" "did they not kill Lances family and team in front of him and gave him trauma and more?" He asked them flatly as everyone was speechless.

"Yea.." Megan looked down sadly, she knew that better than any of them.

"But Keith didn't do that, he was apart of that team that lance lost," she said softly.

"He's galra, that blood his people shed are apart of him," Conner glared back.

Suddenly lance walked past Conner as everyone went silent and Conner froze in place when lance didn't even look at him.

"The galra empire killed my team, Zarkon slaughtered my friends," lance walked in and went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

"If you have a problem with my friend, or anything that you try blaming him for, come to me," he turned to Conner.

"Kay?" He smiled.

"I-I uh..." Conner gulped with guilt sinking in.

"Shiro and Keith are the only people from my home I have left, from my earth, from my old life, they are my family, they will always be first, I don't care if you like them or not, your going to respect them if you respect me, if you don't then You know where I stand," he explained and took another sip of his water.

"Do you understand?" Lance asked sweetly as Conner looked at his feet like a child.

"Yea," he nodded ashamed.

"Glad we had this talk," lance drank more water walking out as everyone was in shock when lance left.

"I told you," Robin whispered wide eyes.

—

"Everything okay?" Keith asked sitting on the ground as lance handed him the water.

"Yea, couldn't find the water, they keep them in the fridge like a weirdo," lance sat on the ground with him during the break before the two trained again separately.

"That is weird, cold water hurts my teeth," keith made a face as lance snorted.

"Aww keefy has sensitive teeth?" Lance cooed as he ducked the water thrown at him.

"Shut up asshole," Keith growled as lance laughed.

"Okay, you gotta show me how you did that trick earlier with Conner, the leg one," lance grunted getting back to his feet, offering his hand to the other Paladin.

"I learned how to get better at it with the blades, are you flexible enough?" Keith laughed a little as he took Lances hand to get off the ground.

"You underestimate me mullet," lance smirked.

Keith walked to the middle of the plate form as lance followed with a small skip till he stopped next to Keith.

"You really have to jump, when you twist make sure it's with your shoulders and use your chest to bring them down with you so you land behind them, takes the impact away," Keith tried to explain.

He backed away from lance as he listened and watched the shorter boy. Keith ran at him and showed that he used his left leg to just and wrapped his right leg around Lances shoulder, only to use both thighs to lock Lances head so he was secure and twisted his body to bright lance down with a thud.

"Like that," Keith smiled sitting up as lance wheezed.

"How are you so fast?" Lance gasped from the ground as keith giggled at him.

"If someone ever does that to you just twist more so they land first and you can pin them down instead of letting them do it to you," Keith got up and lance nodded getting back to his feet.

"Let's go again," he nodded.

Keith backed up to get speed and ran at lance, he did the move again as his legs wrapped around the Paladin and went to twist. He didn't expect lance to actually grab his thigh to continue the spin so Keith landed on his back harshly first as lance landed on top.

"Heh, like that?" Lance chuckled looking down at him. Keith smirked back at him and pushed the Cuban off him but they stayed on the ground.

"Your getting better," Keith smiled at him.

"Yea? Thank god, Megan really got me working hard," lance laid on his back with a whine.

Keith tilted his head to the side a little as he noticed the sad look in Lances eyes again. He could tell lance was trying, he can see it so easily, he was proud of him... he also knew it would be a long time before any of them would be okay again, it was quiet with out hunk, Allura, Coran, pidge...

"Are you okay?" Lance turned his head seeing Keith had tears in his eyes as he sat with his head down. Keith didn't even realize he was getting worked up.

"Shit," he wiped his eyes quickly and blinked them away.

"Did I hurt you?" Lance sat up immediately now concerned.

"No.. I was just thinking," Keith whispered a little keeping his head down. "It's quiet without them,"

Lances heart hurt at that, he knew exactly what Keith meant... he pulled Keith into a hug and Keith set his nose on Lances shoulder, he rarely had physical affection before, he wouldn't take advantage of that again.

"Remember how hunk was always scared of the equipment up there? He cried every time he forgot which cabinet held which food in the kitchen," lance smiled holding Keith close as keith inhaled deeply.

"Y-yea.." he choked up. Hunk was the first person to be so touchy with him, hugging and head pats.

"Coran and Allura would always be so confused," lance whispered as he felt his own tears forming in his eyes.

"Pidge was so smart to just put sticky notes on the cabinets for him that translated," Keith laughed in his shoulder clutching onto Lances shirt.

"I miss them too," lance closed his eyes.

"Please don't go anywhere, I can't do this without you and shiro and Megan," lance sniffled a little bowing his head down.

"I'm not going too," Keith gulped.

"I mean it, I don't care if we go somewhere else because earth is just... not for us, I'll go with, we're a team," lance whimpered against him and Keith looked at him worried.

"Always, we're all we got right? Rivals or not," Keith nodded softly as lance pulled away to wipe his face as well.

"Yea, rivals," lance laughed at him forcing the smile.