Lance can't stand Keith.
He can't stand the way he always has to go and show him up by being better than him at everything.
Thank goodness for that stupid haircut- if he had decent hair, Lance might not even have him beat in the looks department.
Lance mentally fumes as he sits against the wall, watching Keith and Shiro spar for practice.
Scowling, he stares at Keith's perfect form and flawless battle skills. He stares at Keith's muscles. He stares at Keith's short ponytail and the sweat dripping down his skin. He stares at the tiny sliver of skin that appears every few seconds as Keith lifts his arm and thus, lifts his shirt. He stares at-
"Earth to Lance!"
Lance jumps, finally noticing Pidge standing over him, waving her hand in front of his face.
"We're on a spaceship, Pidge."
"Why are you staring at Keith?"
"I'm not staring at Keith! I'm... studying his battle technique so I can learn how to destroy him."
"You're drooling."
"What can I say? I just love the idea of destroying Keith."
Pidge sighs. "Whatever. I just wanted to tell you to take a shower. You reek."
Lance huffs as Pidge walks away. He stands, sends one last scowl toward Keith, and walks to the shower.
***
Lance shuts the water off, still singing the Spanish words to the song his mother used to sing to him when he was little.
He doesn't miss a beat as the soothing melody flows- he knows this song by heart. He doubts he'll ever forget the words.
He wraps a towel around his waist and walks out of the shower- and almost collides with Keith.
He shouts and backs away, desperately clutching the towel to his otherwise naked body.
"Sorry," Keith mutters, staring at the floor. Lance detects a hint of a blush on the red paladin's cheeks. "I- I heard you singing. You're pretty good."
Lance tries and fails to fight down his rising blush. "Thanks."
Keith nods stiffly, still refusing to meet Lance's gaze. He turns and quickly walks out of the room and down the hall.
Lance just stands there, baffled at what the heck just happened.
***
At dinner, Keith is completely silent, and still refuses to look Lance in the eye. At one point, Lance asks Keith to hand him a napkin, and he accidentally knocks the entire stack of napkins off the table.
"What's going on with you today?" Hunk asks, staring at Keith. "You've hardly said a word since practice, you won't look at us, and you're constantly blushing."
"I am not," Keith snaps, and lowers his head even further. "I'm not hungry. I'm going to bed."
Keith stands up and leaves the table, walking toward his room.
They all watch him leave in silence.
Despite the fact that Lance absolutely despises Keith and wants nothing more than to beat him at something other than good looks, he's worried about his fellow paladin.
"Should I go check on him?" He asks the others.
They all stare at him, surprised.
"You want to check on Keith?" Allura says.
Lance nods. "I want to make sure he's okay. I mean, he is part of this team."
Allura and Shiro share a confused- almost parental- look in which telepathic thoughts are definitely exchanged.
"Yeah, go check on him," Shiro says. "But don't terrorize him, please."
Lance scoffs. "Me? When have I ever terrorized Keith?"
Pidge pushes her glasses up on her nose. "Would you like a list?"
"Shut up Pidge. I'm not going to terrorize him."
Before anyone else can speak, Lance walks out of the room and starts down the hall toward Keith's room.
***
Lance hesitates for only a moment before knocking on Keith's door.
"Who is it?"
He takes a deep breath. "Lance."
A noise that sounds like choking comes from behind the door. Lance hears quick footsteps approaching the door, and it swings open to reveal a scowling Keith.
"I said I was going to bed."
Lance glances at the open book upside down on the bed behind Keith. "It doesn't look like you're going to bed."
Keith glances back at the book and his cheeks turn a light shade of pink. "I always read before bed."
Lance nods. "I just came to see if you're okay."
"Why wouldn't I be okay?"
"You've been refusing to speak to me or even look at me since earlier."
"I'm just-" Keith hesitates. "Tired."
"Tired," Lance repeats.
Keith nods.
"So now being tired makes people unable to stop blushing? Being tired makes people unable to look at or communicate with other people?"
Keith scowls and blushes harder. "Just leave me alone," he says, and steps back to shut the door. Lance's foot stops it.
"What are you doing?" Keith sighs.
Lance stares at him, determined to get an answer. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's really going on with you."
"What?"
Lance pushes Keith back and opens the door, entering the room fully. He sits on Keith's bed and stares up at him. "You're my teammate, and you have something going on that you're not telling us about. I'm not leaving until you tell me what it is so we can help."
"You can't help," Keith snaps, his face turning redder than ever. "No one can help."
Lance sighs. "Keith, angst will get us nowhere."
Keith sits on the bed next to Lance and hides his face in his hands. "Shut up! Just get out! You're the last person I can talk about this with."
Lance rolls his eyes. "Well, now I HAVE to know."
"Get. Out."
"No. You can't just tell me I'm the last person you can talk about whatever this issue is with, and expect me to just-"
Lance is cut off by Keith's lips colliding with his.
He stares, wide-eyed, as Keith pulls away, scowling at him, his face burning red.
Keith stands up and marches out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
After a moment, Lance processes what just happened and stands up to go after him.
He spots him turning the corner down the hall, and breaks into a run to catch up with him.
"Keith, wait!"
Keith turns, sees him, and starts running.
Keith runs past the table where their fellow paladins are still seated, and Lance chases after him.
"I said no terrorizing!" Shiro scolds.
They enter another room, and Keith is cornered. He turns to Lance.
He takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry, okay?" He says, his teeth gritted. Lance notices a small amount of tears pooling in the boy's eyes. "I'm gay. There, you happy? I'm gay. G-A-Y gay. Attracted to boys. Attracted to- attracted to you."
Keith hangs his head and turns away in shame.
Lance walks toward him and pushes him against the wall. Keith flinches, seemingly bracing himself to be hit.
Instead, Lance kisses him.
Their lips move together in a perfect rhythm, and fire ignites in Lance's belly.
I'm gay I'm gay I'm gay I'm gay I'm gay I'm gay I'm gay I'm so freaking gay, Lance thinks giddily.
Keith's lips are warm and soft on his, and Lance never wants to stop this.
"Um."
The two break away and turn to see Pidge staring at them, blushing furiously.
"Shiro sent me to- make sure- you weren't fighting or- or something-"
"We're all good, Pidge," Lance says nervously, his voice a much higher pitch than usual.
Pidge hums. "Clearly."
She leaves the room, and Lance turns back to Keith, both of them blushing.
"So," Lance says awkwardly. "Did you just suddenly become attracted to me today, or what?"
Keith shakes his head. "It's been a couple of weeks. It's just- today I heard you singing, and it really hit me."
Lance nods. "It really hit me today, too. When I pinned you against this wall and kissed you."
Keith's cheeks turn an impossibly darker shade of red, and Lance laughs.
"Will you be my boyfriend, Keith?"
Keith's breath hitches. He nods quickly.
Lance grins. "Great. No homo, though."
Keith scoffs. "Shut up and kiss me, idiot."
"Gladly."