"There!" Pidge said from the hood the pod. "Now your dad can't track you." Lance looked around, making sure the guards were still nowhere to be seen.
"You're sure he can't track me? I can't have those guards coming after me anymore." Pidge snorted and adjusted her glasses.
"I know exactly what I'm doing." She hopped down from the pod and dusted her shoulder off. "This was like learning the ABC's in kindergarten." Lance smiled and shook his head.
"Alright, I'm trusting you."
"Hey, if ya can't trust a rude tiny human who you just met in a suspicious looking village, who can ya trust?" He playfully rolled his eyes and threw his bag up into the pod. He looked back at Pidge.
"Well, thank you for helping me." Pidge nodded.
"Don't worry about it. Unless I ask you for those royal type favors then you worry about it." She pointed a threatening finger at him, "And don't forget, it's Pidge." Lance chuckled.
"I could never forget someone like you, Pidge." Lance started up the pod, but then smirked. "I'll come back for you short-ly." Pidge smiled, but then frowned.
"Hey! Is that a short joke!?" Lance just laughed and took off into space.
~
timeskip
~
Lance had now traveled for a few weeks, making stops to sleep, eat, and ask around if anyone had seen Zarkon's ship. And for the whole time he was out there, Lance has only learned one thing during the entire trip: Zarkon's GIGANTIC ship is impossible to find. "Keith," Lance muttered, "where are you?" He stared up at the starry sky, holding his mirror close to his chest. On top of not being able to find Zarkon, Keith wasn't answering his calls. It's now been about a month since they've spoken to each other. It just made things so much harder. Lance sighed, closing his eyes for a bit.
~~~
Lotor was an incredible actor. He has been able to gain Zarkon's trust little by little, but on those rare days of no surveillance, he'd go back to his reckless behavior. Keith loved spending time with his brother, it took his mind off of Lance. However, sometimes Lotor reminded Keith of Lance. He'd still take out his mirror to just look at it. When Lance called he only sat there, keeping his eyes shut, waiting for it to stop dinging. He wanted to talk to Lance, very much. But what he wanted was extremely dangerous. Yeah...he still hasn't managed to talk to Zarkon about, all that stuff. "SOME~," Keith heard on the other side of his door. He didn't understand what it meant until his door was kicked open by his brother, "-BODY ONCE TOLD ME THE WOOORRLL-"
"Lotor.." Keith raised a knowing brow, "what do you want?" Lotor flung himself onto Keith's bed and smiled.
"Father's letting me take you~," He 'booped' Keith's nose, "on a ride." Keith's eyes widened.
"Really!" Lotor nodded, "Where?" The elder jumped up.
"Anywhere your little heart desires!"
"Really?" Keith was now suspicious why Zarkon, his father, was letting Lotor go wherever he wanted. Or where Keith wanted, technically.
"Yup. Got any requests?" Keith opened his mouth, but then closed it. The first thing he thought of was Lance, and he was going to say Lance. As if reading his mind, Lotor smirked, "Maybe we should go see your boyfriend~." He teased. Keith blushed, glaring at Lotor.
"He's not my boyfriend." Lotor shrugged.
"You never can know, can you?" Keith just rolled his eyes, "Okay if not your boyfriend then where to?" Keith groaned, but looked at his star map on his wall.
"Um," He stood up, walking over to it, "Maybe we could just go to the mall?" Lotor's eyes lit up.
"The mall!? Oh this is perfect! I've been wanting to get something sparkly!" Keith smiled and put his mirror away.
"Then let's go." Once they were gone, Haggar went to speak with Zarkon.
"Sire," she bowed in respect, "I have received a message from King Alfor."
~
"Buckle up!" Lotor blasted out of the hanger and Keith grabbed onto anything to keep him steady.
"THERE AREN'T EVEN ANY SEATBELTS!" Lotor laughed.
"I know! That was just an expression!" Lotor pressed one of his many buttons and his ship sped away.
~
Keith's legs wobbled when he stepped onto the ground. Lotor came around and slapped Keith on the back. "You alright, mate?" Keith took a heavy breath.
"I think I'm gonna throw up-" Lotor chuckled.
"Ah, you'll be fine." He grabbed Keith's arm and pulled him along.
~
The two had a great time together just browsing the stores, bonding, and also Lotor had fun threatening rude store owners..."Do you know who I am?" He towered over one of the store managers.
"I-I uh...." He stammered.
"I am Prince Lotor of the Galra Empire!" The man fell down to his knees, now pale with
"Sire, I am so drea-dreadfully sorry! Please..f-forgive me!" Lotor crossed his arms.
"Why should I forgive such a man of your standards? You are nothing but a crude, empty hearted, savage old man."
"I am so very, truly sorry!" Keith was barely holding in his laughter. Lotor stuck out his bottom lip, as if thinking it over.
"Hm, I suppose I could spare your life. I am feeling rather merciful today. Also my executioner isn't with me at the moment. You have been spared old man." The manager sighed in relief, "But you won't be so lucky next time."
"Please, take anything you like sire," he said desperately, "a-as a token of my gratitude. Your very presence is such an honor." Lotor closed his eyes in an, I'm-better-than-you way.
"That is not necessary. Nothing in this dreaded shack of yours you call a store is worthy of being in my possession. Keith," Lotor turned to his little brother, "Let's go." He flipped his hair as they walked out then—once they were far away enough—burst out laughing.
"I can't believe you!" Keith finally said once he could get enough air. Lotor held his head high and mighty.
"That dick deserved it." Keith laughed even harder.
"Lance, shut up!" Lotor's smile faded and once Keith stopped laughing, he frowned. "What?" Lotor smiled a small, knowing smile.
"You called me Lance." Keith turned red, but frowned at his brother.
"Wh-what?! No I didn't!" Lotor nodded.
"Yep, I think you did."
"I did not!" Lotor pointed his finger at Keith's nose.
"Yes you most certainly did. You called me Lance. Admit it, Keithy."
"There's nothing to admit because I didn't call you Lance!"
"You miss your bb!" Keith looked around, realizing they were attracting attention.
"Lotor if you don't shut your mouth-"
"You called me La~nce! You miss your boy~friend!" He taunted Keith.
"He's not my boyfriend! I don't even like him, okay!? I hate him! I hate him, I hate him!" Lotor stopped, looking past Keith with a slight frown. "What?!"
"..Keith?" A voice came from behind him. Keith's heart stopped, knowing that voice, and he turned around. But it wasn't Lance. Or...at least it didn't look like Lance.
"..Lance?" But he nodded. Keith couldn't believe it. That really was Lance...wait a minute...Lance was there! He is here?! What is he—"What are you.....what are you doing here?" Then he covered his mouth. Did Lance hear what I said? No I...I didn't mean it. I was...Lotor wouldn't..
"I..came looking for you." Lance looked down, "I've been out here, in space, for weeks." Keith's heart sank. "I thought..yo-you'd be happy," He backed away, "but I guess.." Keith shook his head.
"No no no Lance, I didn't mean to say that.....okay I did, but it was only to get Lotor to stop teasing me."
"I only teased you cause it's true." Lotor muttered.
"Not helping, Lotor."
"Not tryna help." Keith dragged his hands down his face and groaned.
"Lotor, can you like, go stand in the corner or something?" Lotor saluted to Keith and walked away. Keith rolled his eyes and turned to Lance. "Can we go talk somewhere?" Lance shrugged. They went outside and sat down against the wall. "Okay, first of all, I was completely shocked that you just show up out of nowhere-"
"Well maybe you would've known if you had answered my calls." Lance mumbled. Keith rubbed his head and sighed.
"I'm sorry. Okay? Is that what you want to hear? Or do you want me to cry and sob and proclaim my love to you?" Lance frowned.
"No I-"
"This is a complicated situation, Lance, I can't just go up and tell my father, 'hey, sorry to disagree with you and your ideas, but I'm gay and I'm not gonna get married!'" Keith looked down, "I tried. I...tried to talk to him. I couldn't—" Keith pulled his knees up, "you were right, Lance. I am weak." Lance opened his mouth, "Everything you said, it's true."
"Keith, I didn't...I'm really sorry. I didn't know what was really going on with you. I was mad, and hurt I—I never wanted to hurt you. I would never want to hurt you." Keith looked at Lance with a sad smile. "I just..should have listened to you."
"I understand. I should have told you why I don't speak out, and about Lotor. You're one of the closest fr—people in my life. I don't want to lose you." A silence fell over them, not even looking at each other; if they did, they would've gazed in one another's eyes, lean in closer, and do something right out of a fiction. But instead, Keith just sighed. "I think the best thing for us to do is go home." He finally turned to Lance, who pursed his lips and went pale, "What's wrong?" The Altean laughed nervously.
"Well uh...you see.....the thing is.."
"Yeah?"
"I kinda..ran away from home?" Keith stared at Lance.
"You're joking." He shook his head and Keith grumbled, rubbing his eyes, "You're not joking." He stood up and Lance followed.
"I mean, I guess I could go home but it'd be pretty awkward." Keith frowned.
"Why?" Lance tapped his fingers together.
"W-well.....I may have left a, pretty long note that explained....um, e-everything." Now it was Keith's turn to go pale.
"You..what?" Lance looked away with his eyes screwed shut, preparing to be yelled at, "You're saying you left a note that explained the situation with Allura, and our....relationship—whatever you call it?" Lance nodded, peeking at Keith bedore shutting his eyes again. Keith looked down, thinking of what to say. "Well...I guess....they had to know the truth eventually." Lance looked at Keith with wide eyes, letting out the breath of air he was holding in.
"Wait what?" Keith shrugged.
"I won't hold it in any longer. I'm going to go back and tell my father everything." Keith started to go back inside, "And I mean it this time." He gave a nod that said, I'm-totally-confident-I'm-going-to-do-this and then went to find Lotor. Lance smiled and followed him in.