𝙆𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙊𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙨!

I Love You, Okay?

Warning:Blood.

This was a request. Thank you!!

The whiff of blood was the first thing Keith smelled. But the first thing he saw was Lance over him, smiling bitterly and had his arms by his side pinning him to the ground. Lance coughed slightly, the blood dripping out the corner of his lip,"Hey, Mullet. You're not hurt are you?" Keith looked up into the dazed, scrunched up blue eyes that were full of blistering pain. "Shut the hell up and tell me if you're okay." Lance laughed with ragged breathing. Keith's eyes traveled down and to Lance's left side. The armor was charred on the edges and gone. A horrifying third-degree burn from his ribs to his shoulder. How the hell Lance still had his arm, Keith didn't know.

Lance somehow managed to stay awake, not passing out. But he collapsed on the opposite side and groaned weakly, whimpering. Keith sat up and removed both their helmets. He sat up from where he was on the rubble destroyed ground. The galra base was in tatters. Everywhere, soldiers were on the ground. Keith thought back to what just happened. 

When he had turned around, a soldier only a few feet away aimed for his head and shot. Lance managed to step in to where it only hit his side, the radiation from the space weaponry burning his skin. Keith shuddered at the scar,"Listen, I'm gonna call Pidge. They're gonna come and pick us both up and in that time, you are going to stay awake, you hear me?!" He tried not to let the panic in his face and voice show. Lance laughed bitterly,"Why do you make things so damn difficult. It's hard enough having to see your emo ass haircut everyday and now you're bossing me around." Keith chuckled. Lance's voice had a edge of playfulness. He was proud to say their rivalry was somewhat over. Somewhat.

Keith didn't say another word to him and just contacted Pidge. They were worried, voice frantic and high. Keith consoled them and told them the info. Pidge was coming over with the Green Lion. Keith grabbed a fragment of the broken metal ceiling and covered both of them from the passing soldiers. Someone the soldier who shot Lance was taken over by falling rubble. Keith panted, and he looked over at Lance. He had no idea how to help his team mate. His heart pounded just seeing him in pain and he shuddered. Lance's eyes were fluttering open and closed. Keith shook him every now and them and muttered some encouraging words.

"Keith....I miss mi familia. My family means everything to me, other than the team. And you." Keith blinked, not fully processing his words. "Lance, keep talking. Stay awake." Stay alive.

Lance mumbled about his family for a while. How sweet Maria was, how irritating Luis was, how strong Veronica and his mama was, how stupid was his twin sister Rachel. Every time he started to lose his focus, Keith shook him awake. The blood on the corner of Lance's lip began to dry. He coughed a few times. Every one was a heartening blow to Keith.

It was hard watching someone you love dearly be so horribly injured. Keith was wore down from fatigue and scratches but Lance?

Pidge, hurry. Clocks ticking.

"H-Hey, Mullet. How long has it been?" Keith groaned,"Ten minutes only. They'll be here." Keith removed the metal plate slightly enough for the Green Lion to notice. "Just in case....I wanted to say goodbye."

"Shut the hell up, McClain." Lance laughed softly,"You shut up, I'm trying to be nice here and have some inspiring last words here, okay? I just need to say.....you're mullet's not that bad. You're face isn't either. You can be nice and cute when you want to be." Keith's heart pounded in his chest, threatening to jump out of his rib cage,"Quit it. You're not saying goodbye, you're gonna regret this later. I'm gonna make a shit ton of fun out of this when everything's alright." Lance mumbled,"It won't be."

Keith nudged his head softly,"Stop. Just talk. So why did Marco put toilet paper rolls in the actual toilet?" Lance didn't answer. "McClain, stop messing with me." Nothing. "Lance, I swear-" Nada.

"Lance?..." Keith shuddered and carefully placed his hand over Lance's chest.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Keith sighed a breath of relief. Not only that, but Pidge came in,"Sorry I'm late, galra idiots kept me back." Keith took off the metal covering and called for the gremlin. He nudged Lance,"Hey, Pidge's here." Lance mumbled, and Keith was eternally grateful for his irritating soft soothing voice.

"I love you..."

Keith suddenly didn't know what to think of that irritating soft soothing voice.

Heartbeats were fast. Keith felt color rush to his cheeks and began to see colors. Was this normal? Keith laughed nervously, breath still and heart pounding. Pidge went over and picked them up. Keith cradled him in his arms a second time.

Allura already had a pod opened for Lance, knowing the degrees of his burn. Keith rushed forward and ran into the pod room, the door slamming shut behind them. Maybe it was the adrenaline of Lance's sudden confession that motivated Keith to run no matter how much his legs ached. He placed Lance inside the pod and carefully removed the outer armor and was about to shut the door before a long tan hand stopped him.

Lance opened his eyes slightly and groaned in pain, breaths coming in pants. "I need......Keith..." Keith looked up, because Lance was stupidly tall and cupped his left cheek softly. "Hey, I'm right here." Lance murmured a tiny 'good' before his hand reached and grabbed the nape of Keith's neck, fingers slightly intertwined in his black locks and reached in for a muffled short kiss. Keith's eyes widened and he jerked back, letting go of Lance's cheeks and stood in shock but Lance didn't dare pull away for a second. When he finally pulled away, he spoke gravely and raggedly," I..love you...okay?" Keith nodded slightly, cheeks too red and mind to blurry to see that Lance closed his eyes and collapsed into the pod without seeing his nod. Keith shut the door immediately and didn't hear that irritating soft soothing voice again for 3 months.

Keith didn't eat much already, but it got worse as Lance spent more time in the pod. He waited and waited and waited.

Finally he got an answer.

The pod doors shifted open and smoke drifted out. Keith stood in front, shock and sudden joy filling his body as he had been waiting for Lance, not actually expecting he'd answer.

Lance fell forward and Keith immediately grabbed him. He mumbled for a bit and Keith got to hear his voice,"The hell happened?" Keith let out a choked out laugh and held in a broken sob,"Nothing, nothing just....all is well."

"Keith?..."

Lance pulled away from him to see his face. His cracked dry lips formed a soft smile,"Hey Mullet." Keith smirked,"Hey." Then Lance grinned, cheeks going ablaze,"Miss me?" Keith scoffed,"No." Lance hummed,"And here I thought that after my confession to you, you would be dying to smother me with kisses and hug me and tell me you love me." Keith gaped at him,"W-What?! No, I would nev-" Lance just rolled his eyes and kissed him softly,"Don't worry, I already know. Hunk's a bad liar." Keith suddenly hated himself for trusting the yellow kind paladin about his feelings. Keith mumbled softly,"Why did you so suddenly..." Lance coughed and cleared his throat, his bright cheery voice returning,"I wasn't gonna leave you with just a kiss. I had to confess too otherwise you would be in pain wondering what my kiss meant for god knows how long. " Keith just stared at him. Lance laughed and kissed his forehead, giving in,"Because it's true."

Keith smiled and for once, was the first to initiate the kiss, grabbing Lance's shoulder and getting on his tiptoes only slightly to connect lips.

Lance grinned against his lips and gladly accepted it.

"Hey Keith, here's som-woah."

Keith pulled away hearing the green paladin's voice and coughed. Lance glanced over at Pidge, smile lovesick and dreamy and eyes full of love,"Hi, Pidgeon. Miss me?"