Klance :: Not So Different

Purple

Lance lay across the cold floor, flicking the little blue ball every time it would roll back to him. He was way too bored.

The blue paladin groaned, rolling over onto his back. "Wake up already, Keith," he muttered, staring up at the red paladin.

As if hearing him, the chamber beeped and the blue dematerialized. "Oh, quiznak!" Lance scrambled to his feet and caught the red paladin before he fell. "Keith! You're awake!"

"Lance?" Keith breathed in deeply, then looked up at his fellow paladin. "How... How long was I-?"

"Twenty-nine hours, fourty-two minutes and seven seconds," Lance stated. "I got bored so I started counting." Keith raised a brow up at Lance who only shrugged. He helped Keith stand on his own, but quickly grabbed him as he wobbled. "I don't think you could walk on your own."

"Just... Help me to my room," Keith muttered, pressing his forehead into his palm.

"Fine, fine, mullet," Lance snickered, raising Keith's arm to lay over his own shoulders. "Let's go, and don't make me pull your ass the whole way."

Keith glared up at Lance as the blue paladin began to carry him, but then his eyes widened. Lance seemed so relaxed and relieved, a smile curling his lips. Keith smiled and turned his head away. He felt warmth spread through his chest.

The red paladin only looked up when he heard doors slide open. "Here ya are, Keith! Your room! Need help getting to bed?" Keith glared up at Lance once again as the taller man smirked cockily down at him.

Keith shoved Lance best he could. "Shut it! I can get there on my own!"

Lance laughed and watched as Keith stumbled to the bed. "You sure?" Keith shot his fellow paladin a deathly glare, then collapsed in his bed. "G'night, Keith. See ya in five hours when Shiro decides it's the perfect time to wake us." Lance grinned and left the room, leaving Keith slightly confused.

Why is he being so... Not-Lance?

~

Keith groaned the next morning when Shiro opened the door and ordered him to wake up. The red paladin burrowed into the mattress before sighing and getting out of bed. He was slightly wobbly when he stood, but gained his balance and made his way into the bathroom.

After yawning and stretching, the red paladin looked into the mirror. "Quiznak-!" He yelped, stumbling back and falling. Keith sat on the floor, eyes wide and limbs shaking.

He gulped and slowly heaved himself up off the floor. Keith then sighed in heavy relief. He wasn't purple, and his eyes weren't yellow. His ears were- wait... "Oh, God..."

Keith raised his hands and touched the strange new appendage where his ear should be. He felt his fingers feather over the black fur and it twitched. Keith flinched away from his own touch and jerked his hand away. "What the hell..?"

Keith raised the animal-like ears, then flattened them back against his head. He repeated this until it fully sunk in. "Oh, shit," Keith breathed out, voice shaky and quiet. "No... No, no, no!" He dashed into the room, then back to make sure he was only hallucinating. "No!"

~

Keith nervously tugged at the ends of his sleeves, head down and fluffy ears pressed into his hair so no one could see them. He had to leave his room. His fellow paladins couldn't get suspicious.

"Keith!"

Said paladin gasped and jumped, forcing his ears to stay down.

An arm slung around his shoulders, and the oddly strong scent of Lance's... Scent overwhelmed his nose. Keith placed his hand over his nose and turned his head away slightly.