No Galaxy Too Big

t h r e e

Keith now understood why Lance was in awe. At first, he was too busy thinking about how awful it was going to be being trapped on an unknown planet with Lance, but now he finally took it all in.

Big beautiful trees engulfed them, they could hear the trickling of water by the stream and what looked like birds from a distance flew above the air. Keith liked this place. It reminded him a lot of earth. From the sounds to the smells, it was almost a replica.

Keith had spent so much time looking up he almost had forgotten what had happened and what got them here in the first place. He stares straight again in hopes to see Lance, but he's no longer there. 

Keith mumbled under his breath."Lance, I swear to god if you ran off and got yourself killed I'm gonna be so pissed."

He used to jump jets to set himself onto the ground next to red, carefully scoping out the area in hopes to find the blue paladin. He noticed there were what appeared to be human footprints leading to the left so he decided to start there. 

The further the footprints lead the prettier it got. Thousands of flowers growing on both sides of him in hundreds of different colors. He knelt down and plucked a red rose. Its petals were beautiful and had droplets of water like it had a morning dew. He held on to the rose as he continued down the path. He could swear it was beginning to get hotter but figured it must just be the stress from the failed mission. Until he actually began to sweat. It was definitely hotter. 

He kept walking for a couple more minutes. Every once and a while stopping to take in the beautiful views of this place. Until he hit, water? Keith looks up and sees a huge lake that appears to be slightly bubbling, it must be a hot spring. But he had never seen one in space. 

He steps out of the water and continues to look for Lance until he finally spots him on the other side of the spring. He was in the spring. HE WAS IN THE SPRING! Keith bolted to the other side. and quickly grabbed Lance. 

"Lance, what the hell!"

"What? Can you believe how beautiful this place is?"

"No Lance, why the hell are you in this spring?" Keith then noticed the boy had taken off his armor and most of his under clothes.

"LANCE!" Keith practically fell trying to get to Lance's helmet and quickly put it over Lance's head then continued to kneel next to Lance.  

"Man, what are you doing?"

"The air? Or lack of. There's no way you can breathe here."

"Keith chill. I ran a test. There's oxygen here. Didn't you see the flowers?"

"Well yeah... but." Keith twirls the rose between his fingers. 

"And how do you suppose those plants are growing if they have no oxygen?"

"Lance... flowers don't need..." Keith looked up from the flower to see Lance sitting slightly closer to him. 

"Come on Keith get in the water is wonderful!"

"You know, I'm actually good."

"Come on Keith what are you... Chicken?"

"No, I'm just..."

"BAWK BAWK BAWK"

Keith began to get red in the face.

"I'm just self-conscience, okay?"

"Oh come on Keith, I bet you look fine."

Keith got a little redder, then Lance got closer and placed a hand on Keiths thigh.

"Keith." He raised his right hand in the air. "I Lance Mclain, promise to not make fun of you for any reason while in this spring."

"Really?" Keith and Lance locked eyes for a while before Lance finally answered. 

"Really really."

Keith coughed to end the sort of awkward tension between them due to Lance's hand still being on Keith's thigh. 

Lance swam about 4 feet away and began to float on his back. 

Keith walked over to where Lance had set his armor and began to take his off. Starting with the helmet, giving his hair a good shake then continuing to take off the rest of his armor. Until it was just bear Keith in his tightie Whities. 

"Hey, Lance."

"Yeah." Lance didn't even look back. 

"Can you do me a favor and not look."

"Sure."

Keith made his way over to the springs and sat down. Not realizing he now had an audience for even though Lance said he wouldn't look, he lied. 

Keith slid into the water completely dunking himself in. Then coming up with a huge gasp. 

"Okay Lance, you were right."

"About?"

"This feels really nice."

"See I told you Kogane! You need to learn to trust me."

"Lance, just began you're an ass and you get on my nerves doesn't mean I don't trust you."

Shit did he say that out loud? 

This sentence shocked Lance. He thought Keith completely despised him. But he was just given a reason to think otherwise. 

The boys stayed in the water for around 20 minutes before their fingers and toes turned to raisins. Then Keith finally remembered the mission. 

"Shit Lance!"

Keith quickly pulled himself out of the spring and ran to his armor.

"What Keith? Whats going on?"

"We haven't even tried to signal for help yet, what were we thinking! We still have a mission to complete!"

Lance got out and ran to his armor, but then they both just stared at it. 

"We didn't really think this through did we."

The boys were both soaking wet, it was hard enough getting into that skin-tight suit dry but wet would be a whole nother story. 

"I have some towels and extra clothes in red."

"Wait, what? You have supplies on red?"

"Only basic things. Just in case we ever have to spend the night on another planet I like to be prepared."

Both picked up their armor and started the 10ish minute hike back to red. Keith couldn't help but stare at Lance as they walked. His Tan skin glistened from the water and the sunlight. His brown hair was shaggy but still neat at the same time. His torso was...perfect. Big pectoral muscles with 6 signs of abs. Lance should really stop wearing that blue shirt. Keith hadn't realized how long he was staring until Lance coughed and it made him jump. 

"You okay Keith?"

"Yeah, just...cold."

"Well, we're almost back to red."

Too bad Keith thought. He wished he could stare at Lance longer. Keith may be gay, but that doesn't mean he has bad taste. And it especially means he doesn't want his team to know. But could he be falling for Lance..?