The Best Klance Fanfictions

it was storming outside

not sad, but hit's you in the feels. hard.

found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16990107

it was storming outside

jilliancares

For a long time, Keith had resented himself.

He'd resented a lot of people - Allura, mainly - but himself most of all. They were in the middle of a war, for fuck's sake, and yet he was wasting time thinking about Lance, of all people. Lance, who he'd been in love with for- God, years, now. Lance, the adorable goofball who he'd wasted so much time pretending to be annoyed with, who he'd grown closer with during their time on the Castle of Lions, who he'd spent two years pining after on that fucking space whale.

Lance, who'd been pining after Allura by the time he returned. Lance, who ended up getting what he'd always wanted.

Keith remembered pretending to be happy for him. Remembered telling him that he was perfect just the way he was and that Allura obviously liked him that way already. Lance hadn't realized Keith was speaking from his heart, that day. He also hadn't realized that in the weeks following the official start to his relationship with Allura, Keith had been fuming. Despairing.

Sure, he'd been fighting for the war and issuing commands and directing his team. He'd done all the things any leader was expected to do, but he did it wearing a mask. And only he had ever seen what was underneath, the cracks and crumbling pieces that fell to dust when they all went to their rooms at night, Lance often disappearing into the same one as Allura.

Of course, Keith felt horrible about it all now. God, how guilty he felt when he thought about it all... He loved Allura, obviously. It was true what Coran had said, about all of them being family. He just wished he hadn't resented her so much, toward the end. Sometimes he wondered if she'd realized. That he was in love with her boyfriend. He'd catch her gaze, occasionally, usually after he'd just spent a good amount of time telling himself to stop staring at Lance.

Maybe that's part of why she thanked Keith, in the end. Because she knew that even though she was leaving, even though she was breaking Lance's heart, Keith would be right there to pick up the pieces.

Except he couldn't be right there. Lance was in mourning. They all were. And they were leading different lives now, ones Keith had used to think they'd never actually live to see. A lot was happening with the Galra, all sorts of formalities and organizing and confusion in the absence of an official leader, but they looked to Keith. Wanted him to lead them, though no way in hell was that ever going to happen. He was done being a leader, thank you very much.

No, he was just keeping himself busy. Biding his time. Trying to forget. To move on.

He should've known it wouldn't have worked.

They all still kept in touch, some more often than others. Hunk sent weekly emails about what'd being going on aboard the Atlas, oftentimes with a new recipe that Keith could never hope to attempt attached at the end. Shiro messaged Keith frequently, too, usually just to catch up. Pidge's emails were full of jargon that took way too long to understand, but was appreciated nonetheless. And Lance...

Well, he didn't email very much. Any of them. Keith knew because he'd asked around. Lance responded to emails just fine, sure, but... they always felt lacking.