I need you //klance

Day 17

Blue navigated through the water of Baku with ease, setting down outside the castle. The two of them swam out of the lion to meet the Queen, who nodded to them respectfully and lead them inside.

"It is a pleasant surprise to see you again so soon, Blue Paladin." Lance smiled back and swam in pace with her while Keith lagged behind a bit, both out of caution and his lack of experience with swimming.

"It's good to see you too, your majesty, I just wish it was a happier situation. Would it be possible for you to track our missing Paladin?"

The Queen peered at him almost sympathetically before glancing back to Keith and nodding, "I can trace specific types of Quintessence but I would need an object or piece of their clothing first."

Keith didn't say anything and held out the Black Bayard and the tub of sleeping pills that Shiro had left behind. The Queen took them gently into her own hands nodded reassuringly to Keith and turned into her study, leaving Lance and Keith behind to wait for her to finish.

They had switched out their helmets for the Baku bubbles back when they first landed. Keith was starting to regret that choice. The main reason he kept his hair long was because to him it felt like a safety blanket separating him from everything else but ever since they'd started wearing helmets more often he'd started to associate that with safety instead. The lack of a helmet now made him feel uncomfortably exposed, just adding to his bundle of nerves.

He felt a light tap on the shoulder and drifted around to meet Lance's eyes. "Hey?" Keith had figured out by now that couldn't fake his emotions (at least not to Lance) but that didn't prevent the automatic wince at how shakey his voice came out.

Lance's face softened as he brought the smaller boy into a careful hug. He reached his hand through Keith's air bubble and began to play with the hair at the base of his neck. Keith fell into the embrace, laying his face on Lance's collarbone and listening to his rhythmic breathing.

"Shh.. It's going to be okay... We're going to find him. It might not be here or the next planet or base that we raid but we're going to find him, cariño. You'll get him back, I promise." Keith just hummed into his neck, thankful for the weightless feeling the water provided.

Keith shot out of his arms and whipped around upon hearing a polite coughing noise from behind them. The Queen giggled quietly at his reaction before passing him Shiro's belongings back to him. Her face returned to a grim expression which caused Keith's to fall flat. 

"Unfortunately, the samples you gave me only had faint traces of his quintessence on them. I believe it cannot be helped, it's just been too long since he interacted with them. The traces I picked up only concentrated aboard your vessel and nowhere else. I am very sorry that I couldn't do more." Lance was just as visibly glum as Keith felt but he still managed to plaster a light smile onto his face. 

"You did all you could, your majesty. We appreciate your efforts, even if we couldn't find him from this, you've still brought us closer to doing so. For that we're grateful. Thank you, ma'am." Keith muttered a brief thanks before they swam back together to the Blue lion in complete silence other than the muffled swirling of the water. 

-

-

Keith plopped down onto the bed and melted into the covers. It didn't smell as much of Lance anymore now that his own scent was mixed in. It was strange, it hadn't even been three weeks yet and he and Lance's friendship had already changed so much. Keith had never been able to get close to people this quickly before. Was he imagining it? Were they even close or was Keith just forcing himself into Lance's life? 

He curled up further into blankets but they were no longer comforting, they just intensified this sinking guilt in his chest. Reluctantly, he pulled the blankets off and swept his legs onto the floor, willing himself to leave when the door opened. Lance stepped into the room, flashing a tired smile to him before giving him a questioning look, "Keef? How are... feeling?" 

Keith bit the inside of his cheek, dumping more of his feelings onto him wasn't fair on him and was only taking advantage of him further. He really did want to talk to him, he loved talking to Lance but it felt.. wrong. 

Lance took a seat next to him and watched him carefully, "Keith, you not talking isn't going to help anything. It's obvious that there's something wrong. Is it about Shiro? Cause we can talk about him all you like. Or anything else."

Keith weighed his options in his head and gulped inaudibly. "...Okay."

"Okay?" 

"Lets talk about Shiro."

Lance nodded and smiled, pulling Keith back into the covers before getting out of them himself and picking up some tubs from his bathroom and sitting across from him under another blanket.

Keith peered at the tubs Lance had placed in between them curiously, "What are..?" Lance chuckled and scooped some of the substance onto his index finger. 

"This, my dear Keith, is the key to flawless skin- although I suppose that could also be water... Oh right talking! How did.. you and Shiro meet? Let's start there."

Lance started painting Keith's face with the cream while he waited for Keith to collect his thoughts. "Um... I guess the first time I actually met him was... when he came into my school to get people to go the garrison, I guess." 

Lance giggled quietly, "Wow, amazing English there partner."

Keith attempted to pout at him but Lance practically screeched at him to smooth his face out so he rolled his eyes instead. "After that, I stole his car and for some reason he enrolled me into the Garrison as quickly as possible." Lance choked. 

"Wait what?! Did you even take the entrance exam?" 

"Well I did the practical part and got to skip the actual exam part, so no?"

Lance looked at him incredulously, "Me and Hunk had to take three separate exams before even being allowed to apply. I-" 

Keith snorted and flicked him on the nose, "Maybe next time, just impress them with your amazing law breaking skills." Lance groaned and dropped his head onto Keith's shoulder, setting off an uncomfortably warm blush on Keith's face. 

"I'm starting to think America might be designed to benefit Americans more."