Lance thought quickly, forming his altean broadsword, instantly blocking and clashing with Keith's sword.

The impact pushed him back, his feet scrapped across the moon floor, bringing up moon dust.

Keith's eyes widened at the weapon. For once, he seemed uneasy.

not for Lance's new ability.

Lance stared back into Keith's eyes, for they were slightly narrowed in confusion.

"What is this?" He whispered .

Lance froze, He felt as if he couldn't speak. He gulped down some air, as if it would be his last breath.

"It's an Altean-"

Keith's eyes quickly narrowed. Hurt displayed on his face, exposing some of his clenched teeth. before Lance could finish his sentence, Keith pushed the sword down left, out of the way.

Lance could've sworn he saw tears form.

Keith wasted no time, raising and swinging with his sword, only to once again meet Lance's.

"Keith!" Lance struggled to say his name. " I don't wanna fight you! " he screamed.

Keith tensed up.

"Shut up!" He screamed back, throwing his head down and immediately sending a kick into Lance's left side, landing him far right.

Keith started towards Lance, who was coughing, and just in time put up his right shield, that Keith's blade landed on.
"You don't  know what you want!" Keith yelled.

That statement caught Lance's attention.

He's heard that somewhere.

Somewhere in his own thoughts.

What is keith getting so upset about?

it can't possibly be
Lance snapped back to reality, instantly blocking off a kick from Keith and turning to avoid being stabbed by his sword.

Keith ran at Lance, who was caught off guard, and tackled him to the floor.

Lance put all his strength into pushing away Keith's blade from slicing his head off.

Lance struggled against Keith, who seemed full of hatred. Corruption.

He forgot himself.

Something popped into Lance's head.

He looked at keith, He gave a tired, awkward smile.

" You know what this reminds me of..." He started.

Keith decreased the force of his blade.
Lance 's eyes widened. Now he just had to play it right...

"Lance and Keith... neck and neck -"

Lance squeaked as Keith's eyes narrowed with a low growl. The blade was pushed closer than it was before.

"I'm glad you never liked that idea." He coughed out.

Lance struggled to see anything, With the blade closer to his neck, his heart began to race, and his breathing increased. He saw a blue line fly across the "sky."

He didn't know what it was, He looked back to keith.

"Keith!" he called out.

" What's wrong? "

"Stop acting like you care!" He hissed.

Lance's eyes widened, then showed an offended look.

"Keith, I care -"

before he could even say it, Keith sent a punch to Lance's head.

knocking off his helmet.

Lance didn't move, didn't breathe. He froze in shock.

Keith showed immediate confusion.

Lance peered over to Pidge, who smiled and tapped on something. Wherever she touched, hexagons would appear and fade when they didn't feel impact.

"Lance breathe!" Hunk screamed .

Lance did as he was told, took in a breath.

He was okay.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"It's a particle barrier! it took a while, but I  transmitted some of the oxygen stored in red to this small area! " Pidge called.

"I thought you'd need it."

Lance smiled and promised himself to drown Pidge in peanut butter cookies once they got back to Earth.

Lance returned his attention to keith, who immediately threw off his own helmet and began to gasp for air.
"Keith, are you -"

"Save it!" He  spat, drawing back his sword and preparing to strike a stronger swing.
Lance immediately reformed his shield to block off the hit.
" I just thought -"

"Well, stop!" Keith interrupted.

Lance frowned. "Why are you like this?" he called. I'm hoping for a response that could help him sort this out.

whatever this was.

His expression saddened. He looked back at the angry eyes and the locks  of dark purple hair that flowed over them like petals.

" Is this all about our fight earlier? " he said gently.

Keith's expression grew annoyed and impatient. "You don't know anything!" Keith screamed.

Lance frowned, using most of his strength. He pushed Keith off using his shield. He quickly stood, repositioning for another attack he expected.

But he didn't get one.

Keith held a hand to his head, breathing heavily.
He struggled mentally over his repeated words.

"You don't know anything."

Lance put down his shield, He could hear distant screams outside the barrier. But he was hurt. and felt concerned deeply. "Then tell me!"

" Keith, talk to me! " he called

"Why are you so closed off?" he continued, deforming his Bayard and letting it disappear into the armor's storage.

Keith regained his stability, He looked up to Lance, who was at about a meter or two distance away. Keith's eyes narrowed harshly into distrust.

He didn't like to repeat himself.

" I opened up to someone. I let them in. And they repayed me with what? " He spat.

"Not showing any proof that they ever cared!"  He screamed. A few seconds later, his gaze calmed down into a hurt one. But bits of spite remained.

" They broke me once. " He whispered.

"I'll never let them break me again."

Lance felt tears prick at his own eyes. He blinked them away. "Who hurt you?" he asked, devoid of emotions, because he was sure of the answer.

Keith 's expression grew impatient again. But he only looked away

Lance sucked in a breath. His face remained sad and in distress

"Why are you avoiding it?"

Keith's Bayard deformed as he crossed his arms. He drew one step back.

Lance felt cold and shut off.

nothing new.

" Keith." He softly approached, reaching his hand out a bit while cautiously walking forward two steps.

"Is this about what happened earlier?"

Keith didn't respond.

"It's just that..." he started slowly, trying to piece together the perfect string of words to express what he thought. It had to smoothly run through.

"I just needed...I..."

His expression grew frustrated, He didn't want to say something wrong.

Finally, He huffed. "I used the argument in an attempt to get an answer."

Keith's ears tilted up. He looked over at Lance in slightly upset confusion.

Lance noticed he got his attention instead of stalling any longer. He just said it:

" You're always leaving us, keith. "

Keith looked to the ground. He seemed uncomfortable.

Lance made sure not to let him stray away again.

He continued with a purpose.

"You're always running off with barely much of a departure." He said.

He took two steps forward, lightly moving out his hands at his sides.

" Remember when you left for the blades? " He said, a gentle smile on his face to hide how much it actually hurt.

there's no use in covering it up anymore.

His heart felt heavy. He pushed the words out his throat, where they kept him silent and mute. 

"You left a void in me."  He choked out.

" I felt different. "

Keith's face quickly showed regret. He backed up a step. The realization of what he'd become and what he already was started to slowly creep on his neck.

Lance could see how defensive he started to act, He didn't want to make Keith feel like he was a horrible person. So he made a simple statement.

"I just wanted to know why, keith." He whispered.

Lance used the soft tone he would use to talk to blue. Gentle and connecting.

" I wanted an answer from you. "

"I missed  you." He ached.

Keith tried not to let it get to him.

He pushed it away.

when he just needed to accept it.

He displayed a look of distrust and cold stubbornness.

" What's your point? " He spat.

"What does this have to do with us right now?"

Lance felt helpless.

It was like it was no use.

As if keith was gone.

and there was nothing he could say to bring him back.

His broken expression turned into a tired, sad look.

a soft smile formed in his lips.

" Oh, Keith...." He whispered

" You left me again. "

"Come back to me."

Keith's eyes widened. He started to shake.
His heart tensed.He didn't know what to do.

How to feel.

His expression was pure tears and pain.

" I-" he studdered

" its just-"

"You-"

"Keith," Lance stated clearly.

keith looked up to Lance's equally hurt and torn expression.

"Did I hurt you? " he brokenly asked.

Keith looked down again. His confused, sad look plastered all over.

"You ...."

" I should've never -"

"Why did I even think?" He hiccuped.

" Keith, I've never wanted to hurt you. " Lance told him. He took two more steps closer.

Keith started to lightly sob. With every tear that fell to the ground, Lance felt his heart crack.

"But you did.." He whimpered

" You did... "

His voice cracked between words.

"You hurt me."

" So much. "

Lance continued with slow, steady steps forward.

Keith quickly held up his hand to tell him to stop walking any closer.

"Just tell me." He choked out.

" Who? "

At this point, two galaxies connected with the simple spark of a purple star.

far, far away.

far away from here.

The purple star has never shone so brightly.

"Keith." Lance whispered.

" It's always been you. "

Keith 's heart stopped. He was caught off guard. He didn't expect this.

"Since when -"

Lance was quick to answer.
"Ever since I learned your name at the garrison." He said.

Keith could see the stars reflect on his eyes.

they never seemed to twinkle when he saw them out of his own.

"You..were..." Lance sighed with a fond smile.

"The perfect boy from out in the country. " he softly chuckled.

"You're..."

" Too perfect. "

Keith frowned.
"You're lying."

He sniffed and wiped away tears.
"I'm not perfect -"

"You are too!" Lance protested.
Lance lightly smiled at how startled he left Keith from that.

"Too perfect for me." He sighed, a hint of sadness from how much he doubted himself.

He closed his eyes.

" I didn't think I had a chance. " he whispered.

Keith's expression saddened with Lance. He never knew. He could never think of it because of -

"The rivalry?" Lance continued

Keith's eyes looked up for a second, looking into Lance's opened ones

Tears rolled down Keith's face as the mention of it.

" What about it? " he softly whimpered

lance's heart broke. He needed to fix this. He needed to tell him quickly.

"All fake."

Keith looked up with widened eyes as the tears paused for a second.

" I thought," Lance continued, keeping his gaze on Keith.

" that maybe, if I called myself -"
He paused,looking down, his eyes narrowed.

no. that doesn't sound right.

He looked back to Keith,whose face showed desperate he was, waiting to hear it.

"If I called us rivals," Lance corrected.

Keith held his breath.

" I could at least compare to you. " Lance said, ashamed. But it wasn't time for feeling bad for himself.

"I needed to feel worthy of you." He admitted.

"You're just -" he lightly chuckled.

The next two words were true, He spoke Then softly, full of comfort.

" you're wonderful.."

Keith's body relaxed, just a hint of a faint smile and a light blush adorned his face.

Lance couldn't hold back from turning red himself. He noticed a peck by Keith's neck that seemed to reverse.

He started to breathe faster, and not just for the sake of keith reversing did he continue,

but for himself.

for Keith.

"shoot," He smiled, lightening the mood, exposing his teeth.
" I kept a whole journal admiring you!" he awkwardly chuckled.

The tips of Keith's hair seemed to turn black.

They lightly swifted with the soft tilt of Keith's head to the right. His face seemed in a pleasantly confused daze.

" I know," Lance huffed with a smile, scratching the back of his head.

"it's crazy. "

Lance slowly lowered his hand.

" people do crazy things when theyre in love." He said, looking up to Keith, He could see small patches of purple every here and there.

Everything he said.

It was for Keith.

" I thought that was obvious by now. " he chuckled.

"why do you think I ran down and barged into that medical room where they kept shiro?" he added.

Keith's eyes widened.

" so that wasnt-"

"hell no." Lance said immediately.

Keith frowned.  Small patches of purple seemed to grow back.

"What about Allura?" He asked.

Lance hesitated. He knew that was major in Keith's thoughts on him. He knew that caused a lot of conflict for Keith.

Lance sighed, there's no way to sugar coat it.

just tell it as it is.

"I tricked myself into thinking I wanted her..."

Keith bit his lip.

"it was-" Lance immediately answered. He looked down again. And just sighed.

"-a stupid decision on my behalf,"

"and maybe I really did get caught up in it. " He said, looking sad. Recalling his emotions when Lotor came along.

"believed it for a while." He added.

" Why? " Keith asked.

Lance looked up, afraid of telling him.
"I don't know why but just, I couldn't-"

oh how it hurt to say this.

"I couldn't stand with it."

Keith tensed up again. Looked away.

that's exactly what he expected
that's what he thought
He knew.
He knew deep down inside.

that lance just couldnt be okay with it.

He couldn't accept it.

He was wrong.

"I didn't think you would ever have anything other than annoyance for me." Lance said rapidly, just wanting to get it out.

Keith looked back at him.

"but You've always been there." He reassured.

"always."

"never doubt that."

"you've always been on my mind, Keith."

" Even with the blades, "

"The astral plane."

" or thousands of light years away. "

"You're always with me." Lance smiled.

"even now. "

"during the war, "

"you were always there."

" so. "

Keith started, confused.He stood an arms distance away from Lance. The boy who just told him everything.  He wanted a simple answer. He didn't understand. He needed lance to explain this to him like he always did.

this wasn't a simple chant where Lance said one line and keith said the other.

Keith didn't want to be left to make conclusions.

He needed to hear it himself.

"where am I now?" he quietly asked.

The ends of Lance's mouth curved to a gentle smile.

" You're in four words. "

"I love you, Keith."

For a second, Lance saw those white eyes.

The next Keith's Bayard disappeared as he fell into Lance's embrace.

The two fell into the ground, Keith's arms wrapped over lance's shoulders as his face sayed burried in the crook of Lance's neck.

He stayed still, breathing, but limp in Lance's arms.

Lance noticed, as he kept his hand loose in Keith's hair, that the strands that curled over his fingers faded from purple to black.

After a moment, keith rustled in his spot, gently moving his head up and out enough to see Lance.

the tears rolled down his face like raindrops falling down after a fire.

rolling off the soft, dusted pink face.

" I'm back. " he whispered, his voice soft and raspy.

Lance didn't mind that.

Keiths messy locks were nearly covering his eyes.

so Lance moved them out of Keith's face to see them better.

"Yeah." He smiled. "You're back. and you're right here, being cradled in my arms. "

Keith smiled. He gently rested his head on the left chest plate of Lance's armor.

" Can I stay here? " he whispered, hands curled up as his fists slowly turned to gentle fingers resting there.

Lance pushed his head against Keith.
"permission granted."

Keith's head turned to face lance.

"Can I stay here with you?"

" I'd love that. " He whispered.

The two stayed there for a while. Just taking in the fact that their safe. behind their own particle barrier, where no one could hurt them, the universe was their limit, and the stars would tell their story.

" Thank you for bringing me back. " Keith whispered.

"and I'll do it all over again if I have to."

"So...." Keith yawned.

Lance hummed

"About that journal..."

Lance's eyes shot open, a dumbfounded smile on his face.

" What? yeah-nope no- dont remember, didn't happen. " He calmly replied.

Keith pushed out of the hug. pouting while giving an unamused expression to Lance.

Lance shook his head and gently bumped his forehead against Keith's.

"Oh, I'll read every page of that thing to you, Keith."

"Every page?"

"Every page."

" And what are you gonna do when it's over?"

"I'll write a thousand more."

"Just for you."

" My Keith. "