here it is! the trans keith x trans lance soulmate au i promised on spidersunshine also featuring veronica x rivazi, adam being alive, the allura and lance bromance we deserved and platonic shallura

yes i brought lance dying into this bc i'm forever salty about how that's never mentioned in s7 it's my city now

also don't correct my spelling mistakes im not fixing them lmao it's just annoying

Lance wasn't sure how the conversation had started. One minute, Hunk had been talking about how much he missed his mums, and the next, Allura was looking at his wrist, and was confused about the strange writing on his skin.

"Well, on earth, it's called a soulmark." Hunk said, rubbing the writing on his wrist with nostalgia, "On your right wrist, you have the first words your soulmate says to you, and on your left, the words your soulmate says when you realize you love them."

Oh! You mean a dragoste!" Allura's face lit up with excitement, like a pink neon light going off in a dark room, "Yes, we had those on Altea as well. Though it's a little different. Instead of words, you get a timer to when you meet them, and when you fall in love with them. They're on our ankles, however."

"This is all very intriguing! I didn't know other planets had dra- soulmarks, you called them?" Allura was going that odd thing with her face that made her look so innocent her face was curling up in the human (or altean) form of the ':3' symbol, "Would it be rude to ask you what each of yours is? It could be a team bonding experience!"

In the back, Keith huffed. Lance might not like Allura anymore, but he was still stuck on that 'you're not my crush but I would still kill people if they disrespect you' block of getting over her. But Keith was different. Keith was always different.

"Well, my soulmate is platonic. It's Matt." Pidge said, her voice oozing with fondness. It was rare to see Pidge smile so kindly, and not in that devious smirk she did that made even Shiro take a couple steps back.

'I'm going to be the best big brother ever!' danced across her pale skin littered with freckles in beautiful cursive. Hunk had to admit, he was shocked Matt had such neat writing. I mean, he liked Matt and all, but the dude kind of intimidated him.

Pidge stopped for a while, as if giving everyone time to bask in the glory of her soulmark. When she started seeing everybody's fond smiles fade, she lifted the green sleeve of her sweater on her left arm,
'Come on, Kate, you'll do great— hey, that rhymed!'

Lance chucked to himself, and was about to make a joke to Keith, but he noticed again the black haired boy wasn't next to him like he was usually. The Voltron paladins had developed an odd habit of hanging out in ATLAS (It was the closest to the Castle Ship they could get), and pretty much everyone silently resented it.

Except James Griffin. He made his resentment very, very loud.

It was sort of them trying to remain normalcy. Even though the Cadets couldn't understand how hanging out in a giant robot was normal for them.

Lance gave a look at Keith. Kind of a 'get your ass over here' glare with all the venom he could muster, but it was a lost cause. The paladin of ambiguous ethnicity (Seriously, try asking him if he was Japasnese, Filipino, etc and you'd get a look that could cut bone and a very angry paladin for a week) remained looking at the ceiling. It vexed Lance, but he decided to say nothing, and turned back to Pidge, who looked like she was finishing a story.

"The moment I realized Matt was my best friend was when I had a science fair and my project kinda..." She trailed off, making vague gestures with her hands, "I don't know, it wasn't me. The project was just off? In a way? And he stayed up all night to help me then told me I was going to do great at it."

Everybody made small sounds of 'aw' and nodded in Pidge's direction, like they were approving her soulmark and the story behind it.

"Shiro?" Coran questioned, looking at the former black paladin, who was picking at his robotic arm.

"Uh," he looked to the side, "mine are... not kid appropriate."

"Excuse me?" Allura looks shell shocked there are things in the world that are not 'kid appropriate'.

"Come on, Shiro, let us see!" Pidge asks, the little gremlin she is, weeding her way onto Shiro's arm.

Shiro gave in, (as he always did) turning over his one nonrobotic arm and showing it to Pidge.

"It says 'Takashi, did you just slap my ass?'" Pidge laughed, and she ooked like Hanukkah had been extended to 30 days, "Shiro, you fell in love with your soulmate by slapping their ass?"

"Hey, kids don't curse! And yeah, maybe I did. He has a nice ass."

"How did you meet him?"

Shiro's face flushed a deep red, "Oh, Yeah, that's definitely not kid appropriate. Moving on! Hunk. Show us your mark."

Hunk smiled softly, and turned his wrists so the paladins could see his mark. In odd blocky letters, the words 'Come on, there's not much time!' lay on his right wrist. Pidge grimaced. Lance thought to himself what Pidge was displaying on her face, That handwriting is horrible.

'I think you're beautiful.' was written on his left wrist in the same equally awful writing, but Lance felt his heart grow three times as big like in that old fable, The Grinch.

"Aw, Hunk, that's so sweet!"

"Well, I havent fall in love yet, but I know who she is."

"I think we all know who she is." Pidge snickered, and she jabbed Lance in the abdomen with her elbow. Lance smiled back.

"My dragoste, soulmark, however you prefer, is platonic as well. I'm fine with that. I mean, when Lotor charmed me, I was always suspicious. You can have a platonic and romantic soulmate, but he—" Her face was grim, and her head was downcast. She shook of the dark thoughts of her ex ally, "I'm sorry, I'm getting off track. My right ankle was when we met. It was going by my time so we met roughly a year and a half ago.

"And the love timer, well, it was just a timer till he became my best friend." She cast a look at Shiro, who was smiling proudly. She put a hand on his shoulder, "It went off a while ago."

"Aww," Hunk squealed, and hugged Allura and Shiro close to his chest, before letting them go and wiping off some tears, "you and Shiro are the cutest best friends!"

"White hair club." Shiro said very seriously, and he and Allura both raised a fist into the air and fist bumped like it was a common thing for adults to do.

"You know," Allura notes, looking at Shiro's hair oddly, "I never actually noticed we both—"

"Coran!" Lance interjects, "What about you?"

"Ah, my soulmate, he was a spitfire indeed!" Coran was twirling his mustache as always, "Mechanic on the lower levels of the castle. Unfortunately, we never got around to falling in love before the falling of Altea, but I always consider him my closest friend."

"What about the marks?" Pidge asked, her face was softened, but Lance was beginning to note Pidge was a bit power-hungry for these marks.

"I'm afraid that's a little private, number 5." Coran said simply, but there was a odd tone in his voice. Allura gave him a comforting and concerned look, but otherwise, everyone dropped it.

"What about you, Lance?"

"Uhh... well," he was playing with his thumbs, "they're not anything special."

In truth, he didn't want his teammates to hate his soulmate. Both of the marks were bad in their own right. The first was an insult. (Fun!) And the second outed him as trans. Both things he wasn't excited about. In truth, Lance knew he had probably already met his soulmate. As he told that frog from hell, Bob, he's just really terrible with names. And faces. And remembering in general.

Probably somewhere at the Garrison (or dead, but he didn't think about that) there's a kid who's wondering why their soulmate met him but didn't talk to them. Lance feels really bad he doesn't remember it. If he's even met his soulmate. He got talked down a lot at the Garrison.

He sighed loudly, not thing to be dramatic, but well, Lance is dramatic, wether he tries or not, 'Get over yourself, not everything is about you.' The words were written in a nice, readable handwriting, and he prides himself on that. Especially when he saw poor saps like Hunk who had soulmarks written in almost unreadable writing.

"Your soulmate kind of sounds like a jerk, dude." Pidge interrupts the silence, poking Lance's skin like she wanted to see if it was alive.

"What? No. They aren't."

"You've met her?"

"No. I don't think. But I know they're not mean." Lance sighed, "I mean, why would the universe set me up with a jerk? Seems kind of unfair. They're amazing, it was just a mistake."

"You're using gender neutral pronouns," Allura pointed out, ever the scholar. "Is there a reason for that?"

"Well, yeah," Lance said, trying to sound very casual and hoping his voice wasn't shaking, "because I don't know their gender?"

"Oh."

"Ohhhhhh."

"You're bi? I didn't know that." Shiro says, and he's smiling. He may be Lance's teammate now, but Lance will still never get over the fact that Takashi Shirogane is smiling down at him.

"I mean, I have a preference for girls, so—"

Pidge interrupts loudly. "Okay, yeah, yeah, Lance is heart eyes for a guy or girl, big deal, what's your other mark?"

"Nothing." He says, and holds his hand over his left arm.

"Aw, I bet it's totally cute and mushy."

"Is it sexual intercourse talk?" Allura says, going dangerously close to his face. Lance is starting to notice Allura may be the purest of the team, beating Hunk, "Lance, do you fall for your soulmate in the bedroom?"

"What?! No! It's just private!"

"Come on there, Lance, you have to trust your team completely!" Coran interjected, "No one made fun of Shiro after finding out he, uh, aggressively pat the buttocks of his soulmate!"

Shiro blushed a bright red, muttering something under his breath.

"If any of you make fun of me," the Cuban boy said, putting his hands firmly on his hip, "I get to fly the black lion."

"That's not how it works, Lance." Keith spoke for the first time since the conversation started. He was leaned against a silver pole, brooding (Typical emo Keith behaviour, Lance internally sighed).

Because here's the problem, Lance doesn't really care about his soulmate. Hell, his soulmate could be his favorite TV star, but he know she wouldn't care at all. And that's not fair for his soulmate.

Lance would abandon his soulmate for Keith. Why? Because Lance has a giant crush on Keith, and in the beginning of Voltron, that was fine. Just a little crush on your teammate. But no, now it's all fucked up. It's not just a little crush. It's a deep, burning passion, and no matter how much Lance tries to repress it, it always sneaks its way in spontaneous events he can't control. The fact Keith is getting all cozied up with Acxa doesn't help either.

"You and your mullet don't get a say in this!" He hisses instead, pulling his soulmark back from Pidge, who was just starting to roll up his sleeve and see it.

"It's not a mullet!" The other brother gritted his teeth, "It just grows like that!"

"Sure it does." Lance rolled his eyes, huffing.

"Jesus Christ, can you guys stop?!" Pidge burst, adjusting her glasses and crossing his arms, "I want to see Lance's mark!

Reluctantly, Lance let his left arm down, where an eager Pidge rolled down his sleeve to see in black neat letters, 'I'm asking if have an extra binder, dumbass, not your hand in marriage.'

"Keith, dude, aren't you going to look?" Hunk asks, looking at the other boy. There's been this new, unspoken bond between Hunk and Keith that they didn't have until a couple weeks ago. No one is sure where it came from, and nobody really cares enough to ask.

"I'm not interested in Lance's sad, sad love life or his sappy soulmarks." Keith replies, but his voice is still distant, and he kind of sounds like a spoiled child. Like he's not getting what he wants. Lance is about to reply when—

"Not to interrupt, but I am unfamiliar with this term," Allura points to the word 'binder' on Lance's skin, and the amount of strength she tapped him with makes him want to hide, even though he knows Allura is a buff alien lady and doesn't know how strong she is, "What does it mean?"

"It's basically something trans people, or whoever wants too, I guess," Hunk starts, and casts a look on Pidge that she doesn't notice, "use to bind their chest so their boobs go away. I mean, loosely. I think."

Allura exchanges nervous looks with Coran, like she's mentally asking him a question.

"Do you know what a trans person is?" Shiro asks her, and she immediately looks less confused simply by the sound of Shiro's voice. They're definitely the closest paladins, being you know, soulmates and all. Platonic or not.

"I can't say I do," The blue paladin replies, bowing her head, "my apologies."

"It's someone who was born in the wrong body. Kind of, like, when they were born, and everyone is like 'It's a boy!' but actually, the baby is a girl." Lance tries to explain, even if he feels like gripping Hunk in a tight hug. He feels more vulnerable then he ever has. He looks over to Keith, maybe for a look of reassurance, but all he gets is another dazed look from his leader. Keith's not even paying attention. He doesn't feel mad, just a little disappointed.

"We never had such complications on Altea. If you were born in a male body but identified as female, you would simply get an Altean treatment to shift you to the correct body." Allura is smiling, before pointing between her and Coran, "Both Coran and I are this 'trans', then."

"Oh." Pidge scratches her head, "Huh."

"Thanks for telling us that, Lance. I know it must have been difficult."

"I can't believe Lance came out as bi and trans in one night."

"I'm full of surprises." Lance says, then loudly interjects, "What about you, Keith?"

"What about me?" Keith asks dangerously, but he looks like he was just woken up by Lance's words.

"Your soulmark, mullets-for-brains."

"I'm a hybrid." He replies, and his fingers absent mindedly graze over the mark on his face. Shiro winces, "So it's different."

"How is it different?"

"I got their first words to me and last words to me."

"That's horrible."

"I'm so sorry."

"No, but it doesn't make sense. I was talking with my mum, and at first, I didn't know what my left mark meant. Until she told me for Galra the left arm is your soulmate's last words to you. And on their right arm, it's a timer to when they fall in love with their soulmate." Keith looks down at the floor, and he looks like an outsider. He doesn't look like Team Voltron, all alone. "So I got my soulmates first words, and last. Because of my mixed blood, I guess.

"And I realized that someone had said those words to me.... but they're still alive." He continues, and looks worried, "My soulmate died, and is still alive."

"Wait, someone here on earth?"

"Yeah."

"They died, and came back to life?"

"No, Pidge, they died, and then became a zombie." He snarks, "Yes, they're still alive. It doesn't make sense, but my soulmate and I aren't close, with the war and all, so I'm... scared, I guess to ask. To go up to someone and say 'Hi, I'm your soulmate, also, remember that time you died?'

"What are your words?"

He rolls up the sleeves to his jacket, which looks kind of weird on him now, and holds out his arms. 'Hey, wake up.' is written on his right arm. On his left, 'Whatever, I've grown on you, haven't I?' Lance recognizes the handwriting. Kind of looks like his. But he shakes that thought out of his mind as quickly as it dared to come.

"Keith, I'm so sorry." Shiro says, and gives his surrogate brother a crestfallen look, "That's... that's horrible."

"They're not dead."

"But you said they told you those words—"

"Yeah, but he's alive, okay?! I'm not asking questions." He huffs, and it's so Keith, it physically hurts Lance's poor little heart, "They're alive. That's all that matters."

"Maybe their heart stopped and they came back to life. That happens, right?"

"He. My soulmates a guy."

Hunk gives his friend a reassuring pat on the back, "Keith, you know, platonic soulmates, they're a thing, you—"

"What?" He gives Hunk an odd look, "No, I don't care my soulmate is a guy. I'm gay."

Lance feels an abundance of emotions all at once. He can't describe them. It's like an overwhelming feeling, but just in his throat. He feels like he's going to fall down and crack his skull open.

Lance Serrano, Cause of Death: Finding out his crush is gay.

Lance doesn't even notice the rest of the paladins giving each other pointed looks, and all separately leaving.

"But Acxa?" Lance asks, his voice going a little too high.

"What about her?"

"You guys were— I thought—"

"Acxa's relationship with me is an ally." He says, and he noticeably stiffens from the current red paladins words, "She was just really interested in my connection to my bayard and wanted some help with her grip on her sword. Pretty sure she's a lesbian as well. You thought I liked her?"

"You don't?"

"Lance, I just said I was gay." Keith rolls his eyes, but the fondness in his voice is reaching so high Lance doesn't think he can get fonder.

"Oh." Is all Lance can say.

"What, is it really that much of a surprise?" Keith questions, rubbing the back of his neck, "Don't you have a 'gaydar' or whatever?"

"Okay, how do you know what a gaydar is but not how to say a chant?" Lance asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Don't you know, Lance?" Keith said, and the smile was way too devious to actually be Keith, "Everyday single thing I don't know how to do was just to annoy you. When I was born, my dad thought, 'Yes, I'll raise my son not knowing how to properly say a chant just to annoy that Serrano kid'."

"Yeah, real fu— wait," he looks around, and sees the paladins are gone. Well, he takes that back. Pidge is probably lurking around somewhere, "where's the rest of the team?"

"They probably left us behind." Keith sighs, looking around the to the empty control room of ATLAS, "Typical."

They exist the space craft, but instead of walking towards the rooms, Keith starts to head to where the lions are.

"Where are you going?"

"Uh, the black lion?"

"Why are you going to Black?" Lance checks a watch on his wrist he's had for seven years. He's honestly surprised it still works, "It's 11pm, Keith."

Keith looks like he's in concentration, or doing math in his head.

"What are enough doing?" Lance asks, confused.

"Trying to remember what time 11pm is on a military clock."

"Do you seriously not know how to tell the time outside of a military clock?"

"No?"

"Hopeless! I swear to God! Do you like sleep in Black, or something?"

"Maybe."

"Yeah, not today, Kogane. You're going to get a full night of sleep not in a Mecha cat."

"What the hell is a Mecha?"

"It's— you know what?" Lance is shell shocked, "I'm not engaging you. Come on. Into your room, young one."

"I'm three years older then you."

"Yeah, we know, you went through this super angsty time portal and blah blah you're so much more mature blah blah. Bullshit." Lance finishes his rant, and pulls Keith away from his beloved lion, "You're still a child. Get in your room and sleep."

"Lance," Keith pulls his hand back, "I didn't even move into my room."

"What? Why?"

"I don't like sleeping in the Garrison. Gives me bad memories."

"What do you mean 'bad memories'?" Lance questions, looking oddly at Keith, who looks like he feels uncomfortable as hell in his own skin. Lance knows that feeling also too well.

"Lance, I got expelled and bullied here." Keith sighs, rubbing his arms, "And the man that expelled me is down the hall and the kid who bullied me is just one floor up."

"You can stay in my room." Lance says before he can stop it.

"What?" Keith asks, and he looks so innocently confused Lance is yet again gone. Why did Keith have to be so handsome and amazing? It was just genuinely not fair. Lance played the personality lottery and he got insecurity and dysphoria, Keith got talent and leadership.

"Less bad memories when a friend is there, right?" Lance supported himself, "Especially if the friend is super muscular and strong."

"I didn't know I was going to Hunk's room." Keith says seriously, but Lance knows he's joking. A year ago, Keith saying that would have ended up with Lance on top of him (and not in the fun way), punching the lights out of him. Fun times.

"Okay, rude." Lance says instead, laughing. He sees Keith smiles at his laugh, and he hopes he isn't blushing. They start walking to Lance's room.

"Do you have an extra bed in there?" Keith asks along the way, shoving his fingers in his pockets

"Well, yeah. Veronica slept with me on a bunk the first couple of nights. It was just... I don't know, it felt good to be near family again so I was kind of  over attached." He says, opening himself up, and shrugs, "Doesn't matter now though, Veronica doesn't even sleep in her room."

"What does that mean?" Keith questions, tilting his head to the side.

"It means if you hear loud sounds coming from Rizavi's room, don't ask." Lance has a shit eating smirk on his face, and the look of horror on Keith's face is priceless.

"Didn't need to know that."

"You asked."

When they get to Lance's room, they both look a little uncomfortable. Lance presses the passcode to come into his room, and the door slides open. The Garrsion dorms are so different from the castle rooms. He kind of just wants to go home. He had to find out from Veronica their home had been destroyed over two years ago.

"So, do you just want to like... sleep?" Lance asks, and by sleep he has no idea what he means, "Or move your mattress to the floor? Sleep on the bunk? Whatever you want. The sheets are clean."

"Lance, I'm telling you, it's not necessary." Keith is still pushing him off, and Lance is getting a little vexed, "I usually sleep in the black lion, it's not a big deal."

"No, no, no, no. I'm not letting my buddy break his back in his sleep because he's sleeping in a battle ship."

Keith is about to say something, but Lance covers Keith's mouth with his finger. Fuck. His lips are really soft. "Shhh. I'll get you a pillow, just get yourself comfortable."

Lance exits the room as quickly as he can, feeling an overwhelm of emotion once again. He isn't sure what's wrong with him. Why is he blushing so much? Why are his insides mush? This is the most he's talked to Keith in literal weeks.

A few feet in front of him, he sees a familiar figure with long white hair and a blue dress.

"Allura!" He yells, smiling.

The blue paladin is getting blankets from the supply closet, but she almost drops them in recognition of Lance. It's weird having your ex-crush be your friend, but if Lance could choose someone to reject him, it would either be Hunk or Allura.

"Lance! How wonderful to see you again. I just wanted to say thank you for, what is the term? 'Coming in' to the team." She says, innocent as always. Lance doesn't tell her the term is actually 'coming out' in fear of upsetting her, "On Altea, it's very different, so I don't think I've been giving you enough credit with that. Thank you for trusting us."

"It's no problem, Princess." He stops, "Wait, is it Queen now? I mean, since you're—"

"Let's not dwell on that for too long, I've gotten much too many headaches contemplating my place on the Altean throne. But, more importantly, I saw Keith enter your room." She replies, and she looks like she's going to squeal with excitement.

"He did."

"I just wanted to let you know, as a paladin, it is my duty to tell you inter-paladin relationships are discouraged." She replies seriously, folding her hands behind her back. Her face turns devious and way too Pidge-like, "But as your 'best bro', I want to say I hope you faucet that."

"What?" Lance asks. This has been the most confusing day of his life by far.

"Pidge told me when two people have intercourse, you say 'I faucet that'." She looks sad as can be, "Is that not correct?"

"I, uh, I think you mean tap." The realization hits Lance like a truck, and he hides his face in his hands.

"Oh! Yes!" She claps her hands together like a child. It's so adorable Lance wants to hug the life out of his best friend and protect her forever, "Lance, I sincerely hope you tap that!"

Lance grabs a pillowcase for the closet, and he's glad Allura can't see him through the door because his face is as red as a fire truck. "I'm not— I'm not having sex with Keith, Allura."

He closes the door, the pillowcase under his arm.

"How unfortunate." She sighs, shaking her head, "You two would have beautiful offspring."

Lance can't even comprehend that sentence. "You know what? I'm just— this never happened. Goodnight."

"Goodnight best bro!" She yells after him, and Lance is running as fast as she can because he would rather impale himself then have any of the paladins hear that conversation.

When he finally gets to his room, he basically kicks the door open because of his the irrational fear Allura is chasing him.

"Hey." Lance says when he sees Keith in his room. He gives him the pillow and pillow case. "Here you go."

"Was that Allura's voice?" Keith asks, "What's she doing up?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Oh. Yeah. Thanks." Keith places the items on the top bunk, "Not just for the pillow, but for doing this in general. I mean, I don't know. It's stupid. But, it's nice. You're nice."

"Hey, anything for a friend." Lance says softly, but then he stops himself, "We're friends, right?"

"Lance, I've always wanted to be friends with you. Just you with your stupid rivalry thing..."

"We did have a rivalry!" Lance says, mock offended, "It's not my fault your poor old man brain isn't as memorable as you think."

"That's not how you use the word memorable."

"You're not how you use the word memorable!"

"Yeah, cause that makes sense. I'm going to change, is there a bathroom?"

"Yeah, but it's like two stories up." Lance shrugs, "I'll just look away."

"I don't care if you're looking at me."

"Wh—"

"No! No!" Keith is blushing a bright red that could put Lance's blush to shame, "That came out wrong! It's just— you know what? Forget it. I don't care. I'm just changing shirts. Not like, actually changing everything. I'm just— I'm gonna stop talking."

Keith took off his shirt, and Lance swears he wasn't looking (he was totally looking). There was somethingLance never expected to see. A thin, rift looking piece of clothing. It had probably seen better days. It didn't take long for Lance to figure out it was a binder.

Keith took it off, not facing Lance (for obvious reasons), and put a oversized red shirt over his naked chest. When he turned around, Lance looked like his eyes would pop out of their sockets.

"Is that—"

"Yes." Keith replies flatly.

"You didn't know what I was going to say."

"Something among the lines of 'Oh gee, is that a binder, Mullet? Insert bad joke here'." Keith did a terrible impression of Lance's voice.

"I don't care if you're trans, Keith."

Keith doesn't looks convinced. "Just don't be weird about it, alright?"

"Why would I be weird about it? Keith, did you pay attention at all tonight?" Keith doesn't say anything. "You're joking, right? You didn't see that big hug Hunk gave me, or Shiro's loud dad speech?"

"No?" Keith says, but it comes off as more as a question. He shrugs lightly, "I wasn't really paying attention."

"I came out as trans and you missed it!" Lance is shaking his head in a joking manner, but actually does want to jump off a cliff because it doesn't matter if Keith is also trans, coming out to him for the second time is still hell, "Unbelievable."

Keith doesn't say anything. He stares blankly at Lance.

"Also, your binder looks like you pulled it out a rats ass." Lance breaks the ice as best as he can: by insulting Keith. Good job Lance, that's how you'll get him to like you! "When did you get it?"

"When I was 16."

"Jesus, Keith, you've had that for 5 years? In a intergalactic war?"

"Is that a problem?" Keith asks, oddly defensive over it.

"It looks like it had a fight with a blender."

"Funny." Keith says, and Lance gets this weird feeling it's the opposite of funny. Maybe. Probably not. He's hilarious.

"No, dude, seriously, borrow one of mine."

"Are we even the same size?" Keith asked. And it was true. Lance was much leaner then Keith.

"Guess you'll have to see. I have them in lots of different sizes, anyway, because you never know when you want them to be tight or really loose. Also I have sports bras, in multiple colours, of course. Colour coded and arranged in size. Because as Pidge would say, what are we, animals?" He smirked, and the confused and slightly impressed look on Keith's face could keep him happy for days.

"Wow. That's a... lot. I just have this." He pointed at the gray, beat up binder that was under his arm.

"Disappoint runs strong in my veins, Kogane." Lance sighs wisely, like a Jedi master form one of those vintage Star Wars movies Pidge loves.

"That's not how you say my name." Keith said, and he was kind of laughing, but at the same time, he wasn't. Like a faint guffaw? Was guffaw the word? Whatever, Lance is saying Keith guffawed lightly,  "You're saying it like cocaine."

"Keith Kogayne." Lance grins.

"Very original." Keith sighed, and rubbed his temples, "It's pronounced Ko-gah-nay."

"Kogayne." Lance repeated, and he felt like he was on the play ground again, pulling pigtails and crying about how someone stole his apple slices.

"Never mind." Keith said seriously, but his face betrayed him again. Lance wanted to keep Keith smiling forever.

"Oh!" Lance found his only black binder, which he didn't use for multiple reasons. One, it's black, how boring is that? Two, it was his first binder and his siblings had no idea there were sizes, but he knew if he get rid of it he would feel incredibly guilty, even though it was too big, "Here."

"What is it?" Keith asked, and dear god, had Keith already forgotten Lance was giving him a binder? But then Lance noticed Keith was looking around Lance's room, staring at the posters like t

"Keith Kogayne," Lance says in a British accent, bending down in one knee and hiding the binder out to Keith like it's a crown and Lance is but a humble servant, "will you take this binder, to love and to hold, to be with and cherish, tomorrow morning instead of that excuse of fabric you wear?"

"I'm asking for a binder, dumbass, not your hand in marriage."

And then the world stops. Lance's face twists. He's not sure into what, but he can't breathe. At all. He's dead. Lance is absolutely dead once again. "Dame fuerza." He whispered under his breath, strained and shaking.

"Just take what you want." He says quickly, avoiding Keith's concerning eyes, Keith's beautiful, dark conversing ey— SHUT UP LANCE, "I need to- I need to use the bathroom."

"Didn't you say it was two stories up?" Keith questions, laughing.

Oh my God, Lance thinks, I love him. This is not funny, whatever god there is. This is the least funny thing ever.

"What can I say?" He laughs nervously, his heart skipping a beat, "My bladder does what it wants. Has its own mind."

"I didn't need to know that." Keith says, and he isn't laughing anymore. A part of it tugs at Lance's heart, but the other part thinks in a mushed up gibberish the equivalent of
Ohmygodkeithfuckingkoganeismysoulmatehemustlikeusohmygodohmygldofnfjjfndcudhedhfhhfdh

Good news, no need to worry about hurting my soulmates about my feelings for Keith. Bad news, Keith already found his soulmate. Here. Does that mean my soulmark is unrequited? Does that even exist? Wait. Oh my god. He thinks to himself, rubbing his face over his hands on the outside of his doorframe.

"Keith," he basically bursts into his room, where Keith is admiring all of the posters (again) on Lance's wall, "who's your soulmate?!"

"What?" Keith asks, and he looks a little scared. Lance probably looks like a weird, heaving mound of flesh but at this point, he figures out, he truly doesn't care. Thins are going to fast. He just wants to sleep.

"I need to know!" He says, and comes out at Ryder he intends too as Keith flinches back, "It's very important!"

"It's kind of private." Keith says halfheartedly, looking away form Lance.

"Okay, then, man-to-man, red paladin to red paladin, I need your opinion." The cuban boy steps closer to his friend (his soulmate???), "Lets say hypothetically your find out your friend is your soulmate. And that you're in love with them. But that friend already has a soulmate, and it's not you."

"Wh—"

"Also, hypothetically, the hypothetical issue isn't hypothetical. I'm your soulmate. I'm freaking out." Lance sounds raw and desperate, and es hoping he doesn't have to do this. Doesn't have to deal with the pain of Keith saying 'Lance, I already have a soulmate', but he can't live a life not admitting this, "Help."

"You— You know?" Is all Keith can stutter out, and even then it sounds like he's speaking his first words in a language he barley knows.

Lance feels betrayed.

"I know?" Lance feels his whole world beating and fells like a carpet has been pulled from under him. "You're acting like you— you knew I was your soulmate?! Oh my God, you suck! You didn't tell me!"

"You didn't tell me you died, Lance!" Keith's voice cracks as he talks, and he grabs Lance's shoulders, "You died?"

"It's not a big deal." Lance grits through his teeth, trying to sound tough, but he knows he sounds exactly like he feels. Keith looks at him with those weird blue-gray eyes that look purple in some light, and Lance melts. He actually melts. It takes him a while to register that he's in love with this boy. And he wants nothing more then to hold him. But he can't.

"What the hell?" Keith's voice sounds like it's been through a gutter and five wars, "Yes it is."

"It doesn't matter! What does matter is you're my soulmate and you never told me!" He wants to pull out his hair, he wants to SCREAM, "Like, really? Soulmate, Keith! Soulmate! Why didn't you tell me!"

"Lance, I don't care if you're my grandma at this point!" He's still clutching Lance's shoulders, but gently, nothing makes sense at this point, "You died! How-how are you alive?"

"Why do you care?"

"What do you mean? Of course I care. You're my friend."

"Yeah, well no one else does! I-I mean, I don't want to be a burden or whatever. You found your mum, came back with an altean, a fucking space wolf, Shiro turns out to have been dead for a year, he comes back from the essence of the black lion and Lotor betrays us by having kept alteans secret the whole time and using them as batteries! It just didn't seem like it mattered. And when you were talking about your soulmate, you didn't care either. You said it didn't matter, as long as they were alive. And you knew it was me." Lance isn't sure what he's saying, but all the things he's kept bottled up are just sprouting out, and he can't control it, "You knew I died, and you didn't care. Why do you care now?"

"I don't know!" Keith whisper- yells, and it's so full of emotion that a tear Lance tried to surpress drops down his cheek, hot and uncomfortable, "I thought it was a mistake! Because I thought if you died you would, I don't know, tell me?"

"It doesn't matter! Drop it!"

"You think you dying doesn't matter?"

"No. I'm always the extra wheel, Keith. Always less. I get that. I'm okay with that. Wh—"

"Lance, shut up! Please! Listen to yourself." The other boy is trying to get Lance look him in the eyes, but Lance can't. He won't, "If Pidge came in and told us she thought she was useless, that she was replaceable, what would you say to her? Would you say 'Yeah, Pidge, you are useless.'"

"But Pidge isn't useless! Pidge is smart, and hacks, and-and she's not me!"

Suddenly, the room isn't so hot. It's cold. And uncomfortable. Lance is so tired. He just wants to sleep.

"Lance, I'm sorry." Keith whispers. Lance ain't looking at him, but if he was, he knows Keith's eyes would be shattered.

"Sorry?" He manages, and looks up to the boy he loves, to the boy he wants so badly to hate, "Why are you sorry?"

"I didn't know you were feeling this way. I mean, if you just found out I'm your soulmate, and the thing you're worried about is me caring you died, then... I guess the team isn't as close as we thought." His voice is distant. "I'm not as good a friend as I thought."

"Of course you are." Lance's voice is back, but it's high and weird and he hates it so much, he hates his voice, "Keith Kogane. Top pilot. Team Leader. O—"

"Lance, just—just stop." Keith says. Lance isn't sure what to do, but Keith pulls the boy into a bear hug, and Lance cries. He isn't sure for how long, but by the time they wake up, it's late into the night and Keith has a giant tear stain on his shirt.

He gives a look at Lance, before carrying the boy to his bed. Lance doesn't protest. When Keith puts the covers over Lance, Lance is half asleep. His eyelids are weights. Keith bends down at him before going to the top bunk. A smile is on his lips.

"You matter." Is all he says, and it's so faint and wispy, Lance wonders if Keith really said that at all.

*****

The next morning is hetic. Lance wakes up, and thinks I'm on Earth. This is nice. Had a nice talk with Keith, he's my soulmate. Going to walk Pidge's dog today. Say hi to Veronica. Do some training. KEITH IS MY SOULMATE HOLY FUCKING HELL.

He changes, knowing Keith isn't in the room. His eyes wander his binder drawer, and he noticed the black binder is still there. His pink sports bra is missing. He smirks, despite himself.

Lane quickly puts on his purple sports bra because he knows he's going to be training today and doesn't want to crack his ribs in half.

Almost as if on cue, when Lance puts on his shirt, the room doors open, and there's Keith. He's wearing a gray shirt (light black, if you ask him) but Lance can see a pink sliver of clothing under it.

He wants to say Hi. Hello. You look nice. But all that can come out is, "You're my soulmate. And—"

"You died." Keith finishes the latter's sentence brashly, "And you didn't tell anyone. I'm still mad at you for that."

Keith realizes he hasn't asked how Lance died, or how he came back, but he realizes then that he doesn't want to know.

"Really?" Lance asks.

"No." Keith smiles, and he steps forwards. Lance's heart does a thing.

"Oh my God, Allura was right." He whispers under his breath. But Keith, with his super Galra hearing or whatever, obviously heard it because Lance can never catch a break.

"Allura's always right." Keith muses, and blows a piece of black hair out of his face. A few days ago, Pidge had assaulted him and Matt with scissors, saying both their hair was too long and it hurt her eyes just to look at it. Lance thought both of them looked better, but Matt cried for 10 hours straight, "What was it this time?"

"Are we going to talk about this?" Lance asked, gesturing between the two of them. Keith looked like this badass Xena warrior, and tried to portray himself that way, but he was still at least half an inch shorter then Lance, and it made it awkward for Lance to look down and see this strong adult looking up at him. Lance didn't feel like an adult, even if his birthday was a couple months ago. He felt like a child.

"What?"

"I mean, I know everything is good. But... finding out you're my... soulmate and you knew. It's weird. And finding out I love you. I mean, I know I do. I just feel like I was walking and someone popped from the bushes and said 'By the way, you love Keith!'"

Keith stared at him blankly. Had he not noticed he had said Lance's second soulmark? Had he not noticed at all? A lump formed in Lance's throat, but he pushed it down.

"You weren't paying attention at all last night." Lance said.

"I had different things to think of." Keith told the boy, his arms still crossed.

"Like what?"

"Like how my soulmate was standing in front of me. Looking nice." The black paladin was stepping towards Lance, a smirk on his face. Lance wasn't drinking anything, but if he was, he would have spat water all over Keith's face, "It's hard to stay focused when someone so beautiful is in front of you."

Lance was mortified.

"You can't do that!" He yelled, turning away quickly. He didn't know if he was blushing, but his face was absolutely on fire.

"Do what?" Keith asked innocently, and Lance wasn't looking at him, but he could just hear that shit eating smirk on his face.

"That!" Lance turned around and made random, violent gestures with his arms. From the look on Keith's face, his face was just as red as he thought, "You can't compliment me! It's weird!"

"Weren't you the one talking about love?"

"I never said that! You can't prove that in a court of law!"

"Hey, Lance." Keith said.

"What?"

And then Keith grabbed the boy's chin, and kissed him. It was weird, and awkward, since Lance didn't know what was happening till it hit him right in the face. Keith tasted like oreos and gunpowder. Just when he was thinking 'Hey, this is kind of nice,' Keith pulled away, and his face was so close Lance could feel his breath on him. His stomach was twisting in knots, and all he could think was I want to kiss him again. He was so gone.

"Enjoy 100 years of Pidge teasing you." Keith smiled, and the whole reality of KEITH FUCKING KOGANE JUST KISSED ME sunk into Lance. Just as he was gathering his bearings, Keith laughed and ran out of the room.

"I-I... Hey! That's illegal!" He shrieked, and his voice cracked. He would argue later that it didn't, but everybody in a five mile radius could hear it. He chased after his soulmate with a smile lit on his face, "Keith!"

EPILOGUE:

The sky was a gray-blue. The sun was shining, and Keith woke up with Lance next to him. Yeah, life is good.

They both went down to the airfield, Allura kept making that '>:3' face at Lance the whole time, when they bumped into a face they had seen several times but never actually met. (I mean, it was hard when Shiro was basically attached to said person.) Keith's met him a couple of times, but that was mostly in the Garrison's office after Shiro had gone missing and the family of the Kerberos mission pilots were being consoled.

"I'm Adam, Shiro's..." the brown skinned boy's eyes dart off, but his small smile grows warm and reassuring, "...something. We're still figuring that out. Odd gray spaces being filled. You've done a great deal for the world. For the universe."

"You don't have to be so formal." Lance says, and his shoulders bump Keith's. They've been dating for a week or so, but we're still kind of afraid to really announce it, "A friend of Shiro's is a friend of ours. Lance Serrano, red paladin. It's good to meet you."

"Are you his boyfriend, Keith?" Adam asked, very soldier like, his hands tucked behind his back. His eyes were on Keith. He gestured the space between Lance and Keith's shoulder, which was almost nonexistent. His eyes darted to their hands, which were interlocked.

Keith knew when James Griffin had said something similar, his mouth upturned, his words full of venom, his heart had been racing. They were just talking, a little too close for friends, but just close enough for them. The Griffin kid had sneered something about 'not knowing appropriate behaviour on Voltron' and when Lance told him to go away, the fatal words had left his mouth. "What, is he your boyfriend, Serrano?" They had quickly moved to separate seats, and stayed there even when he left.

No, I'm not, He wanted to say. Then he would make some bullshit excuse about why they were holding hands or something. But then he looked at Lance. Lance wasn't smiling, but his expression wasn't neutral either. His eyes were looking at Keith in this completely lovestruck manner that made Keith want to blush a storm. And they were blue. He wanted to make up some long explanation like 'they were the ocean, silver sprays salt of salt peppered in, drowning in their depths...'

But he couldn't. His eyes were just blue. This was just Lance. But it was so much more.

"Yeah," Keith said, and a smile was spreading across his face like ink poured into water. His stomach was doing cartwheels and it felt so foreign, but so right. He squeezed Lance's hand tighter, "I am."

AUTHORS NOTE

howdy! can't believe i actually finished this oh my god. i didn't actually have a real plot and added the epilogue on a whim and oh boy it shows but u know what fuck it i wrote for fun and i had fun writing this

8083 words!! wow i tried my best to proofread this but im so.... drained. i can't even speak bc my brain is literally melted. there's probably lots of spelling mistakes because i can't spell and everyone knows that, but i hope you enjoyed it!