Lance had stayed.

He had stayed at the dock for hours.

He had believed.

He had believed Keith would come back.

He had cried.

He had cried until Hunk called, until Hunk came for him, in Shays beat up Nissan. 

He had cried some more all the way home. 

He had slept. 

He had slept while Hunk took Shays car back, and took the bus home.

While Hunk stayed up and made Lance blueberry muffins.

His favorite. 

And then he cried some more. 

It was an endless cycle, and he felt the minutes and hours melt together, until he couldn't understand where the time went.

He woke up, and realized a day had passed since Keith left.

Since Keith yelled at him.

Lance didn't know where Keith was, but he could guess.

He didn't know why he was mad, but he could guess.

All the crap about Lotor and Haggar and Zarkon had confused Lance and it had hurt too bad when Keith left.

It was like pouring alcohol on a cut he didn't know was there.

He started crying again.

"Lance?" It was Hunk.

Beautiful, soft, pure, sweet, glorious Hunk. 

With a tray of blueberry muffins.

"I made you some muffins, to help you feel better." He said, sitting on the edge of Lances bed.

Lance ate the food quickly, he was insanely hungry and knew he hadn't eaten yesterday.

He hadn't done much of anything but cry. 

"Thanks Hunk." 

"No problem buddy." Hunk wrapped his arm around Lances shoulders. 

"Everyone's worried about you." 

"They shouldn't be. I'll be alright." Lance said. 

Hunk nodded, and detected the lie. 

"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asked quietly.

Lance shivered, he could hear Keith's voice. He was already hallucinating. 

He nodded. "Yea."

"Alright, let it out, I'm here to listen." Hunk said.

Lance pushed everything forward, and poured all his emotions into his words, he needed to get them off his chest. 

"I just- I don't know what happened. He was clearly conflicted- it hurt when he changed from human to siren and back, so he wanted to go home. Plus, Lotor was after him and I'm guessing he knew the entire time, and he wanted to go because of that too. And then I told him to stay... He said it was selfish of me to do and..maybe he was right, I just wanted him for myself. I wanted him so bad and now he is gone. Lotor captured him, and he luckily escaped but he learned how his parents were murdered and he was too hurt to stay here. So he left, he yelled at me so much. He said it was my fault he nearly died...and the worst part.."

Another tear fell down Lances cheek. "He's right. If I hadn't tried to keep him for myself, he would've been gone, safe with the Council and Shiro and Adam, but I kept him here with me and-"

"Lance, do you think he didn't want to stay with you?"

"Well he said I made him..."

"Did you? Or did he willingly stay?"

Lance bit his lip. "He willingly stayed."

Hunk pulled him into a hug. "I don't think you should give up then. All of us with eyes could see he liked you, just as much as we could see you liked him."

"So-"

"I think you shouldn't give up on Keith. He might have a slow way of showing it, but he cares. He cares a lot."

Lance dried his eyes and hugged back. "Okay."

"So you'll wait?" 

Lance smiled to himself. "I'll wait." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith raised his onyx to the moonlight, the pale hue making the onyx sparkle, and he was swept up in the current.

"So what did he ask you?" Adam asked as Keith followed them into the cave.

Keith was exhausted, but he felt good. He had helped Lotor and Haggar, and seeing their tears of joy and endless smiles made him know he had made the right decision.

And he didn't have to worry anymore.

But he had made a huge mistake. One he couldn't afford to leave. 

And now he had the chance to at least try to fix it.

If Lance would accept me. 

Keith didn't know what he would do if Lance didn't. He'd messed up so badly though.

"He gave me the opportunity to live on the surface, forever." Keith said.

The silence that followed made Keith's heart heavy.

"What are you going to choose?" Shiro asked.

Keith didn't meet their eyes. "I'm not sure yet." 

It wasn't a lie, he wasn't totally sure. 

He loved Adam and Shiro and knew it would hurt to live without them.

But he couldn't imagine living without Lance. 

"Well, I've been curious." Adam said nonchalantly waving away the stress. "Whats the surface like?" He grinned. 

Keith smiled. "It's a lot. Very different from down here." 

"How?" Shiro asked, that giddy smile on his face.

Keith felt his heart ache, but not for Lance.

It would hurt to leave Shiro and Adam.

"Well for once, there is this thing called ice cream, it's literally the best thing humans have come up with. Strawberry ice cream is so amazing." 

"What's that??"

"Some kind of dairy product that they eat for dessert.. Lance says I can't eat too much though." 

"What else?"

"There's video games you can play whenever you want, they're super fun, on these electronics and huge screens. They're lots of fun. Also, driving is crazy fun- but dangerous, Lance doesn't like me doing that either. But there are so many pretty things up there- like sunrises and sunsets and the stars. Lance showed me all that, and it was all so beautiful, and then there is coffee. Coffee might even be better than ice cream actually, or well Lances coffee-"

As Keith continued on about coffee, Shiro and Adam exchanged knowing glances. 

"There is roller skating, which Lance taught me to do and that was a lot of fun, and his family is so great, I miss them a lot already." Keith laughed. "But going down the highway at 75 miles per hour and the windows down is such a great feeling, and I like to listen to Lance sing, he's a great singer and-"

"Keith." Adam stopped him.

Keith's insanely bright smile dropped, and he blushed.

"Yes?"

"Tell us about...Lance." Shiro smirked.

Keith's blush took over his face. "He's just a friend, that's all, and he's the guy who spotted me. That's all."

Adam nodded. "Mhm." 

Shiro laughed, "Thats all? He doesn't have hair, or doesn't have certain things he likes to do.."

"Oh." Keith said. "Sorry. Yeah he has brown hair, and he likes Spanish music, I think he is Cuban. He has really pretty blue eyes, and his smile is almost blinding and..."

Adam high fived Shiro.

"He has a lot of freckles, and he's always so warm and..."

"I think I love him." 

Keith was staring at his tail.

"And you're me embaressed by that because...." Adam asked.

"I don't know." Keith shrugged. "I've only known him for such a little amount of time, and he is human, and probably straight and I ran him off-"

"You did what?" Shiro asked.

"I kinda yelled at him after I escaped Lotor."

"I thought you came straight here."

"No...I told him it was his fault Lotor captured me..."

Shiro and Adam blinked at him. 

"Are. You. Kidding. Me."