Once again I apologise for infrequent uploads but here, I present to you... a very sad chapter.

"Keith, I think it might be best if we break up," James murmured, gaze fixed on his knees to avoid all means of eye contact. It was almost like seeing Keith's face as he reacted to the bad news would make it all real. He heard Keith's breath hitch but James tried his hardest not to make his flinch noticeable. He had to be the bigger man. James couldn't let Keith drag him along anymore. He had had enough of being second best; the backup option.

"What, why?" Keith choked out, voice cracking on the two simple interrogatives. It contrasted his usual brave, unemotional self.

"Because you like Lance," Keith's mouth fell open but, before he could argue, James continued to speak. He knew arguing would only make the situation harder; it was already hard enough as it was. "I can tell. Don't deny it. You couldn't make it any more obvious."

"James, I-" Keith backed up so their bodies were no longer pressed against each other, tears puddling in his eyes. James's side, where Keith had been pressed into, seemed to turn ice cold as if he had been blasted with an ice attack from Todoroki from the My Hero Academia manga James loved to read. "I don't-" James made the mistake of glancing up to briefly meet eyes with Keith. As soon as his gaze laid upon the wet tears in his eyes, James felt like he was going to vomit up his lunch.

"You don't stop looking at him when you're in the same room as him, even if I'm there too. You've seemed distant for a while now. You and him have so many inside jokes that you don't even attempt to explain to me... you like him, not me. I get it. I should have known way back when we kissed for the first time because you were obsessed with him before you left for space. I guess..." James trailed off to allow himself a second to swallow the lump forming in his throat. "I guess I wanted to convince myself that you might love me back. I wanted you to so much."

"James, I- I do love you-"

"But not in the way that I love you. I bet you can only see yourself with Lance in the future. I bet he's the one you imagine when we kiss and when we-"

"I-"

"Don't lie to me, Keith. I know you. I've known you forever. You helped me through my hardest moments when I was being abused by my own dad and you helped me when I got myself addicted to adderall of all things. You helped me when I had to do my exams a month later than everyone else. You've helped me through so much and- and I can't thank you enough," A rogue sob escaped James's mouth, forcing him to hunch over and run his hands through his hair. "I really didn't want to lose you but I know I have to let you go. I love you and that means I want the best for you. I want you to be happy and I know you'll never be happy with me." Keith remained silent which only confirmed James's suspicions. "I'm breaking up with you so you can be with the one you truly love... Lance. Ask him out. You two are soulmates for fuck's sake. Anyone can see it."

Despite the pain inside Keith's chest from all the emotional turmoil, he forced a smile. He let his eyes track the streams of tears dripping from James's eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"No, it's okay. I get it. I just want you to be happy. That's all," James rubbed at his eyes with his fists before letting out a loud huff. "Go talk to him. Right now. You haven't stopped worrying about him since we left yesterday and I'm sorry if I'm being insensitive but it's a concussion. I'm sure you've experienced worse injuries when you were in space. There's no way a concussion is going to be what kills Lance."

"I know but... I can't help-"

James shook his head, clenching his hands into fists. "You need him. You don't need me. I think... I think you should leave. The only people who don't know you two love each other are you and Lance."

"I'm not going to leave you-"

"I can handle myself. We can still be friends and you can still support me with my... you know what. I just- I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend that you love me when you clearly don't."

"I do love you. Just..."

"Not like I love you, I get it."

James glared at his feet, blinking rapidly to fight the tears continuing to gather in his eyes. He felt like he was going to be sick but he was sure that it wasn't because of his withdrawal symptoms that time. "James... I'm sorry. I thought I did like you for a while but-"

"Lance is the one you're meant to be with. You've loved him forever. Go talk to him."

"I can't-"

"Do it. I know you want to." Keith opened his mouth to argue but, upon seeing how James's eyes had thinned into a glare, he closed it again. He let their gaze connect one more time, both of their eyes glistening an equal amount before walking out with one last whispered apology.

As soon as Keith was out of sight, James collapsed onto his bed and let out another hysterical sob. He fell asleep before he stopped crying.

-

"Oh, sorry... am I interrupting something?" Keith questioned. He was hovering in the doorway of Lance's dorm, refusing to meet eyes with any of the people in his room. His eyes were bright red where he had tried to rub away any sign that he had been crying. He hadn't even had the opportunity to look in a mirror as he had raced straight to Lance's room as James had suggested.

Lance avoided the question, instead focusing on Keith's state which he perceived to be more important. "What's wrong? Have you been crying?"

"I- I-" Keith started as his bottom lip wobbled, despite him trying his hardest to get it to stop. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't have made up a lie because the words slipped out of his mouth without his control. "James broke up with me." As soon as he said it, a sob catapulted out of him. He hunched over and covered his face with his hands but it was too late: Lance, Shiro and Adam had already heard him cry.

"Oh my God," Lance jolted up, despite the fact that his head was still pounding from his concussion. He raced towards Keith and pulled him into a hug, allowing him to bury his head into his neck. "I'm so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" Keith clutched Lance's shirt, gripping onto it with all of his might. He was like a newborn baby as they clutched onto their secure base; their mother. "Can you guys give us some privacy?" Adam and Shiro nodded without even consulting each other. Keith stared at his feet so he didn't have to see the concerned looks on their faces, only acknowledging their presence by stepping to the side to let them out of the room.

Lance gave Keith a moment to compose himself before speaking up again. "James is a jerk for breaking up with you. I'm sure, whatever happened, James is regretting it right now," Technically, Lance was right. James was regretting it but not for the reason that Lance was assuming. "You deserve so much better than him."

"No, I'm the jerk." Keith whispered, voice so soft that, for a brief moment, Lance wondered if he had imagined it.

"Whatever he said was wrong. You are not a jerk. You're one of the best people I have ever met. James didn't deserve you."

"I am a jerk! You don't get it, Lance." That triggered yet another round of sobs from Keith who buckled over and buried his head into his hands all over again. It felt like the millionth time he had cried within that last 24 hours, a new record for someone who was so used to being as emotional as a slab of concrete.

"Then let me get it. Tell me what happened."

"He broke up with me because he figured out that I liked someone else."

Lance's mouth fell open and he suddenly seemed at a loss for words. He backed up enough to drop down onto the bed and run both of his hands through his hair. "...What?"

"I like someone else. I dated James because I thought I liked him but I didn't. I like someone else."

"But... you and James seemed so happy together?"

Keith shook his head, mumbling so quietly that Lance had to lean forward to make out the words. "I thought we were but he was right. I couldn't get someone else off my mind and, no matter how much I tried, I couldn't force myself to love him."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault..." Keith turned to look at Lance and, for a short moment, they met eyes. Keith stared into Lance's kind, blue eyes, finding himself lost in the oceans hidden behind them. His gaze then flickered down to Lance's lips. They seemed much more chapped than James's ever was but, still, Keith found himself subconsciously leaning forward. Before their lips could even touch, Lance shoved him back.

"What are you doing?"

Keith let out another sob, his entire body shaking violently. "I'm sorry. I've fucked everything up..."

"Is," Lance swallowed. "Is it me you like?" Keith refused to meet Lance's eyes which confirmed it without Keith having to say anything. "...Since when?"

"Since forever... I started to like you way back when we went to the Garrison. I was so jealous of you. You had everything I didn't... You were funny, kind, sociable and you had so many friends. You were... you were also really cute."

Lance leaned away from Keith, eyebrows raising to the skies in shock. "Shut up! I was jealous of you. You were smart, edgy and cool. Don't get me started on how hot you are."

"...Are?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Lance raised one of his hands to scratch at the back of his neck. "I guess I've liked you for a while too."

"But what about Allura?"

"I loved her too. It was a mess but I never thought you'd like me back in a million years..." Lance glanced down at his lap so his fringe fell over his face. He let his hands fall back to his sides where he began to let his hands clench into loose fists. "I'm sure she would just be happy that I moved on."

They went silent for a moment until Keith moved to wrap his arms around Lance's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. That time, Lance didn't push him back. Instead, he moved his arms around Keith's waist so that he could deepen the kiss.