Thread by @Astro_Latte

PART 2 - of my Holiday post-canon klance thread where Keith is stuck on Earth and forced to celebrate Christmas with Lance even though he’s grumpy about it and lost his memories. 🎄☃️

Keith wakes up in what could be the most comfortable bed he's ever slept in. A plush pillow rests under his head. Everything smells like Lance, and Keith wonders if this is what it'd feel like to be hugged by him.

Did they hug before?

Keith hopes so because he wants to again.

He pulls the blanket up to his chin, squinting at the end table. The picture from before is faced down, hidden. Curiously, Keith lifts it up and sees a picture of Lance standing next to a young woman with dark skin and silver hair and -

Allura.

That's Allura.

Queen of Altea.

Keith’s stomach sours, memories of his friend filling his mind like water in a basin.

Blue lion...

Voltron...

The war...

Together at the Source of all Reality where they thought they’d lose her forever.

...her kiss goodbye to Lance that left him those marks on his cheeks.

He feels a swoop in his stomach like he’s cresting a wave and falling down the back of it. The sinking realization that Lance is someone who’s desired by people other than Keith.

Allura and Lance have broken up years ago, but that doesn't mean he's single.

Keith thinks of the red slippers in the bathroom, the jacket in the closet.

And it hits him, a punch in the gut, a riptide pulling him under.

Lance has a boyfriend.

Red Slippers Guy isn't Lance's blasé roommate, coming and going whenever he feels like it.

He's his boyfriend.

He lives in this apartment, sharing Lance's comfy bed, and is the one who Lance was waiting for to decorate the Christmas tree.

Tears burn at Keith's tender eyes, his head still throbbing from the fall. He turns into the pillow, wraps himself tighter in the warm comforter, and hopes it muffles his sobs. He doesn’t want Lance to hear him break over him.

Funny enough, THAT emotion feels painfully familiar.

A whirlwind of thoughts run through him, confusion mixed with hopes and fears.

He knows he needs to be the more mature person and respect Lance’s space. Keith only “known” Lance for two weeks and doesn’t even remember the guy pre-amnesia.

Lance doesn’t owe Keith anything - especially returning his feelings.

How selfish would that be?

Keith needs to focus on healing and getting his memories back. If he keeps his feelings in check, at least he can enjoy Lance's company before Red Slipper Guy comes back.

There's a knock on the door. "Keith?"

He closes his eyes. Just hearing Lance's voice is enough to break him all over again.

How is Red Slipper Guy not with Lance every second of the day? What is wrong with him?

"Are you up?"

"Yeah."

Lance slowly crosses the threshold inside

Lance sits at the end of the bed, runs a comforting hand across Keith’s feet and calves over the blankets. Keith closes his eyes tightly, burying his face into the pillow.

“How’re you feeling?” Lance asks.

“Tired, dizzy, sore.”

“After you wiped out, you fell down the stairs.”

Huh. Well, that explains the body aches.

“Do you want to go back to the Garrison?” Lance asks, squeezing Keith’s ankle softly.

Affectionately?

Was Lance touchy-feely with all of his friends?

"No, I'm okay," Keith says. He thinks of the red slippers and doesn't want to leave.

Lance is quiet for a long moment and Keith thinks he's going to get up and leave until he feels the weight shift on the mattress.

Keith stiffens like a board as Lance curls up on the other side of the mattress.

"Is this okay?" Lance whispers behind him and Keith nods.

"Yeah."

"Figured that it'll be good to be here...just incase."

"Right."

Lance climbs under the soft comforter and Keith closes his eyes tighter.

Trying to search for Lance in his memories, like gold in a river.

Lance was there with Shiro when he woke up. He must be important.

Right?

Keith falls into an uneasy sleep and swears he feels the soft, calming pressure of having his back rubbed.

When he wakes up, Lance is already out of the bed and the red slippers have moved to be in front of Lance's dresser.

Keith fights the impluse to toss them out the window.

Keith helps Lance wrap presents for his nieces and nephews.

"They're Voltron fans?" Keith asks, inspecting the action figure the vaugly resembles Hunk

"The cartoons, ye- wait!" Lance's head zip to Keith. "You remember Voltron?"

"Yup."

"For reals?"

Keith snorts. "For reals."

Lance glances down at the gift wrapping, brows pitched in thought.

"Do you remember being Black Paladin?"

"A little..." Keith admits, ripping a piece of tape. "I remember the war and us being paladins...broadstrokes."

"Cool..." Lance smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

Keith reaches out, cupping Lance's face in his hand, the gesture so natural.

"I remembered when you got these," he says softly, his thumb running over the blue mark underneath his eyes. "And yeah...you're not Altean."

Lance chuckles. "Told you."

"You're human."

"Unlike you."

Keith snorts. "I'm human enough.:

"Juries still out," Lance teases, leaning ever so slightly into Keith's touch. "What else did you unlock when you tumbled down my stairs like an idiot?"

Keith swallows hard, pulling his hand away from Lance's face to flex his fist at his side.

"Allura’s the Queen of New Altea now..." Keith says.

"She is."

"I'm sure she's great at it."

"She DEF is."

Keith fidgets with the tape, sticking his fingers along the adhesive.

"I still don't remember you, Lance," he admits and Lance's face falls. "I...I don't know why."

Lance nods and goes back to wrapping presents. After days of non-stop chatter and easy banter, the silence is louder than any scream.

Keith knows he could just ask Lance about them. What their deal was, but sometimes deep is telling him no. That the vulnerability isn't worth it.

Instead he clears his throat and changes the subject.

"Your roommate....is he gone like this often?"

Lance pauses and then closes his eyes before nodding. "Yeah...he's a real space cadet. Travels all the time and gets the time dilation all muddled."

A memory of Keith struggling with time zones bubbles up to his mind. Pops like a champagne bubble.

"One time he wished me happy birthday in March," Lance says, exasperation in his voice.

"What's wrong with that?"

"My birthday's in July."

Keith rolls his eyes. What a dingus!

Keith spends the next few days trying to learn more about Red Slippers Guy.

Lance doesn't seem like the type to have a scandalous affair with his amnesiac teammate BUT at least he can learn more about this mystery man. And who knows? Maybe it'll unlock his memories about Lance.

Apparently, Lance's known the guy for years. He spends most of his time in space, but spends his days off on Earth.

Red Slipper Guy doesn't own many things, but has his own section of Lance's closet (and Keith's seen his clothes....he likes his style.)

When Keith asks Lance if he'll be back for Christmas, he gives Keith one of those sad smiles. The ones that don't reach his eyes.

"Maybe," he says with a shrug. "We got into a fight before he left last time."

Keith's mind lights up like a Christmas tree.

...is this an opening?

Keith tries to feign nonchalance. "Oh no...do you want to talk about what happened?"

Lance raises an eyebrow at him. Apparently that isn't something he would usually say to Lance. Keith clears his throat.

"Or...not. It's fine. Whatever."

Keith takes a loud sip of his coffee.

Lance face relaxes and Keith winces around his coffee cup.

Why is him being standoffish more comfortable for Lance than him being nice?

Still, Lance glances down at his mug of hot chocolate, stirring it mindlessly. Whipped cream long since melted. "It's...complicated."

Oh?????

"More complicated than getting space brain poisoning and losing your memories?"

Lance snorts. "True true...ok."

Keith bites his tongue to keep from beaming. Lance takes a deep breath, leaning his chin on his fist. "We aren't really roommates."

Oh my god they weren't roommates.

"We're more like long-term hookup buddies."

Keith gulps his coffee. The burning of his esophagus somehow less painful.

"For how long?" Keith asks.

"Years."

YEARS?!

Lance chuckles. "Most people would be surprised. We kept it lowkey."

"Were you ok with that?"

Please say no.

Keith doesn't know much about Red Slipper Guy, but from what he does know, he doesn't like.

Why would anyone want to be "lowkey" with Lance McClain? He lights up every room. He should be happy all the time.

Fuck Red Slipper Guy! If Keith ever meets Red Slipper Guy its ON SIGHT.

"At first I was. After Allura, I didn't think there'd be anyone I could love like that again."

Keith is about to add Allura to his People Who Made Lance Sad list. He doesn't care if she's a Queen.

"That doesn't sound like you!" Keith argues.

"Dude, you don't even remember me."

Lance throws him a smarmy smile and Keith sputters. "But I know you now!"

Lance laughs and shakes his head. "Three weeks enough, huh?"

"Well, yeah! You're..happy! And caring! And have...a lot of..."

Lance's smile flaters, finally taking Keirh seriously. "What?"

Keith freezes.

An airhorn going off in Keith's head, like a warning from the person he was before.

Keith pictures himself sitting on top of a frozen lake, looking down and seeing a figure of himself floating beneath the ice. Its punching the ice from underneath, wanting to break through.

From what he remembers from Voltron, they were two people who begrudgingly put up with the other.

Maybe the Keith from under the ice wouldn't be honest with Lance or would blow him off. Underestimate him.

But now, he sees Lance - really sees him - and can't deny him anything.

"You have a lot of love to give, Lance," Keith finally says, reaching out to cover Lance's hand with his own. "I'm sorry Allura or this guy couldn't hold it, but that doesn't mean you should stop. Because one day, someone will be and they'll be the luckiest person in the galaxy."

Keith gulps, trying to still his hearbeat at the confession. Across from him, Lance stares.

Keith hears the thump under the ice.

Da-dum.

Da-dum.

Lance is slient but his eyelashes clump with tears soon streaking his cheeks, bottom lip quivering heavily as he fights against it.

"Keith..." Lance's voice breaks and Keith doesn't know if these are happy tears or sad.

The pounding grows louder, and Keith’s heartbeat pulses in his ears.

Da-dum.

Da-dum.

"I...you..." Lance shakes his head. "This wasnt supposed to happen."

"What wasn't?" Keith asks

Da-dum

"This...us...." Lance grits his teeth, but the tears are flowing freely down his face, dripping off his chin. "You."

"Me?"

"Keith, please don't make me do this," Lance's plea is desperate. He grips his hand like a tether on the table. "Just...tell me you remember me. Please..."

Da-dum.

"Do what?" Keith asks, but his hold on Lance's hand is just as tight. The kitchen table a lifeline. "Lance, I'd never hurt you."

Da-dum.

"You already did, Keith."

The ice cracks.

He claws himself out from underneath.

The cigarettes burns fill.

Da-dum.

"It's you."

It hits Keith like a bolt of lightning.

Everything floods back to him.

Lance's farm a year after the war. A Christmas party he didn't want to go to.

Lance stopping him on the front porch. Looking gorgeous. As always.

An ache in his heart he's nursed since he was 17 and alone.

The pull of Lance’s smile, eyes, lips.

The push of Keith's fear, hurt, pain.

The way Lance kissed him first, and how it felt like he was flying.

The way they crashed into eachother every time they met. Over and over again.

The way they worked. So obviously. So effortlessly.

The way Lance held Keith's heart in his hand and broke it so easily.

The way Keith unleashed his own insecurities on Lance and fear of committing to something real.

The way neither could believe the other truly wanted more than what they had. After so long of settling for less.

The red slippers Lance gifted him on his birthday after Keith got the date confused.

The blue slippers Keith gifted Lance as an apology for confusing the dates in the first place.

The assignment to a far off dangerous planet with no end date in sight.

The excuse to run away.

The hospital room where Lance held his hand while he tried to fight through the poison in his veins.

"If you wake up for Christmas we'll get the tree you want. A real one with pine needles that get everywhere," Lance had whispered. "It'll smell like an air freshener, too."

"If you wake up I'll show you what Christmas could be...we'll have a tree. You'll get a stocking. It'll be a home," Lance's voice floated in his mind. "It'll be every year and it'll be messy, but it'll be us. Together."

"If you give me a chance, I can show you how much I love you."

Keith eyes burn with tears and he chokes. "Lance."

Realization dawns on Lance's face. "You're back...you remember..."

Keith nearly trips over his own feet to scramble around the kitchen table. "Yes! Lance! Lance!"

Lance crumples against him, wrapping his long arms around Keith's torso. Keith buries his face in his neck, he smells like the pillows.

"I'm so sorry," Keith sobs. "I just left you alone with all those feelings and you still took care of me. Even when I couldn't remember you."

"I'm sorry for starting the fight in the first place" Lance sniffles, clinging to the back of Keith's shirt. "You aren't a consolation prize. I want to be with you and I want everyone to know I love you, Keith."

"And I want everyone to know I love you so much, I did it twice."

Lance's giggle is wet and snotty. It should be unattractive. Instead, it's charming and makes his heart flutter.

"We'll do a Christmas card tomorrow," Lance promises, kissing Keith on the forehead. "Two birds, one Christmas."

"Smells like a new tradition is brewing."

The End

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🎄🎄Happy Klancemas🎄🎄

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