Don't Ask, I'll Never Tell

Lance Knows What's Up (sort of)

Keith never intended to be found. He hoped to get lost; to disappear from the world. Maybe if he did, he wouldn't have to let Voltron down. They don't need a liar like him. His lion won't even listen to him anymore so why would they care about his disappearance? If he can't help them form Voltron, he was just dragging the team down. On the bright side, the other Paladins were starting to take the hint and leave him alone for most of the day.

The squirrel bites weren't too bad, so he would often dress the wounds himself. He was used to being alone. In fact, he preferred it that way because it gave him time to think.

At times, his thoughts would help him solve the issues of his life however, right now, Keith wanted nothing more than to tell the voice in his head to shut up.

"I'm useless. I can't form Voltron. I can't be honest with the people I'm supposed to trust." He thought aloud, frustration boiling his insides. "I can't even get lost correctly!" He flung his pillow across the room and sat on his bed with his knees pulled up against his chest.

"They don't need me anymore." He rested his forehead on his knees, watching the tears soak into his clothes. A knock at the door alerted Keith and he quickly wiped away the tears and cleared his voice. "Go away." He said evenly.

"Hey, it's me."

"Well in that case, Lance, GO AWAY."
He repeated. "I can't talk right now."

"That's it. I'm coming in. I hope you're decent because I don't have the stomach to see you in your boxers."

Keith's stomach dropped when he realized that he forgot to lock the door but before he could get up to do it, Lance had already invited himself in.
"So what's going on in the land of Keith, huh?"

Keith gave Lance a pointed look. "It's none of your concern."

"Psh! None of my concern? Look who's talking 'Mr. I Almost Got Eaten by Squirrels if Super Cool Lance Didn't Save My Life'."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Any reason why you suddenly care?"

Lance leaned back on the bed with his eyes closed and his hands resting behind his head. "Nope. I'm just tired of being the responsible one."

Keith's gaze drifted to Lance's serene form. "I don't think you even know what that means."

Lance opened an eye. "Well, I've been better than you lately. You're more frustrating than usual."

"It's--" Keith paused mid sentence. "...complicated..."

Keith had Lance's full attention now. "What's complicated?" He asked, sitting up.

"It's not something that you should worry about." Keith paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. Keith watched his fists clench and unclench in his lap, a habit he had formed whenever he was nervous. "Let's say you had this secret. Something that you've known for quite a while but you don't know how to tell anyone. You're afraid that you won't be accepted because the kind of person you are can sometimes be a bit... misunderstood. You don't know if the people you are closest to will accept you for who you are or if you'll be shunned for it. You get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, definitely."

"You do?"

"Yep, I understand completely. You're afraid. You want to be accepted for who you are. But sometimes the hardest part is convincing yourself that you'll still love yourself no matter what anyone else thinks."

"Yeah. You're right, Lance." Keith's eyes widened at the realization of what he just said.

Lance patted him on the back. "That's right, buddy. You've just gotta stand tall and say it!" Lance rose to his feet. "You gotta say it proudly. "Like this. I'M KEITH, THE RED PALADIN, AND I'M PROUD TO BE GAY!"

Keith's face heated up. "Wait! NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Keith shot to his feet and tried to silence Lance by holding a hand over his mouth.

Lance pushed his hand away. "Wait, you're not?" He asked, genuinely shocked.

"...We'll get back to that topic some other time. Preferably never again and not with you." Keith said quickly.

Lance raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Keith demanded.

"I'm not saying anything."

Keith crossed his arms. "You're thinking. It's annoying."

"Then what's the real issue? Are you secretly a girl or something because THAT would definitely be unexpected. Keith, I'll tell you this right now. Even if you're a chick, just know that--"

"I'm not a girl, Lance." Keith droned. "I shouldn't have to tell you that."

"Well I wouldn't know that, would I?" He exclaimed.

Keith scoffed. "Are you still hung up on that?"

"How was I supposed to know she was a girl the whole time?"

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Lance, you're so clueless!"

"Well, it would help if people would clue me in every once in a while! I'm always the last person to know things!"

"Who's fault is that?" Keith responded.

"I didn't come here to get insulted."

"Right. Why DID you come here? You want to insult me? Why do you always try to get under my skin?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm actually trying to help you? I mean, I can't prove I'm the best if my biggest competition isn't even himself." Lance was in Keith's face now, his eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"We aren't rivals." Keith replied darkly.

"Of course we are." Their noses were almost touching now.

"No we're not. We never were. And it's not like I'm gonna stick around long enough for you to claim otherwise!"

Lance's anger faded. "What was that?"
He asked calmly.

"I'm just saying that maybe there was a reason why I left, Lance." Keith growled.

"No. No. No. No." Lance seized Keith by the collar and shoved him back against the wall. "Now you listen to me!" He demanded. "You're the one who was all about Voltron when I was ready to quit. Voltron was falling apart but who took that train wreck and forced us to stay?"

"Let go of me!" Keith hissed.

"No. Not until you answer me."

"I don't know? Shiro?" Keith suggested.

"Shut up. It was you, partly Shiro but mostly you. And who found the lions to begin with?"

"Me... but--"

"--Yes. You. Now, I want you to think about that next time you feel like you're not a valuable member of this team because if I hear any more of this 'I'm worthless' crap, I will personally kick you from here into tomorrow. Got that?"

Keith, who sat in silent wonderment of what had ever happened to the silly Lance he once knew, only nodded in response.

In mere moments Lance's warm smile returned. "Okay, cool." He said, releasing Keith from his grip. "I'm finally getting through to you."