The Touch of Family

Bonus: Bonding moment

Something was moving, Keith didn't know what it was but it was pulling him out of his sleep.

He groaned and reached out, holding onto the thing that he was sure was shifting. It stiffened and once it settled, Keith relaxed but just as he did, it began to shift again. Grunting in annoyance, Keith held on tighter, he needed to keep this source of warmth quiet. Then he was pulling it back to him, against his chest , arms and legs wrapping around it to trap it.

"Keith!" The source of the warmth squeaked, his usually low voice now pitched surprisingly high. Keith frowned, holding on tighter, "Stay."

"But- but-"

"Shaddup and go to shleep..." Keith grumbled, sleep claiming him again.

"...But I have to pee."

Keith groaned and relented, he didn't want to let go though but something about the words in that sentence meant something urgent. He grumbled as the warmth left him but upon noticing another source of warmth at his back, he pushed back into it but stopped as a groan sounded from there. He paused for a moment, thinking, brows furrowing. Something went off like a gun-shot through his mind.

His eyes snapped open with a gasp, blurry and unfocused but he could tell that he wasn't alone. This was certainly new. He blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness of the room before sitting up slowly. He wasn't in his room but rather on the floor of another, surrounded by his team mates in a makeshift nest and someone had pulled down all the blankets and sheets off of the bed along with a couple pillows. One, he now had smothered to death between his legs and stomach.

He stayed there looking at them all before frowning, where the fuck did his source of warmth go?

Lance!

Oh yeah, that was who he was hugging right ? Keith recalled him getting up to go to the bathroom but before that... they were having a talk, a very serious in depth talk but fell asleep due to exhaustion from the training before and the strain of it all. He chuckled to himself as he realized the situation that he was in, this was real. He looked at his team mates sprawled out around him, asleep and comfortable. Vulnerable, no barriers. A sort of giddiness went through him and he shivered, this was nice, this was new, to be awoken surrounded by friends-family.

"What are you smiling at, mullet?"

Keith looked up to see Lance leaning on the bathroom door, looking at him curiously. They stared at each other for a moment, taking each other in. Lance had ridden himself of his jacket, leaving him in his long-sleeved blue and white baseball shirt allowing Keith to see his thin but muscular structure and... he looked tired, the way he slumped against the doorway and the fluffiness of his short hair. Keith was sure he, himself didn't look any better and running a hand through his hair, he winced as he came upon a tangle of knots, he definitely had a serious case of bedhead.

Lance chuckled at that, hiding his mouth behind a hand but Keith didn't mind and before he knew it, the raven haired teen was reaching for Lance, hands outstretched, fingers wiggling and making grabbing motions.

Lanced raised a brow at that, "What?"

Keith scoffed, voice raspy from sleep, "Get your butt back over here, jackass." Fingers still wiggling.

Lance sputtered at the dis but he moved anyway, carefully maneuvering around the sleeping paladins still out cold on his floor and in his blankets, "Shut your face, mullet head." He jeered as he sat down, a smile lingering on his lips. Keith rolled his eyes and reached for Lance again, shifting so that they were lying on their sides, staring at each other again. But this time, Lance was looking at him differently. His eyes weren't empty and dull like before, he was aware. He was awake and aware of what was happening around him and Keith smiled as Lance looked on in concern.