The Space Between Us // Klance *UNDER REVISION*

Chapter 5: Lance

Keith had spent several months with the Blade of Marmora, giving me unwanted time to continue and questioning my feelings. Even with Shiro taking on the role of leader again, I felt this void that could only be cured with Keith's presence. The fact was I had this continuous, empty pit from his absence. It was pretty clear to me that my feelings wouldn't subside anytime soon. Fortunately, a lot of good did arise out of Keith's crippling nonattendance.

Pidge eventually found her older brother Matt. We were quick to join together to form a pretty sick meme duo. He'd confide and babble on about his crush on Allura, which brought out my protective side. It was more so done in a brotherly way than one of jealousy. I would never deny not having liked Allura, but I was getting to the point where one of my crushes had risen above the other. She also made it clear that her love was unrequited; I had to move on.

Coran organized exuberant events to spread the news of the peace Voltron would bring. We successfully recruited several allies through his tactical sponsoring and it was a paramount mechanism in order to defeat the Galra. Lotor's and Zarkon's forces began to grow all the more perilous with every waking second.

It was difficult to enforce concentration with so much occurring so quickly, but nothing seemed to compare to how quick Keith was to sacrifice himself in an attempt to take down one of Zarkon's shields. Luckily and obscurely enough, Lotor had stepped in before Keith could pull through with his irrational decision. And so the aftermath consisted of Lotor joining the coalition and Keith coming back from what wasn't a simulation. It made him all the more stupid.

"Where the quiznak is Keith?" I tumbled out of my lion trying to get in contact with the other paladins.

"Lance, settle down. He is by the port and he's making his way to the castle," Shiro calmly replied to the wound up mess I was.

"I'm not waiting that long." I asserted my intention, pushing through my comrades. Pidge's and Hunk's footsteps followed my staggered ones. They were both eager to see Keith after so long, but my impatience outnumbered theirs.

He had the audacity to never call and we were not allowed to contact him ourselves. Allura wanted him to make the effort to communicate first. I waited at the very least for a meager phone call and yet I didn't even received a greeting. The princess was persistent with her belief that he needed to be unbothered. I was unsure why I complied to her wish. It was against my own.

I dug the soles of my shoes into the ground as I ran. It felt like I was going no where. Like I had managed to be trapped down a never ending tunnel in a horror movie. Eventually, the stretched hallway concluded. I was at the castle ship's port and the end's prize was Keith Kogane. He was grizzled and taller since last I'd seen him.

His eyes widened as if he had just been shot in the side with a pistol. He took a few steps back as I made my way up to him. My eyes were stern and my hands became tight fists. I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip as I grabbed Keith by the collar of his armor. His wide eyes quickly conformed into an addled gaze. I drew my fist against his cold, pale cheek as I punched him. To defending himself, he pushed me onto the floor. We tore at each other. Pidge stood by in horror and Hunk began to cry. We fought hard and with every painful blow I begun to realize how catastrophic my irrationality to inflict pain on him was. We weren't partners, this was past rivalry. We were enemies in this moment.

We exerted so much force on each other. We bruised ourselves. Keith gave me a black eye and I gave him a bloody nose. The last wound that was inflicted was a cut down my lip. It burned as I grabbed his hands letting him know I was done with flighting. He softened up as we stared at each other in dismayed alarm and gratitude. We desperately needed the shit knocked out of us and I needed to feel him in the flesh.

I was restricted to my room as punishment for practically using Keith as a punching bag. I received scorns from the team and information that I'd be receiving a proper scolding in the morning by Allura. What I did was deemed as an act of disrespect. I should have been welcoming and respectful and grateful at his arrival and little did they know I was. Maybe I just didn't know what to do with the pain of Keith leaving the team. What if I thought that the only way of getting rid of this aching was giving it back to the source?

I broke out of my room. I had picked up a fair trade of escaping skills having been cooped up in the Garrison dorms with a curfew. I'd sneak out with Hunk to hit the city and pick up some girls. Now I was sneaking out for a boy.

I was successful in my efforts. Keith's bedroom was directly next to mine, meaning I had to be careful and not give off the impression of being boisterous. I didn't know if he was awake, nor did I know if he was locked in too. He wasn't- it wasn't like he started the brawl.

The doors slid open, allowing me the pleasure of walking in on Keith playing with one of his knives. He turned over to look at me with dark circles under his violet eyes and dried blood under his perfect nose, "Did you come here for more?" He asked. His voice was morose and his appearance only assisted in conveying such.

"No. I'm too worn out to pull off that again," I tried to fake a smile to lighten up the mood, but Keith's face was blank and devoid of feeling. He wanted me out of his sleeping quarters. My eye throbbed.

I continued further down into his room. I thought it would have been too brash to sit next to him, so I awkwardly continued to stand, wobbling in place. I was physically and emotionally weak. I wondered if he could see that.

"If you have nothing to say, you can leave. I'm busy as it is. I don't want to talk to you right now."

"That's the thing, Keith, I want to talk to you so badly," I was starting to sound desperate. I saw his eyes light up with surprise. I loved it whenever that happened. They were so full of hope; they were pure. It was like he wasn't capable of doing wrong,"Why did you avoid us when you were working for the Blade of Marmora? Do you know how long I waited to hear from you? Allura said I shouldn't make calls, that we'd wait for you. There's a time when you give up waiting."

"Lance, I..." He began to say.

I adjourned what he had to say to continue my argument for acting as foolish as he had, "I'm not finished there. How dare you sacrifice yourself? Me going off trying to pretend I'm better than you in some simulation is different than you going off and getting yourself killed." Tears began to form in my eyes, "You are so stupid sometimes."

Keith stood up. I couldn't tell if he was amazed or overjoyed. He really had no good reason to be jubilant, but he was shocked at the very least.

I bit my blood dried lip, doing my best not to let out an outburst of bundled feelings. He could detect that I was holding back. He looked directly at me, his dark, purple eyes melting me as every second passed. His mouth uttered one simple phrase that send me in a spiral.

"I'm sorry, Lance," he seemed burdened. Those words seemed to uphold authenticity. They were spoken in a way that would make up for the most sadistic of betrayals. Keith had only been doing what he thought was best for the coalition, he was brave to risk his life. I was selfish to care so much about losing him. He was never mine to lose.

I wrapped my arms around him, the same arms that had beaten him to a pulp were embracing him in an endearing hug. I never wanted to let go. I didn't want there to ever be a chance where he wouldn't be next to me, beside me, or not with me at all.

A part of me thought about spending the night in his room. Our relationship was hanging over a steep, rocky hill and I had managed to bring it away from dangerous grounds. I mended the friendship we had begun to lose.

There was this great divide that we couldn't ignore. Neither of us knew how to break it down and possibly only I wanted it to crumble. Despite being able to say I was the one to hug him first, he also reciprocated.

"I'm sorry too," I nuzzled my head into his shoulder. He cradled me in his arms.