The Secrets Within Ourselves (KLANCE)

Happy Birthday Lance (Oneshot)

"feliz cumpleaños, Lance!"
The smell of sweet cake filled Lance's senses, and his family's hugs warmed him to the core. He felt happiness bubble through him, filling him up and making him laugh. He had missed his family, the beaches and their family owned pizza shack over the water.
He missed his home.
And being able to see everyone again made him never want to leave.
The cake sat out in front of him, candles lit and ready to be blown out.
With a smile, Lance took a deep breath in.

Lance woke up.
There were no candles.
No cake.
Replacing it was the dying fire the Paladins has made to keep warm on a foreign planet while they rested for a night.
Lance felt his chest tighten, tears threatening to spill.
The paladin got up with shaky feet, stumbling away from the group.

He found himself on a hill not too far from camp. It overlooked an ocean, but nothing compared to Earth's.
The water was too green.
Everything just seemed wrong.
Lance huddled, ignoring the cold nipping at his skin.
He should have known nobody would remember his birthday, he was in space. They had more important matters on their hands, and it didn't leave room for distractions.
Even so, Lance felt a sharp twinge of sadness deep inside him.
He held onto his dream for a while, savoring the happiness he had felt. Alongside that came questions, stacking on top of each other until he felt completely lost.
What was his family doing right now?
Did his family know he was alive?
Did Sam Holt deliver the message?
Did Sam Holt even make it back to Earth?
Was Earth okay?
Did the Galra attack it yet?
Did-

Lance didn't even realize he was crying until he heard a voice from behind him.
"Lance...?"
The brunette whipped around, trying to wipe his tears away and attempting a smile.
It was too forced.
"O-Oh, hey Keith! What are you doing up? Hahaha..."
Lance turned his head away, desperate not to be seen in this state. He stared at the ground, the grass, anything but Keith.
"I could ask you the same thing," Keith said softly, coming over to sit down next to Lance.
Lance didn't reply.
He knew that if he tried to speak his words might betray him.
"Hey," Keith said, fiddling with his gloves.
"I just wanted to tell you happy birthday."
Lance's head raised and he looked over to Keith.
His voice cracked as he spoke.
"Wh-at? How did you... How did you know?"
Keith smiled.
It wasn't a mocking smile, wasn't his signature lopsided smirk. Instead it was soft, caring. A whole new side to Keith Lance had never seen before.
"I remember back at the garrison, when it was your birthday people would always bring gifts and balloons for you. You would always be so happy. I never got that. Part of it made me irritated... but seeing you so happy made me happy. I don't know why. So maybe that's why I remembered it? I'm not sure, honestly."
Lance rubbed his eyes. He didn't want to cry again, but his eyes obviously had different plans.
"Hey..." Keith said, sounding a little surprised.
"I-Sorry," Lance sniffed. "I wasn't expecting this... for anyone to remember, really... I'm not that important."
Lance was startled when Keith suddenly lashed out, voice almost sounding angry.
"Of course someone would remember! You're our sharpshooter!"
Keith paused with a shaky breath.
"Of course your important. You're the glue that holds the team together, Lance. Honestly I don't know what we would do without you. What I would do without you. I think being away helped me realize that in some ways. You were an anchor for me while Shiro was away, you really helped keep me together. I never thanked you for that, and instead I left."
Lance was shocked to hear these words come out of Keith's mouth.
Was this still a dream?
Lance was afraid at any given moment he would wake up to find it was.
But it wasn't.
He could see Keith shaking slightly as he spoke, as if he was fearful of being judged or pushed away.
"I think I lost sight of what is important to me while I was away with the blades. But when I came back, it felt like I was whole again, and I realized it was partly because of you. Lance, you are an important member of our team, don't forget that. We need you. I need you."
Lance's eyes widened, and he stared at Keith in shock.
"W-Wait..." Lance stammered, at a loss for words. "You're joking with me right? You don't actually mean it..."
Keith gripped Lance's hands in his own.
"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it, Lance."
Lance felt a shudder through him and he let out a choking sob.
He found himself being pulled into Keith's arms, crying into his shoulder. Keith's fingers ran gently through Lance's soft brunette hair, calming the paladin down.
Who would have thought that they would end up like this. It was hard to believe, really.
Lance felt safe in Keith's arms, warm from their shared body heat. The tension Lance had been carrying the past few days left his body, and it felt as if he finally had a chance to exhale.

To breath.

Let out all his emotions that were weighing him down.

Keith seemed relaxed as well, breath slow and relaxed.
They sat there in comfortable silence, listening to the waves against the shore.
And over time, Lance finally had the courage to speak.
"Thank you, Keith."
Keith smiled, closing his eyes.
"Anytime."

Here, Lance forgot everything that has ever happened.
Forgot about Lotor.
The war.
The dangers they had yet to face.
All he focused on was the moment.
Breathing in, smelling Keith and the salty smell of the ocean, Lance was at ease.

And for once in a long, long time, he felt like he was home.