Teased, pushed around, brushed off, alone: all words Lance McClain believes perfectly describes him. The phrases his "friends" use to prod and tease him cut deeper than they intend and he doesn't let the world see how broken he is. But Keith sees. Keith Kogane, Lance's best friend, has realised they've been growing distant and doesn't know how to talk to the person he's grown fond of and would trust with his life as his right hand man. All he wants is to fix Lance but Lance won't let him in. Earth is where they are heading and where they end up, their reunion at the Garrison with family and old friends sweet - but Lance just wants to go home and take a break from the people he's spent years in space with that he believes hate him. But when he does go home, he's caught off guard by a horrific surprise that sparks their next mission against their long-time enemy Sendak, intensifies Lance's own mental struggles, and causes the tipping point for the "slowburn romance" between he and his 'rival.' Taking place in the events after season six (and before seven), this is the story of Lance who's a boy with a broken heart and confused moral compass and of Keith, who's the boy to help Lance face his demons while he tries to conquer his own in the process. Trigger Warning for: suicidal thoughts, gore, mentions of blood, and mentions of abuse Art by Joleanart!! (This story will also have fewer chapters and two smut chapters that you can skip without missing the story too much. I don't plan on making this super drawn out. The point will get across and I hope my story does too.)