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Keith was not a hopeless romantic when he was 18. The only thing he put his energy into was the war and he sacrificed his childhood to save the universe. If you could even call it a childhood that he had. His mother left to go fight in the war before he could remember her. His father died when he was six and he spent years in the foster care system until Shiro took him in. And even then Shiro disappeared not long after. It was hard to think about anything else but the war.. Keith didn’t think he had much to live for anyways. And when Shiro disappeared again everything felt hopeless. He knew the team needed him, that he needed to be a good leader if they were to end this war. He felt trapped. Then he took a good look at Lance for the first time in a long time.
He had liked him a little when he was younger, he admitted to himself later. But it wasn’t the same the second time it came around. Back then it was just puppy love and liking the attention that Lance always gave him. Now, it turned into something else entirely. When Lance and him had that talk about being chosen to lead, he knew he had to change. Lance wanted more than anything to be chosen to lead, but he knew the best thing to do was let Keith lead instead. Keith admired that so much. Even though he didn’t want to be leader in the slightest, Keith wanted to be a good leader that Lance was proud he accepted. And from there, it grew.
Even when he left Voltron to go off with the Blade of Marmora, he would only think about doing this for him, he wanted Lance to be happy. He left Voltron so Lance didn’t feel like he was in the way. Lance was so much more important to the team in weird ways. If Lance didn’t talk him into being a leader they would never have gotten to where they needed to be. Whenever Keith felt like he was ruining everything Lance would build him back up. Lance was the only thing keeping him a leader.
When the war finally did end he was infinitely glad. But now he doesn’t know what to do with himself. Sure he goes on occasional B.O.M. missions but he has all this free time he doesn’t know what to do with. He never really had time to figure himself out. He realized just how much he pushed to the back of his mind to focus on the war and now he barely knows himself. What does Keith want? He doesn’t know. Well at least he didn’t know.
Then the Paladins decided to have a little get together since it’s been a while. And Lance didn’t show up. Keith was upset about it. He wanted to see Lance. He wanted Lance to be there. He wanted Lance to be happy. He wanted Lance.
Oh.
That’s what he wanted.
Keith never unpacked the thought that he was gay until later but now it’s out in the open. He thought about the garrison days and when they first joined the war. He thought about when he became leader and it all clicked. He had wanted Lance for so long and he didn’t even realize it. Lance probably didn’t want him like that though. His poor little gay crush got immediately shot down in his head as he thought about the way Lance was with women. He might have been upset about it for a week or two. But then he settled for the next best thing. To be his best friend. He was going to give Lance everything he wanted. He wanted Lance to be happy.
And you’d think that makes him not a hopeless romantic right? Wrong! Quite the contrary actually. Everytime Keith hung out with Lance all he could think about was how much he loved him. He would think about little things. He thought about the way Lance complains about things that don’t affect him that much, just to be dramatic. How he seems to effortlessly say every sentence perfectly every time without stuttering once. He loved how Lance seemed to know everything about the world and he knew nothing. He could listen to Lance talk all day and never get bored. He loved how much Lance cared about people. Lance is such an amazing friend to everyone around him even people who don’t deserve it.
So yeah he was definitely a hopeless romantic. But he doesn’t think he could ever feel this way about anyone else. He doesn’t need to be with Lance romantically to be happy, he just needs Lance to be happy. There is still a part of him deep down that wants it. But it didn’t really come to the surface until Lance told him that he was gay too. Lance told him he was bisexual.
“Wait what?” Keith sounded flabbergasted.
“Well yeah, I mean I spent 4 years of my life in space with all different kinds of aliens, it's not like they all had the same two genders we have on earth.” Lance said matter of factly. Keith never really thought of it before but it’s true. Lance flirted with all different kinds of aliens. What kind of stuff did he get up to?
“Wow, that is definitely new information to me,” Keith was stunned.
“Do you think it’s weird,” Lance sounded worried.
“What I- no Never,” Keith quickly fixed, “no, not at all Lance it’s not weird. Like who you wanna like.” Keith contemplated saying he was gay too. “Infact,” he started slowly, “I’m not straight either.”
Lance shot his gaze so fast, “Seriously? Oh my god that’s so cool.”
Keith kept talking before he could stop, “I’ve only really had a crush on one person,” and realize what he just said to Lance.
Lance gasped, “Oh Keith, do tell,” Lance smirked at him brightly, “who is it?”
Keith blushed as Lance got a little close to his face as he asked, “You, don’t wanna know my answer,”
Lance frowned suspiciously, “oh suuuure, be that way” Lance sighed as he seemed to forget the subject but then, “WAIT! That means I definitely know them! Who is it Keith? You have to tell me now.”
Keith made a huge mistake. “Look it doesn’t really matter who they are,” Keith sighed with honesty, “I don’t know if they even like me like that,” Keith continued, “but that doesn’t matter, as long as they are happy that’s all I care about.”
Lance looked at him strangely, “you are down bad huh?” Keith blushed even more, oh the irony. “Man I wonder who the hell swooned you of all people,” Lance genuinely pondered, “they must have been incredible for someone like you to fall in love with them.
Keith looked at Lance. He smiled so wide his cheeks hurt.
“They are incredible.”
❤️💙