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Jerking awake from the clawing tendrils of a nightmare that was quickly fading to sensations and a bone jarring terror, Keith opened his eyes to the darkness of the bedroom. It took long moments before he could calm himself, his heart pounding in his chest harder than he could remember it going in a very long time.
He focused on breathing deeply, listening to the much, much slower heartbeat beneath his ear, the steady beat helping his own to resume an easy rhythm. The warmth of the arm around him made him curl deeper into Lance’s chest, chasing the serenity that the Blue Paladin radiated in this moment.
Keith envied that easy sleep.
He’d never been particularly adept at having restful sleep. Worries made it hard for him to fall asleep.
Nightmares made it hard to stay asleep.
Lance’s calming presence made it better but another warm body wasn’t going to suddenly undo nearly twenty years of self-conditioning.
Even if that warm body was one that he appreciated very much.
Pushing himself up on an elbow, Keith looked over the boy he loved, face softening at the frankly comical expression Lance was making in his sleep. His mouth was agape, a quiet snore gurgling through the back of his throat as his eyebrows twitched.
Lance in sleep was unguarded in a way that Lance awake never was. There was a level of tension in Lance almost all the time. Not necessarily bad tension but it was a vivacity and energy that often made Keith feel dead in comparison.
A sleeping Lance though?
He was the picture of unguarded serenity. That energy still hummed under the surface but a sleeping Lance was probably the calmest.
A sleepy Lance was Keith’s favorite.
Well, one of them.
Keith had a lot of favorite Lances. He was a bit biased that way.
The boy beneath him stirred as Keith stared, eyes like stormy skies peering at him in the darkness of the bedroom. His mouth smacked loudly as he shifted, eyes still slitted as he tried to make sense of Keith looming over him.
Keith wanted to feel guilty for waking him but the slight shake he had from his nightmare nipped that in the bud. He kinda didn’t want to be alone at the moment.
“Babe?” Lance mumbled, voice sleep soft and rough, the sound sliding along Keith’s spine pleasantly, “What are you doin’ up?”
“Nightmare.”
Those cerulean eyes woke up a little more at Keith’s whispered retort, eyebrows furrowing as he stroked a thumb over Keith’s cheekbone, the rest of his hand cradling Keith’s jaw. “You wanna talk about it?”
“Nah.” Keith breathed, unable to help himself as he turned his face into Lance’s caress, “I barely remember what happened now.”
Lies. His nightmares had become pretty predictable as of late. It wasn’t something you forgot easily.
The images of his teammates broken and bleeding, his own blade dripping as he stood over them wasn’t something he’d be able to ease from his mind.
It was a constant reminder of the side of himself that he feared. A reminder that half of his DNA belonged to the enemy and, deep down, he worried that he might be just like them.
Lance hummed under his breath for a moment, one eyebrow lifting as he regarded Keith. Any other time, Keith might have felt a bit like a bug being an examined with Lance’s sharp stare pinned on him.
But now?
There was something quietly intimate about it. The darkness of their bedroom laid heavily upon them, a slight blue glow gilding the edges of Lance’s features. Their bodies curled close, blankets tangled around their feet. Keith’s socks had come partially off during the night and he could feel the chill of Lance’s toes as he shifted.
He let himself enjoy the gentle motion of Lance’s thumb on his face, the warmth of the palm cradling his face easing some of that terrible fear from his chest.
“I’m okay.” He promised.
And honestly. He would be.
A small smile pulled at Lance’s lips and he started to sit up, nearly dumping Keith into his lap. “Dance with me.”
“What.”
“Come on. Best cure for nightmares.” Lance coaxed, his long legs wriggling out of the mass of blankets that curled around their feet.
They’d both insisted on their own blankets but they always ended up on the floor by the time they’d solidly snuggled into one another. It was something that never failed to make Keith smile.
“Lance, it’s like 3 in the morning.” Keith laughed quietly, amusement and exasperation warring in his tone.
“No time like the present.” Lance retorted with a wink, “Come on, samurai. Dance with me.”
The hand extended to him shouldn’t have felt like a lifeline but in that moment, it was all Keith could think of. The tremble to his hands still hadn’t abated when he took Lance’s fingers in his own, spindly digits intertwining as he gently pulled Keith to his feet.
They moved soft and slow, the intimacy of the moment making them unwilling to rush. Almost as if moving too fast would shatter the blanket of calm and quiet that pressed upon them.
Lance led them to the center of the room, gently shifting boots and discarded jackets to the side. When he’d finally cleared a small space, he pulled Keith close to him, resting his hands on Keith’s hips.
“So we’re dancing middle school style?” Keith whispered wryly, unable to resist smiling as Lance beamed at him.
Unbidden, his traitorous hands curled around Lance’s neck, his body pressing close to keep the warmth between them. The Castle was chilly at night and Lance was so warm.
“Middle school style is just fine for tonight.” Lance hummed, his voice reverberating through their chests, “But I will teach you to waltz one day.”
Keith buried his face in the curve of Lance’s throat, doing his best to stifle a snort in the warmth of Lance’s skin. It was irrational, but he felt so safe here, softly swaying side to side with Lance at 3 in the morning.
“Good luck with that.”
There was no rhyme or reason to it. They were still in as much danger as they ever were aboard the Castleship. But this moment…
This moment with the darkness pressing alongside them like a blanket…
It felt like nothing could touch them here.
“I love you.” Lance hummed, pressing a kiss to his hair as they continued to sway, “No matter what.”
A sob jammed in his throat and he was suddenly, viciously glad that his face was hidden in Lance’s throat. A few stray tears escaped but he rubbed them into Lance’s shirt collar, unwilling to cry.
He’d never cried after any of these nightmares before. He wasn’t about to start now.
Lance only lifted a hand to the center of his back, rubbing gentle circles in the space between his shoulder blades, a little song filling the silence between them as he began to hum.
They swayed for what felt like hours, the moment timeless and eternal. And Keith was so grateful that he’d woken Lance up, even if it had been on accident.
This was much different than what he normally did.
When nightmares had woken him in the past, he’d never be able to go back to sleep. He’d usually take to running laps around the Castle or letting the Gladiator pummel the fear out of him until the alarm sounded to wake them up of a morning.
But now?
Now, in the firm embrace of Lance’s arms around him, he could feel his eyelids growing heavy, more and more of his weight leaning on Lance’s surprisingly steady form.
“I love you too.” He breathed at last, his lips brushing Lance’s skin as he spoke.
Lance shivered at the touch but only held him tighter, his head laying gently atop Keith’s as they continued to sway, those gentle circles on his back never ceasing.
He envied Lance’s easy rest but he was so, so grateful when Lance left it behind for him.
For someone so intent on their beauty sleep, he’d never denied Keith when he was needed in the night. He was more than Keith would have imagined he’d be when they met and far more than Keith was convinced he deserved.
It made him cling a little tighter, shirt gripped in his hands as if he was afraid that Lance might disappear. That this whole dance was only a dream and that the nightmare was his reality.
“I’m right here, babe.” Lance said with a yawn, “I’m here as long as you want me.”
“Then stay with me forever.” Keith murmured, drawing back just slightly so he could look into Lance’s heavy lidded eyes.
The soft smile that pulled over Lance’s lips made Keith’s heart stutter and he pressed their foreheads together gently, their noses brushing with every breath.
“Of course.” Lance promised, intentionally brushing their noses together with a chuckle.
Keith’s eyes crossed and he frowned at the sensation, one of his hands coming up to cup Lance’s jaw, a preventative measure to keep him from doing that again.
“No butterfly kisses then?” Lance laughed, his voice barely audible, the moment so still that neither of them wanted to break it.
“If you’re going to kiss me, do it for real.” Keith challenged, slow building heat in his voice, fingers curling in Lance’s shirt for a different reason, “Make me forget what scares me.”
“You’re so bossy.” Lance teased, leaning in so their lips brushed with every breath, each bit of contact sending tiny shivers down Keith’s spine, the whole atmosphere between them ratcheting up his anticipation.
“Lance…”
“Patience, samurai.” Lance hummed, “All good things to those who wait.”
Keith couldn’t help the pout that pulled his lips downward, the previous weight to his eyelids falling away as heat washed over his skin with every brush of his lips against Lance’s.
“Please…”
“Well, since you asked so nicely…” Lance said softly, the teasing lilt to his voice gone in favor of finally leaning in and pressing his lips firmly to Keith’s.
Keith couldn’t help his eager response, one hand cupping Lance’s jaw to pull him closer while the other gripped Lance’s shirt tightly. He curled closer into Lance’s space, pressing their bodies together from chest to hip, Lance’s hands eagerly holding him against the line of his body.
Despite the heat that sang between them, their kiss was soft and slow, the ambience of the room seeming to discourage frenzy. This was a time to savor, to take each moment as it was and cherish it.
After a few moments, Keith allowed himself to melt into Lance’s steady ministrations, each long, slow kiss sapping the tension from his veins. It was the sweetest assault of his defenses and he’d never been so content to surrender.
The anxiety and fear that had consumed him from his nightmare fell from him like water until all he could think about was the boy in front of him, kissing him so sweetly.
Kissing him like he never wanted to stop.
He stepped Lance toward the bed, the push so subtle that Lance fell to the mattress with a yelp when his knees hit the edge. Beloved blue eyes glared up at him for a moment before they softened, his hands lifting insistently, hands grasping for Keith. Moving slowly, Keith lifted his knees to either side of Lance’s hips, stretching over him languidly, palm landing beside his head as Keith hovered.
“Hello, again.” Lance smiled, outstretched hands curling around Keith’s neck, one brushing a lock of his hair behind his ear on the way.
Lance’s smile was contagious and Keith couldn’t help but return it, leaning down to dot kisses across the bridge of Lance’s nose, to pepper the same brief press across his cheekbones.
The blue light of the Castle limned Lance’s features, making him look ethereal. Keith wanted to engrave the image in his brain, the scene stirring his soul.
“As much as I love the face kisses, you keep missing where I really want you.” Lance said lowly, his voice sending tingles down Keith’s spine.
Even after everything, it was still sleep soft, a gentle rasp to it that spoke to hours of disuse.
Keith loved it.
“And where do you really want me?”
“Guess.”
Keith sat up slowly, letting his weight rest on the cradle of Lance’s hips, the evidence of his interest distracting him. He rolled his hips for a moment before Lance’s wandering hands flew down to halt his movement.
“Tempting, but not the game we were playing.” Lance chuckled, letting his fingertips wander under the hem of Keith’s sleep shirt, skirting gently along the skin there.
“Maybe that’s the game I want to be playing.”
The room spun as Lance flipped them, the air huffing from his lungs as Keith suddenly found himself on his back. He frowned up at Lance’s beaming grin, the pressure of his thigh against his cock suddenly pulling the frown from his face.
“Slowly, samurai. I never get the chance to savor you the way I want.” Lance whispered against the skin of his throat, hands holding tightly to Keith’s hips to control the speed of his grinding, “You told me to make you forget what scares you. Just trust me.”
That wouldn’t be hard.
There weren’t many people he trusted in his life but Lance topped the list, narrowly tying with Shiro. He’d follow wherever Lance led him.
“I always trust you.”
That beaming smile turned gentler and he pressed another of those long, lingering kisses to Keith’s lips, their lips moving in parallel to the near torturous pace of Keith’s hips against Lance’s thigh. Soft exhalations left him with every mind-numbing motion, his voice cracking slightly with each tiny gasp.
It felt wrong to be too loud here, as if breaking the soft quiet around them too obtrusively would shatter the entire blanket of safety and intimacy that brushed around them.
Clever fingers slid beneath his waistband teasingly and Keith couldn’t help the frustrated huff of breath that left him between gasps. “I’ll remember this.”
“Mm.” Lance hummed, lips brushing the edges of Keith’s ear, “As long as this is all you remember, then I’ve done my job well.”
There was no denying that Lance was excellent at making Keith forget about anything other than him. Right now, thoughts of Lance consumed him. What Lance was doing. What he wanted Lance to be doing.
It was a constant, sweet mantra in his head and he arched his back into another slow roll, Lance pressing slow, open mouthed kisses to the column of his throat. Impossibly soft lips teased at the collar of his shirt, nudging it aside to suck softly at the crest of his collarbone.
A soft moan echoed in the space between them but Keith couldn’t be bothered to care how embarrassing it sounded. He’d have plenty of time to be embarrassed tomorrow.
Right now he was far too absorbed in how easily Lance was playing his body like a fiddle, eagerly fulfilling the wish that Keith had made of him.
Those dexterous hands pushed his shirt up with an agonizing slowness, the fabric bunching just around his armpits. Lance sat back for just a moment, cerulean darkening imperceptibly as he let his gaze drag over Keith’s skin. It was almost like a physical weight and Keith shivered, hips stuttering slightly in their measured dance, the tempo difficult to maintain without Lance’s guidance. He managed somehow, back arching into another roll.
Keith’s voice cracked on a half-silent groan when Lance’s tongue darted out over his bottom lip, eyes dipping to where Keith’s hips kept the pace Lance had set. “Such a good boy.” He praised and Keith was suddenly viciously thankful for the darkness of the bedroom as his face flamed.
“Yeah?” He challenged, “And what do I get for being good?”
“You’ll have to wait and find out, won’t you?’
Lance moved over him again, skimming his lips along the edges of Keith’s jaw before meeting him for a kiss, heat making Lance a little rougher but no faster.
It was enough to drive Keith mad.
He broke the kiss to complain only for Lance to dip down to the newly exposed flesh of his abdomen, a wicked grin curling his lips before he nipped at the swell of Keith’s pectoral, a small moan pulling itself from his chest without his permission.
He clapped a hand over his mouth when Lance laved the area with his tongue, mouth growing closer to his nipple with each pass of Lance’s tongue. His hips stuttered out of their careful rhythm when Lance took the nub into his mouth, sucking hard for a moment before releasing it, mischievous eyes looking up at Keith’s burning face. He flicked at the other nipple idly, while he ran his other hand over the soft slope of Keith’s stomach, the skin erupting in goosebumps as he leisurely made his way south, deliberate intention in the furrow of his brows.
Keith let his hand slip from over his mouth as he watched Lance move, violet tracking blue as Lance shimmied down over the edge of the bed, fingertips whispering across his skin as he knelt on the floor between Keith’s spread knees. He rested his cheek against Keith’s thigh, sighing as he stroked the fabric of the pajama pants Lance had insisted Keith start wearing to bed.
It was far more comfortable than his previous habit of sleeping in his clothes, even if it meant an extended period of getting ready in the morning or in the case of an alarm.
Lance met his eyes as he danced his fingers across the waistband, Keith barely breathing as he waited to see what Lance would do. It was hard, especially when he was already so worked up, his hips working in little jerks in an effort to get some friction.
“I love you so much.” Lance sighed again, almost hiding a smile as he turned his face inward towards Keith’s knee, “I’m glad you woke me up.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about it at the moment.” Keith groused, thigh twitching under Lance’s head.
Lance chuckled again before sitting up on his knees and pressing a kiss to where Keith’s cock strained against his pajama pants, the motion pulling a sharp gasp from the body above him.
Just the heat of his breath through the fabric was enough to make Keith writhe, hands combing through Lance’s curls.
“Please…”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you be so polite.” Lance hummed, the vibrations of his words making Keith’s back arch, “Makes me want to tease you more often.”
The teasing fingertips in his waistband finally pulled his pajama pants down and he lifted his hips to aid in the process, a breath of relief leaving him when a hand wrapped around his cock.
“But maybe next time.” Lance continued blithely, his voice so even and level that Keith felt the need to put him in the same position.
To make Lance the one panting and writhing. To have nothing but Keith on his mind.
What Keith could do for him. What Keith could do to him.
It certainly wasn’t helping his hold on his own arousal to picture it.
But maybe it would give Lance an idea of what he was really playing with here.
“Maybe next time I’ll tie you to the bed and give you some payback.” Keith promised, tightening his hands briefly in Lance’s curls, a brief whine leaving the boy between his thighs, “Play you like a fiddle until all you can think about is me and what I’m doing to you.”
“Promises, promises.” Lance said softly before mouthing at the head of Keith’s cock, tongue darting out to taste him.
Keith locked a groan behind his teeth, his breath harsh in the quiet between them. The noise of Lance’s tongue was almost obscenely loud as licked at the head again, lips closing around it to suck for just a moment.
It was unfair really.
Keith wasn’t sure where he’d been going with that particular train of thought.
Lance often had that effect on him.
He pulled off, Keith’s hands flexing in his hair just long enough for Lance’s eyelids to flutter, his head tilting into the pull before he drew Keith’s hands away, lacing their fingers together.
“How far do you wanna go, babe?” Lance asked, seriousness in his face once more.
Keith brushed his thumbs along the back of Lance’s hands, breath still coming fast. “I’d be okay with just this for tonight.” He admitted, “I just wanna feel you.”
“I can do that.” Lance smiled, one of his hands wriggling free of Keith’s and dipping down over the edge of the bed.
Half-propping himself up on an elbow, Keith tried to see what Lance was getting up to but Lance took the opportunity to slide his cock into his mouth, tongue dragging roughly under the head, a hum of pleasure leaving him.
The sudden warmth and heat surrounding him caught him off guard and Keith collapsed back to the bed, fingers scrabbling at the sheet and gripping at the hand that was still intertwined with his own. He moaned again, his voice cracking a bit in the middle as he subconsciously tried to quiet himself.
Not so much out of embarrassment now but more so because the silence between them was still a very tangible thing and he wanted this atmosphere to last as long as possible.
He whispered praises as Lance began to bob his head at an agonizing pace, fingers making their way back to Lance’s silky curls, the strands tangling around his fingertips as he fought to hang on to his sanity while Lance basically sucked his soul out through his dick.
Each bob pushed him a little lower, those pleasured hums and half-moans around his shaft driving Keith to the edge far faster than he would have thought possible. He fought as hard as he could to keep his hips still, his head thrown back into the mess of blankets they’d left behind when Lance had pulled him up to dance his nightmare away.
He wanted to beg but he couldn’t find the breath to speak. He wanted to thrash under Lance’s talented tongue but he held himself still, the pleasure in his body building like a wave that he couldn’t wait to fall under.
Through it all, Lance kept that torturous pace, tongue working him closer and closer to that precipice of pleasure, Keith’s body crying out for the release that it promised. He pulled off at last, breath coming fast, his own eyes hazy with pleasure. He licked his lips when Keith’s hips jolted up involuntarily, a low whine leaving him at the loss of Lance’s mouth.
Lance moaned quietly, mouthing sloppily at Keith’s cock again before taking it in, his free hand moving oddly in the darkness of their bedroom.
Was…was Lance touching himself?
Another moan vibrated through Lance’s throat and Keith felt one answer when the vibrations rumbled around his cock.
Fuck. He was.
That was hot.
The realization pitched him to the edge of that precipice and his hand clenched tightly in Lance’s hair, Lance’s eyes flying open to meet his own.
“I’m…I’m close.” He panted, “Lance, please.”
Mischief danced in those beloved eyes and Lance doubled down, speed finally leaking into his actions for the first time since he’d kissed Keith during their dance. Keith’s back arched under the assault and he flew over the precipice, his head throwing back as his voice went soundless with the exaltation of his pleasure.
Lance only worked him through, sucking gently until Keith pawed at his face, far too oversensitive to bear the touch of his tongue any longer. Through it all, Lance’s hand never paused and Keith looked to him in interest.
“Were you touching yourself the whole time?”
“Hah, yes.” Lance panted, hips bucking up into the hold of his hand even as Keith shimmied to the edge of the bed, a single crook of his finger bringing Lance into his lap.
“Let me.”
He reached out before Lance could let go, wrapping calloused fingers around Lance’s cock and picking up the pace that Lance had left off. Lance whimpered in his hold, burying his face in the space between Keith’s shoulder and neck, lips moving wetly over the skin there.
“You’re so fucking perfect.” Keith breathed, speeding up his hand little by little until Lance was writhing in his arms, precious little huffs of moans escaping him on every gasp.
“Waking up in the middle of the night when I need you.” He continued, nipping a bit at Lance’s ear, “Giving me what I want even if you have to be a fucking tease about it.”
“Love you too, mullet.” Lance gasped, body going rigid as he spilled in Keith’s hand, white ropes making a mess on Keith’s stomach.
Keith stroked him through it before Lance pulled his hand away and brought him in for a kiss, the motion chaste. He rested his forehead against Keith’s, eyelids heavy and shoulders drooping tiredly.
“Thank you.” Keith whispered, giving him one last peck before letting him shuffle backwards.
He pulled his shirt off and cleaned himself up, jerking his pajama pants back up over his hips before handing Keith his shirt.
Gratefully, Keith took it, wiping the mess of his hand and stomach before righting his own clothing and rearranging the blankets around himself and Lance when he curled back up on the bed.
Long limbs sprawled over the bunk and Keith let his head rest on Lance’s bare chest, thudding heart beat slowing with each passing moment. Almost instantly, soft snores were leaving Lance, his chest rising and falling so gently under Keith’s head.
As Keith’s own lids began to fall he let himself relax even further into Lance’s embrace, content in the knowledge that even if terror claimed his sleep once more, he wouldn’t have to face it alone.