Lance

"Lance." Keith hissed, quickly latching into his waist from behind much to the Siren's annoyance. What part of 'I don't care I've never been anything but naked my entire life. Why stop now?' Did Keith not understand? Was lance speaking a different language?

"You're going to regret not wearing shoes where we're going." Keith hissed, pushing Lance into a different hall that led to an open exit into the courtyard.

"Why is that?" Lance challenged.

"I promise that there won't be anyone out here other than us. There's no reason to worry." Keith replied, his voice soft and his hold becoming soft and more of a caress. It made the Siren stop to look back at the Prince with a raised eyebrow. What the hell?

"I promise. All alone." Keith pressed, sliding one hand down Lance's side to rest on his bare hip.

That was when Lance noticed the guards standing at the entrance as they made their way down the front steps. Oh.

He turned ahead quickly as his face lit with color. That little spew surely gave the men standing guard some sort of crude idea. The prince walking his naked maiden out into the dense courtyard with a sultry tone at the very least wouldn't draw anyone to ask questions. Not to their faces at least. They'd probably wonder why the hell Keith would ever want to mate with his servant out in nature.

Stupid humans.

Lance waited until they were well out of range of the guards, hidden by the trees before he pushed Keith off of him.

He felt the prince resist, hold tightening in challenge before he shoved Lance away from him, making the Siren stumble. Lance hissed at him and received a glare in turn.

"Okay, Lance. This is going one of two ways, it's either going to work, or you're never going to taste the ocean again you got it? I'm trying to help you. I don't know what I have done wrong, but you're walking on some thin fucking Ice." Keith snapped, keeping his voice low enough that they wouldn't be heard. Lance didn't know what Ice was but he could tell that whatever it meant the dark haired young man next to him was seething. Funny considering he'd been cowering under from Lance not fifteen minutes ago.

"I don't just help people Lance. I don't just go off on a rescue mission to save someone. I don't help people I barely know, I don't just go with the flow. I've been trying so hard. So fucking hard to just give you some form of respect in hopes that you'd take it and look at me as an equal. I don't know what happened if you're just upset, or you're genuinely an asshole, but you better lighten up."

"If this isn't what you'd naturally do then why bother suggest the mission?" Lance snarled, fangs snapping.

Keith stared at Lance, eyes boring into his own. Lance blinked slowly, not quite sure if he was seeing things or not as Keith's eyes flashed, starting to glow yellow in the darkness around them. What the Siren momentarily mistook as a blush was actually color-shifting skin.

"Because I can't stand by while a child lays abandoned somewhere at the bottom of the ocean," Keith growled, actually growled. Lance pulled his shoulders back, muscle rippling under his skin as he narrowed his eyes at the man. He knew there was something wrong with the Altean but he didn't know what he was looking at.

"And what would you know about abandonment? Why should you care at all? Why does any of this matter, why do you have to care? Why couldn't you just do what you were supposed to in the first place? If you had then none of this would have ever happened!" Lance said, he felt like he was going to combust, everything was wrong. Everything felt wrong, this was wrong. What was he doing?

Keith

Keith was trying to control his breathing, desperately trying to force himself to stay calm. He didn't want to shift, he didn't want the stupid part of him that had to be Galra emerge. He just wanted to pretend he was fine and normal. He knew Lance didn't mean what he was spouting. Or at least he hoped.

Keith wasn't sure what he was trying to accomplish. He wouldn't gain anything from this. It was a pointless mission and all he was accomplishing was humiliating himself by caving for the Siren. But why?

Because he wanted Lance to trust him.

But why?

Because in the end, he didn't want to fail his father. He didn't want the throne, he didn't want anything to do with ruling . . . But he wanted to at least try something. He didn't know what good befriending a sex slave would do in the end but it felt like it was better than nothing.

"I think then the question you're looking for is what I don't know about abandonment," Keith Said before turning away from Lance. He wouldn't make Lance follow. He was moving forward, it wouldn't be the first time he spent the night out in his forest. This was fucked. He should have just-

Think.

"Keith?" Lance's voice was low, Keith could feel his eyes following after him. The half breed didn't give the Siren the satisfaction of acknowledgment. Keith wasn't going to waste his time if he was wrong about Lance.

Alfor had taught Keith that he should never trust the actions or his own judgment of someone at the moment. People were fueled by emotion and their surroundings. You couldn't judge a character before you knew them. Keith had never understood that. If you watch someone offer another their portions doesn't that make them nice? If you see another take from those in need while they are satisfied, isn't that cruel and evil?

"Look at yourself Keith. Look at your friend Shiro. If he strikes and kills someone entering the palace, to an outsider that makes him appear cold and untrustworthy doesn't it?"

"It would be stupid to assume that" Keith had challenged. "Shiro would only do such a thing if there was someone threatening our lives. He is one of the highest guards of the royal palace. That person should know what they are doing is wrong and that he is in every right to kill them. I know Shiro, he is one of the most trustworthy people I know."

"But people don't know him like you do Keith. All they see are his actions."

"But they're the ones in the wrong in the first place."

Alfor had simply sighed. ~

Keith thought maybe, just maybe he was starting to get what father had meant. It wasn't about Shiro, it wasn't about the palace or the mistakes of the intruder.

Keith had spent nearly two weeks with Lance before things fell. He'd watched the Siren, getting to see and identify the slip-ups in his trained obedience that hadn't been expected from the Altean empire. Keith had been tipped off by the way Lance playfully argued or sat stubbornly for just a moment before following Keith and falling back into the role of a salve, a pet. He'd watched him playfully gaze around his surroundings and touch things better left alone when he thought no one was looking. He seemed curious and playful from the corner of your eye, but as soon as your dedicated attention was given to him he sat quietly and only urged for his purpose to be fulfilled.

Lance had almost blossomed that day at the table before everything fell apart. From the utmost peaceful atmosphere to sudden terror-filled cries of guilt and panic. Keith had been granted a glimpse into the internal world and thoughts of the Siren. The way he watched Lance freeze, the air seeming to freeze around him as he sucked in a breath and realized his mistake.

For weeks Lance had fallen silent. He only found comfort in holding the small crystal figurine, moping and neglectful to even pretend false neutrality and servitude. The fact that he'd turned so quickly on Keith with distrust and anger was wrong. There was something wrong and Keith realized that what he felt was the realization that there was someone inside of Lance trapped and fearfully hidden away.

Or at least he hoped. That was the real reason he'd bent backwards for the Siren. If he was wrong then he'd never let down the utter failure he was. He just wanted for once to be right about someone in a way that wouldn't expose their darkness. He just wanted to be able to see the light in something. Once. Just once.

"Keith?" Lance's voice was farther away but his voice was raised to reach the solider but Keith still wouldn't turn back. He was nearing the wall. Lance's tone wasn't as stern, he was speaking almost normally.

Keith reached the wall and pushed the panel, slipping through the opening made.

"Keith!" Lance cried out, every once of contempt he'd had for Keith dissipating and leaving him bare and exposed.

Keith stopped just on the other side of the wall once it sealed, listening to Lance's hands feel against the smooth seamless wall, breaking vines and leaves that grew along with it in the process. "Keith!"

Lance's voice echoed through the trees as he called out for his master. He could hear the thick emotion within it, the panic and regret. He could hear the wish to be able to go back in time and undo what he'd done, to act differently, to control himself. He really was just scared. He was being asked to bring a stranger into his home to steal a child. In reality, Lance had no idea if he'd be making things worse for Petal or not. He didn't know if Keith was lying, if his baby brother would get put into slavery just like he had. He was just protecting him as best he could while stuck between trying to make things work while trying to be sure that Keith wouldn't hurt them either. 

Keith let out a sigh of relief at the conclusion. He wanted to see what Lance's actual emotions were. This was it, the siren panicking and calling out for help, silent pleas for forgiveness, no better than a child himself in his vulnerability. Keith knew what that was like.

He waited until he couldn't hear Lance anymore before he silently opened the hidden door, nearly half an hour had passed. He spotted Lance shortly after nearly stumbling, having jump back to avoid accidentally kicking or stepping on the siren. Lance quickly recoiled and sat up in alarm.

Keith took in the image of the maiden. His eyes were bloodshot, face puffy and eyes wet with tears. He was shaking, chest seizing as he tried to breathe, an uncontrolled whine filling the silence between them. He was clutching the little figurine to his chest which surprised Keith. He didn't see him take it in the first place. It wasn't like Lance could exactly hide it . . . 

"I'm sorry." Lance choked out, his words wet and thick before he closed his eyes And curled in towards himself. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He whined though this time to the figure of the guppy cupped in his hands.

"Lance."

"I'm so sorry." He sobbed, still not looking at Keith. He was convinced he'd just ruined any and all chance that his little one would ever have to survive his Unearned punishment.

"Lance!" Keith barked, his voice making the other man- thing flinch. Lance stared up at Keith, sucking in a shaky breath. "Are you done?" Keith asked, his tone still cold.

The siren's lip quivered, a fresh swell of tears in his eyes but he nodded.

"Are you going to ever do that again?" Keith asked.

Lance stared at up at him, clutching the figure closer to his chest.

"Lance. Do you understand what I offered you? Do you know what you did wrong?"

"Yes." Lance sobbed looking up at Keith. He looked pitiful. 

Good.

"Will you EVER treat me like that again without good reason? Lance, I wanted to help you and instead of accepting the offer like any other sane person, you tried to take advantage of the opportunity. If I was anyone else you would have been beaten. In another Empire, you would have been killed. Given to some sick person and you would find yourself shoved  down and shown your place."

"I'm sorry." He whimpered. "I just- I just-"

"Lance, I know what you were doing," Keith said kneeling down and sitting on his heels in front of the Siren.

"I'm sorry."

"I know." Keith sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Fucking Alfor and this stupid Siren. He didn't want this. He wasn't someone who could take care of another person. He couldn't give him what he needed. "Petal is still out there."

Lance didn't look at him. He turned his gaze down on his cupped hands. He squeezed his eyes shut as he curled in on himself, suppressing the urge to bawl.

"Lance, I don't have a family. Or at least I didn't. I was left alone and without anyone in my life until Alfor found me. Your family has left, and all you have is that pup. I'm not going to be the one to take that away from you. That makes me no better than those that took my family from me. And I could never leave a child like that. We're going to go get him. But you need to just give me a chance to just figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do with you. That means that you're-" Keith gestured towards Lance with a frustrated flare of hands "going to just take care of the pup and tone down the hostility once we have Petal. And until then, you're not going to mope, and you're not going to pull the same shit you did today ya got it?"

Lance nodded with a gasp and wiped away the tears from his eyes. "I promise."

So what do you think?

What do you want to see?