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The cool air of the planet's labyrinth-like palace didn't keep Keith's loose top from sticking to his skin with sweat. He tapped his foot, gnawing on the straw of the martini glass he'd snatched from the snack table behind him and watching the crowd of locals shuffle around the hall.
The largest room in the palace was incredible; its spiraling pillars and warm light fixtures were all intricately carved, and the high ceilings were decorated with cut mirrors, bringing light to the room despite candles being its only fixtures. He wanted to like them, but they were hardly a distraction from the dress-code Allura had insisted they follow.
It wasn't that Keith had anything against taking part in local traditions. In fact, it was usually the most entertaining part of his job.
Some planets, however, brought up bad memories. Potent ones. Keith tucked his shoulders into himself to hide his chest, looking for gazes in the crowd.
Dresses. The men had to wear dresses. Allura claimed they were tunics, but Keith knew a frilly summer skirt when one smacked him upside the head, and he was wearing one for the sake of the goddamn universe.
He hated planets like this - planets so obviously casual and curious about new cultures. They could so easily stay in their armor, or their day clothes, or hell, their pajamas, but here they were, dressed up like Forever 21 mannequins to show off "the effort they put towards their cause". Sure, not a problem. Not humiliating at all. Keith put his empty glass on the table behind him and chewed his lip. It was warm in there.
He blinked out of his stupor when Lance casually leaned against the table next to him and reached to grab one of the meringues from the display (at least, they looked like meringues). He tossed it into the air and caught it in his mouth, puffing out his chest at his own mundane party trick. "'Sup?" he managed through a mouthful.
Keith turned back to his blank people watching. "Hi."
Lance cocked his head in his periphery. He knew he sounded dry, but it was hard to focus. He felt like a kid again, dressed up in lace to go play dolls. He hated it. He hated how easily everything affected him. Allura meant well, he knew that, but he couldn't help but resent her for putting his insecurities on display.
Something tapped Keith's shoulder, and he turned again to find Lance smiling, offering a meringue. Keith puffed a laugh through his nose, pinching it and popping it into his mouth.
"I like this place," Lance mumbled before swallowing, rubbing the sugary dust left behind between his thumb and forefinger. "Solid snacks. Shockingly rare in these parts."
Keith only half heard him, nodding quietly. Lance slumped a bit, turning to the crowd to try and catch what he was looking for. He leaned back further, crossing his ankles.
"You doin' alright, man? Not that you don't look like a ball of sunshine, but you're wasting my best material here." Lance bumped his shoulder and Keith snapped back out of it. He sat up a little straighter, crossing his arms and shaking his head.
"Sorry, it's not you. My dysphoria's driving me nuts." He wasn't sure that he'd meant to say it so frankly, but he also wasn't sure that he cared at that point.
Lance raised an eyebrow and gave him a once over. Keith didn't watch, and tried not to squirm. Lance then blinked, and Keith could have sworn he saw a lightbulb blink on above his head.
"Oh! Shit, I completely forgot. How did I forget, holy shit, we need to find Allura," he sputtered out, trotting around Keith to push him towards the great doorway leading into the halls.
"Woah, woah, woah, this is a mission, Allura's the one who stuck us into the damn tutus, Lance," Keith reminded him, turning to catch his arms.
Lance's blue eyes looked vibrant contrasted against the warm lighting. He was stunning. "Allura doesn't know all the info, dude. I'll get you out of this thing, come on." Lance grabbed two more meringues and marched towards the door with all the misplaced confidence of a man off to war.
Keith snorted, glancing around the room once before following him. A fuzziness bloomed in his chest, and he fought an unnecessary grin. Lance was a bit of an idiot, but he was also really, confusingly kind.
That was one thing Keith had been happy to learn ever since the start of their... companionship? Or rather the stop of the attempted insults. It had been a weird transition. Lance still needled him when the opportunity presented itself, but he also jarringly stuck up for him when it mattered. Keith was still getting used to it, but it was... good. It was good to be part of the team.
As they approached the arching doorway, Keith spotted Hunk admiring what looked like a slider. He looked up and waved with one hand, popping the slider into his mouth with the other.
Lance stopped when they reached him and patted his chest, putting one of the meringues in his hands. "We got an emergency. You kept your tablet on you, right?"
Hunk blinked, unhooking the tablet from his belt and passing it to Lance who unlocked it hurriedly. "Which emergency? And what's this cute little thing?" he grinned, admiring the swirl of sugar in his palm.
"It's a meringue and they're delicious. You mind him knowing?" he asked, glancing up at Keith.
"Oh. Uh. It's just dysphoria, it's not the end of the world," Keith shrugged.
Hunk's own lightbulb seemed to gain power, and he nodded, leaning over Lance's shoulder to see what he was typing. "That is an emergency. What're you lookin' for?"
"I'm trying to see if this place has a damn map. If we can find Allura, I'm sure she'll let Keith stick to the ship," Lance answered, his own blue embroidered dress swirling behind him as he strode into the hallway, never looking up from the screen.
"You could try calling her?" Keith suggested quietly, holding his skirt still with a fist as he followed. The lighting in the hall was far cooler, lacking the reflected lights of the mirrors. Keith took a breath, a chill spiking a shiver down his spine.
"She won't answer, she always keeps her tablet silenced during discussions." Hunk shook his head, taking a delicate bite of the meringue. "Oh, dude. You weren't lying, that's heavenly."
"Right?" Lance continued scrolling, chewing his cheek with annoyance.
Hunk peered around the hallway as Keith rubbed his arms to warm up. "The interior decorator in this place really went wild, huh?" he asked, looking at a frankly disturbing abstract painting. Keith chuckled, taking in the dark, glossy wood of the doors lining the walls.
"I can respect the originality, at least," Keith answered, pinching the front of his top and lifting it to better hide his chest. He was really starting to regret never splurging on a binder. Then again, it wouldn't exactly be helpful in a fight.
Lance groaned in frustration. "I hate our stupid logs." Hunk patted his shoulder, taking another tiny bite of his meringue and nodding sadly.
"The search feature is complete ass."
"Total ass!" Lance agreed, swiping to the side and clearing it entirely. He sighed, patting the tablet against his palm a few times. He glanced at Keith before turning back to the painted tile floor. "I mean. She can't be far, right?" he mused, looking up.
The three of them stared into the dimly lit hallway. There were six doors on each side, and it split at a four pronged fork at the end.
"Maybe we should call Pidge." Hunk's voice echoed.
"Yeah."
"Definitely calling Pidge."
Lance squinted at the tablet's translucent screen, fiddling with it for a moment. He typed the code and listened to the tablet's connection tone. They all winced when it made its signature ear-piercing chime before displaying Pidge's bored face lit by the dim orange screen of their tablet.
"How's the castle?" Lance greeted, holding it up so that Keith and Hunk could crowd into the frame.
"Dull as ever, but at least I'm not temporarily female." Keith smirked. This planet in particular was a bit like home in that it insisted on gender distinctions being visibly obvious. "How's the party?"
"Shit," Keith answered.
"I saved a meringue for you, but yeah, it's nothing special. Listen, we need your help." Lance leaned in a bit as he spoke as if it was truly urgent. The fuzz in Keith's chest spread to his face, and he pressed a palm against his cheek to cool it.
Pidge smirked and puffed up a bit. "Of course you do. What can I do for ya?"
"We need to find Allura. Can you pull up a map or something? We can't find one," Hunk chimed in.
"Allura? What's going on? You're all safe, right?" Pidge asked, their face now lit by blue light as they plugged in their monitor.
Keith sighed. "We're all fine, I just want my pants back," he droned.
Hunk managed to hold back a laugh, but Lance snickered.
"Ah, should have figured," Pidge sighed, sending a sympathetic smile to the camera before turning back to their computer. The clacking of keys filled the silence as they waited. Pidge let out a little hum, sitting back in their chair. "Interesting. There isn't one pre-made."
"Thanks for the trust," Lance muttered.
"Hey, I wouldn't blame you if you couldn't find it. The search function on our logs is ass," Pidge said, pointing an accusatory finger at the screen. "I could send rover out and try to build one, but this place is massive. It might take a while."
Hunk finally ate the last of his meringue, turning to Keith. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen if you just... left?"
"I get held in contempt of court and lectured?"
Lance cringed, a memory flashing behind his eyes. "Nothing's worth the pain of Allura yelling at you."
"How long is 'a while'?" Keith asked, glancing back at the party. Lance moved so that Keith was between him and Hunk, tipping the tablet camera to show less of his chest. The fuzz felt like pins and needles after too long.
Pidge's keys clacked. "Uh, ten, fifteen minutes maybe? Closer to ten if you just want the interior."
"That's fine," Lance nodded. "We just have to find the... uh. The room she's in?"
"The Consideration Hall," Hunk reminded him.
"Why is everything a hall? Do they even know what hall means?" Keith shook his head incredulously.
"Honestly, I don't think even I know what a hall is anymore."
Pidge squinted into the blue light, keys clacking. "The castle search engine claims it's either a corridor or a large room for events."
Keith's brow furrowed. "...so it's the whole building."
Hunk shrugged. "I'm an engineer, not an architect."
Pidge's nose crinkled. "Guys, it's not that complicated, it's a-"
"Pidge, I love you, but we're here for a map, not an English lesson," Lance interrupted.
They crossed their arms, tossing themselves back into their chair with a psh. "Fine. I'll call you back when it's done. Sit tight, Keith," they instructed, offering another smile.
He sighed. "Thanks."
They sent a salute which Lance copied before signing off and hooking the tablet onto his belt. Keith glanced back toward the party again, trying to bunch his skirt closer to his body. Lance patted his shoulder before moving down the hall away from the party.
Keith sent one last look over his shoulder before following. "Where are you going? Pidge just got started," Hunk asked, jogging to catch up with Lance's stride.
Lance waltzed down the farthest right fork. "It, uh... it's pretty noisy in there, isn't it? If we're gonna have a map anyway we may as well find somewhere quieter." The intricate embroidery on his skirt billowed behind him as he ducked around corner after corner. The sound of water trickled somewhere far off, and the screech of silverware against plates echoed through the castle.
Lance's footfalls were sure, despite the halls' enormous paintings starting to blur together. Hunk wrung his hands, glancing around. "Look, man, I trust you with my life and all, but I do not trust you with map use. Not after boy scouts."
Lance abruptly stopped at the end of a hallway, whirling around to shove a finger in Hunk's face. "We do not speak of boy scouts! It's not my fault the compass was broken!"
Hunk chuckled, pushing his hand to the side. "Dude. It literally was."
Lance fought a grin, tossing his head down to stare at the planet's moccasins. "...The bullet magnets were wicked cool, though."
Hunk burst out laughing, and Lance followed close behind, doubling over. Lost, Keith let out a weak chuckle. Lance wheezed, straightening up and scrubbing his eyes against tears. "Oh man, Keith, you shoulda been there. It took the counselors an hour to find us!"
"In his defense, they sold the bullet magnets at the camp site's gift shop, and I bought some too. So, y'know, I would have broken the compass anyway," Hunk shrugged.
Lance snickered, leaning against the brightly painted wall. "I was the one who wouldn't let him take his turn with the map." The two of them giggled, Hunk leaning beside him.
"Say, did you ever join-" Hunk began, looking up. He stared at Keith blankly for a moment before biting his lip.
Keith smirked, letting go of his skirt to gesture. "Take a guess."
Hunk winced, but Lance laughed.
"Well, y'know. The, uh. The other scouts?" Hunk tried. Lance smacked his shoulder, looking unimpressed.
Keith chuckled. "Nah, selling cookies in cutesy skirts wasn't exactly my style. Kids my age didn't like me much anyway," he added nonchalantly. Hunk looked at him like he was heartbreaking. Keith hated when people looked at him like that.
"Well, they were missing out, right Hunk?" Lance grinned, elbowing his buddy. Hunk nodded seriously.
"Missing way out. You're, like, the coolest guy on the ship." Lance gasped, placing a betrayed hand against his chest. Hunk chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Sorry, second coolest." Lance dusted himself off and crossed his arms proudly, not noticing Hunk's devious grin. "...Coran obviously comes first."
Lance cried out a heartbroken How dare you! before dancing away from Hunk's side. He practically hid behind Keith, grasping his arm dramatically. The touch was sudden, and his hands were warm. Wow, why was he so warm? Goosebumps skittered up Keith's arm at the contact, and he shivered.
"That's it, Keith's my new best friend. He would never backstab me like this, right Keith?" Lance prompted. Had Keith been in his right mind, he might have bit out something snarky, or even threatened to do just that. As it was, however, he just swallowed, and shook his head.
Before he could tell himself off for how pathetic he was being, Lance was back in action. "So it's settled!" he shouted triumphantly, pointing a finger at Hunk, who, seemingly used to this, was still wearing his good natured smile. "You're my new rival! Think you can keep up?" he asked, raising a brow. Keith was close enough to smell his goddamn cologne. It was a bit strong, but pleasantly floral.
Hunk slid down against the wall slightly, tossing an arm over his face. "How could I ever? You so clearly outshine me!" he declared, nearly matching Lance's drama. Keith felt like he was witnessing the galaxy's most overacted play, a little shocked that he hadn't had to pay a cent to see it.
Lance finally broke, giggling gleefully, unleashing Keith's arm to playfully punch his friend. Hunk joined in his laughter, and for the second time that night, Keith felt like he was watching a friendship through a window. He felt muffled; out of focus. When Lance's bright eyes caught his again, he flushed, feeling like he'd been caught staring even though he was looking exactly where he was supposed to be. Lance grinned.
"You get used to him," Hunk assured him, snapping Keith back to reality.
Keith nodded, his smile thin. He could only hope Hunk was right, because at this rate, he wasn't sure he'd be able to fight with Lance in the damn room. He felt light headed just listening to Lance's answering chuckle.
"Aw, I'm not so bad. Plus, Keith has had, like, double exposure to my bullshit, so, y'know, he's basically immune." Lance shot him an almost apologetic smile, which Keith returned.
Before Hunk had a chance to answer, the tablet buzzed so hard it nearly knocked Lance over. He unhooked it with a quiet damn and answered Pidge's incoming call, wincing at the chime.
"Good news, fellas: You're actually pretty close to the Consideration Hall already. I don't know why you decided to go on a hike before I even sent the map, but there it is," Pidge shrugged.
Lance winked. "My intuition is killer as always-"
"We were going down random hallways," Keith interjected.
"-and we got to our destination. Right Hunk?"
"We were totally going down random hallways," Hunk nodded seriously, only breaking character and wheezing when Lance glared at him.
Pidge picked at their nails. "Right. The map should arrive soon. You guys need anything else?"
"A pony?"
"No, a hundred bucks!"
"My fucking pants?"
Lance laughed wildly, and Keith almost missed the way Pidge grinned before hanging up. The tablet spit out one last deafening noise to notify the map arriving in its inbox before going, thankfully, silent for the night.
Lance, muttering something about shitty Altean technology, popped open the message. X marks the pants was the subject line, and Keith smiled. "Sweet! Just a few doors down. Who's the man?"
"You's the man," Hunk answered, offering a high five which Lance took with vigor.
Keith thought for a moment, before awkwardly extending his own palm. Lance, looking a little high on his victorious lucky guess, took it with the same vibrato, and Keith couldn't help but match his grin.
When they arrived at the glossy door labeled X on the map, Lance patted his shoulder. "You want us to head in with you, or are you good?"
Keith shook his head, hoping his gratitude was showing through his smile. "I got it."
"We'll see you after the party, man," Hunk grinned, clapping him on the back before turning to try and remember which halls Lance had blindly led them down.
Keith blinked, looking down when Lance placed something in his palm. It was a single, slightly squished meringue.
Lance winked before turning to jog after Hunk. "Wait up!"
Keith watched him go, almost startled by the sudden silence in his absence. Water still trickled somewhere far off, and Keith was warm. He raised his fist to knock, not quite noticing the small smile that had worked its way onto his face.