So, this is just an angsty little one shot I thought of while working one day. I couldn't get it out of my head (get it out of my head that is), and I really wanted to, so here it is.

The Paladins were on a mission. They'd just infiltrated a Galra ship that would hopefully allow them to get quite a bit of information about their enemies. To get a better idea of where everything was and to cover as much ground as possible, they had separated to go off to different parts of the ship. Lance was on his own, his bayard at the ready, the barrel pointed towards any incoming Galra that he might come across. He turned a corner and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was clear. This continued on for a while, and Lance's mind couldn't help but drift a little.

He wondered where Keith was, and he hoped he was okay. Yeah, he worried about the others too, but he couldn't make out with them. Dating his fellow Paladin was a great thing because it was this totally happy solace in space, but also there was the opportunity to possibly lose him during a mission at any time, and Lance wouldn't be able to handle losing Keith. Keith had become so very important to him and even though they hadn't said the words yet, those three words that would change everything for hopefully the better, Lance felt them.

He could only help Keith felt them as well.

He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't notice the Galra in front of him. The alien was standing down the hall Lance had just turned into, his back to the Blue Paladin. He immediately raised his gun, but there was something wrong with this situation. For one thing, the Galra was shaking and gripping at his own ears and Lance could hear him muttering to himself in a way that could only be described as an absolute panic attack. The second thing… he was wearing Keith's suit.

"Why are you wearing Keith's armor? What have you done with him?" Lance demanded, his finger on the trigger as he approached the alien slowly. He was seeing red. This Galra had done something to his boyfriend and he wasn't going to stand for it. The Galra turned around, his large yellow eyes wide. He looked scared. Lance just glared, gritting his teeth. "Answer me!" he snapped.

"Lance… Lance, it's me… It's Keith…." the Galra said, taking a hesitant step towards Lance, one hand outstretched. Lance took a step back. This alien had Keith's voice… and his suit… but there was no way it was actually Keith. This was some trick, some sick fucking trap. It had to be.

"Keith is human, not a monster like you. What did you do to him?!"

"Lance, please, it's really me! I don't know what's happening to me. We have to find the others, we have to figure out what's happening to me."

"No! You are not Keith. You are not my Keith!" Tears were running down Lance's face, and when he stared back at the Galra, he could see tears running down his face as well. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be real. How could they make this monster sound so much like the boy he wanted to spend the rest of his life with? But when he looked in those eyes, they weren't the deep indigo of his boyfriend's. They were glowing and gold, and wrong. So very wrong.

"It is me, please. I'm your Keith, please… I love-"

"Stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop, STOP!" Lance squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head, trying to drown out the sound of the Galra's pleading. The Galra took another step forward, causing Lance to raise his gun again. "Don't you fucking dare. Take one step closer and you're done, I swear!" Lance could see tears of the other were getting worse, completely soaking the little tufts of fur on the side of his face. He could also see the other was shaking. Or maybe it was actually himself that was shaking.

"Please..." the Galra whispered, taking the smallest of steps despite Lance's warning. Lance shut his eyes again, pulling the trigger. He heard the beast fall and then all was silent for a few moments. He didn't open them until he heard footsteps coming towards him.

When he opened them, he saw his teammates approaching. Well, most of his teammates. Fear gripped his heart then. Keith wasn't with him. They saw the carnage before he did, all of them stopping short, their eyes wide. Lance saw tears come to their eyes. He finally turned to face the Galra he had shot. But were there'd been tufts of purple hair, there was now pale skin. Where there'd been sharp canines, there were now smooth normal human teeth. And where there had been glowing yellow eyes, there were deep indigo ones, opened wide and completely devoid of any sign of life.

"Keith…."

Lance woke with a gasp. He sat up in his bed, his whole body shaking. He was hyperventilating and sweating and sobbing and he felt like he was going to throw up. He buried his face in his hands, wanting to scream into them, but not wanting to possibly wake any of the others. A hand on his back made him jump and he looked over to see Keith beside him. His boyfriend was looking up at him with bleary- but very much alive- eyes.

"Babe, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting up. Lance just stared at him, seeing that yes, he was very much here with him and Lance was no longer dreaming. The nightmare was over and Keith was so alive and so in his bed, where he'd been since the night prior, when they'd fallen into it and tangled together until they didn't know where one started and the other ended. "Lance?" Keith said when Lance still hadn't responded. He sounded so concerned. Lance just grabbed his face and stared at him for a few more moments, before he pressed their lips together, kissing him passionately. Keith made a soft, surprised noise, but he kissed back, sighing against the others lips.

"I love you so much, Keith," Lance whispered, pulling back to look into Keith's eyes. He brushed his thumb under one, just reveling in the feeling of his warm skin. It was the first time he'd said the words, and Lance had anticipated saying them under very different circumstances, but it felt right saying them now. And with the way Keith was looking at him, like he was the greatest sight Keith had ever seen, Lance couldn't possibly regret saying them now.

"I love you too, Lance." Lance kissed him again, but Keith was the one to pull back first this time. "Seriously, babe, what's going on? Is everything okay?" Keith reached up to wipe away the tears still falling from Lance's eyes. The Blue Paladin couldn't respond, he didn't know how he could possibly explain the nightmare he'd had. He just latched onto his Keith, crying into the crook of his neck and holding him like his life depended on it. Keith held him just as tightly, whispering soft words of love and assurance into his ear.

Lance couldn't think about anything but seeing Keith… no, he couldn't even think the word. He wouldn't do that. He would never. He would never do that to Keith and he would never let that happen to Keith. Not ever.