fandomweekly | [#005] Self-Appointed Mission (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Theme Prompt: Long Shot
Title: Self-Appointed Mission
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Rating/Warnings: None
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 819
Summary: James Griffin is a walking, living cliché who knows very well his crush could reject him. Still, being rejected is nothing compared to possibly being shot to death by Galra troops.

It had taken Keith being in the hospital after the black lion crashed to make him realize how he felt. Just like all those stupid romantic movies or books or TV shows, the biggest cliché in the book. Or at least one of them. It was so stupid, but denial was an even bigger cliché and he'd been living it all this time.

Keith Kogane had been a surly brat when they were kids, a showoff in the simulator, Shiro's pet. Still, that had been no excuse to be a dick and taunt him about his parents being gone, and even if Keith didn't seem to hold a grudge over it, most people would say James had stepped over a major line that day and therefore shouldn't have expected Keith to even want to be around him or work with him.

Much less like him back.

But James Griffin was no coward. Even if he got another smack in the face and told to fuck off, he was going to tell Keith how he felt come hell or high water. Rejection would suck, but he'd rather get it over with than sit and pine away like an idiot until Keith married some other person and he was stuck faking a smile at the wedding. At least if he was rejected, he'd know.

Besides, they were at war. Being shot down by Keith Kogane would hurt less than being shot by a Galra soldier.

He found Keith in the cafeteria, sipping coffee and pushing the remains of runny eggs and stale toast around his plate. James wondered how much of a bribe it would take to convince Hunk to take over the kitchen full-time, but that was neither here nor now. He was here to tell Keith Kogane he liked him.

"Hey."

"Oh, hey." Keith looked up from his coffee with a mildly wary glance. It was a step up from the initial glaring when they'd first seen each other again, at least. "What's up?"

"Can we talk? I mean, man to man?" James sat down slowly, relieved when Keith didn't edge away or tell him to back off. "It's kind of important." Keith put the cup down, his expression relaxing a little.

"Sure. Is something wrong?" That depended on one's definition of wrong, James thought. For Keith, being told I just realized I've had a crush on you forever by the guy who once pushed the wrong buttons and was an overall ass to him might fit that definition.

"I'm about to tell you something that may make you want to punch me again," he began. "But in hindsight, it's something I should have told you a long time ago." Deep breath, stay calm. "First of all, some people are just really stupid when it comes to their feelings. I'm one of them, and it's time I stopped," he said. "Listen, Keith...all those morons who say the bully just picks on you cause he likes you, they're mostly full of crap, but in this case, it's more like I didn't know I liked you till you got kicked out and I started missing you." Keith's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but James stopped him. "I know, I know, what I said about your folks was the worst and I'm scum for it. I guess I said it cause I was mad at you for not wanting to be my friend back then, but that's no excuse."

"James," Keith said. "you-"

"Let me finish. But the thing is, I still-I mean, I guess I started falling in love with you after you and all those others left the Earth and when you got back I was mad at you for being gone so long, but then you got hurt, and-"

"James."

"I'm not done." He was running his mouth, he knew it, but the more he talked the more he could prolong the inevitable rejection. "The point is, I-"

He didn't even get another stream of words going before Keith's lips were against his, determined but clumsy, and James had to dig his nail into his palm to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Hands caught in hair, clothing, limbs tangling with each other until they nearly fell from the bench and had to come up for air.

"So, uh." James rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess this means you like me back, then?"

Keith shook his head, smiling more genuinely than James had ever seen from him.

"You could have just sent flowers to the hospital instead of giving some big speech, you know," he said. "But at least now I know the best way to shut you up next time you shoot your mouth off." James smirked, tugging him closer by his jacket collar.

"Same to you." He crushed his lips against Keith's, forgetting where they were. Screw the rules, his crush liked him back.

The group of senior officers who walked into the cafeteria moments later decided to go out for breakfast instead.