Lance leaned his head back against the wall, pretending Keith's almost-death didn't still shake him as much as it did. He forced himself to look casual, even bored, even though his chest still felt too tight.
Keith was the first to break the quiet. He glanced at Lance before looking away, staring into nothing. "Are you always hanging out in the training room after missions?"
"Only when I need to think," Lance said, shrugging. "Or when I'm hiding from everyone else."
Keith raised a brow. "Hiding? I thought people said I did that." He muttered under his breath.
"Yeah. Hunk makes me eat space goo when I sit in the kitchen too long, Pidge won't stop talking about tech stuff that I only understand like… fifteen percent of, and Shiro...well, Shiro gives me 'The Dad Look' if I mope around. So, here I am. With you. Which, by the way, wasn't part of the plan." Lance turned to stare at Keith.
Keith smirked faintly, looking back at Lance. "Lucky me."
Lance blinked at Keith. Was that… was Keith joking? "Wow, you do have a sense of humor. Guess miracles really do happen in space."
Keith shook his head, but there was the tiniest glint of amusement in his eyes. For a second, Lance felt something warm crawl up his neck, and he quickly pushed it down.
"Alright, hotshot," Lance said, pushing himself to his feet. "Since we're both here, why don't we do something fun?"
Keith gave Lance a fake exhausted look. "Fun?"
"Yes, fun. You know, the thing normal people have when they're not brooding."
"I don't brood," Keith muttered.
Lance grinned. "You definitely brood. But don't worry, I'm here to fix that tragic flaw. C'mon." He grabbed Keith's wrist before he could argue, tugging him toward the middle of the room. "How about a little one-on-one sparring? Winner gets bragging rights."
Keith gave him a look. "That's your idea of fun?"
"Of course. Unless you're scared I'll beat you."
That did it. Keith's eyes narrowed, his competitive streak flaring instantly. "You won't."
"Ha! We'll see."
Within minutes, the sparring program was active, and the two of them were circling each other, grins tugging at their lips despite the mock intensity in their stances. Lance lunged first, dramatic and reckless, while Keith dodged with calculated precision. Their blades clashed, sparks scattering, and laughter broke out between the strikes.
For once, there was no weight of the universe pressing down on them, no Galra threat, no expectations. Just them, letting themselves breathe, teasing and testing each other until they collapsed to the floor, panting and laughing.
Lance rolled onto his back, still catching his breath. "Okay, fine. You're annoyingly good."
Keith smirked, sitting down beside him. "Told you you wouldn't beat me."
The ceiling lights glowed above them, steady and quiet. For the first time in what felt like forever, the silence didn't feel heavy. It felt… easy.