When they come back to Earth Keith breaks Lance's heart.
Lance is a mess, but Kinkade starts talking to him and being all friendly and Lance really like his company. But his heart still feels love for Keith. He's confused.

Lance tells this to Kinkade and he understands.

After some time they start going out, they've shared some kisses, and Ryan wants to make it official, but Lance is not sure of taking THAT step because he's insecure, what if he's imagining it? He thought Keith felt something special but it turned out to be just his imagination.

So Lance talks with Ryan, about what he feels, how scared he is, and Kinkade? Just accepts him and cherishes him. He kisses Lance face bit by bit, sweetly. He promises Lance that they can go slow if he wants to, he doesn't care as long as Lance is happy.

And Lance trusts him.

Keith is worried, Lance has been acting strange, he isn't around the team that much and every time Keith enters a room he gets out.
He ignores him everytime he tries to make a witty joke or get a rise out of him.

He doesn't even talk to him outside missions. And ok, Keith is not dumb, he knows him and Lance where entering relationship territory and he's confused as to why Lance is suddenly acting the way he is. And yeah maybe he has been a little bit mean lately but Earth is STRESSING

It has been a while, so Keith decides he's going to talk to Lance and catch up, maybe ask him on a date, or maybe apologize. So he walks tall and proud in the Garrison hallways, following the direction to Lance's room,

Keith is happy because he is to talk with him after so long, he's outside Lance's door, he prepares to knock and- "Please- hnn" Keith stops dead in his tracks. Is... Is that Lance? He sounds so... so good, pleasured. With a little blush Keith turns, Lance must want some privacy,

But he suddenly hears a second voice- "Relax baby, I want you to feel good..." and it's a deep voice, full of lust "I'm not going to play with you like he did, I want you to feel sooo good honey" and ok, Keith is confused, is Lance sleeping with someone else?!

He is upset, he feels betrayed, he doesn't know what to think, but his anger is broken when a sad voice, the same voice that sounded so sweet a second ago "please don't bring Keith into this, I-" he says with a pained voice "I don't want to feel broken again"

And dread comes barreling into Keith's stomach. What did he do? Why does Lance sound so sad? Why is he with another person in his bed?
But he remembers: just a month ago he said some horrible stuff to Lance "What a dumbass" "It doesn't matter Lance, you are going to say something

dumb either way, so shut it" and the team was ganging up on Lance too, the mission had failed so they were blowing off some steam being mean with Lance, how dumb he was, how useless he was, and maybe they were overdoing it but Keith didn't worry because those were jokes, alright?

They always joke with him like that, Lance knows this.

And after that Lance walked close with Keith "Hey, can I talk you you for a bit? Alone?" and Keith needed to be in other places, planning missions, training, being a leader "Not right now, Lance" but Lance didn't get it. Keith was stressed but he still reached for Keith's arm,

Gently holding it, looking at him, big blue eyes essitant "I'll need just a few minutes, it's just... I feel like-" and Keith cuts right in "It doesn't matter what you feel like right now, I have important stuff to do" He stares "I don't have time for you, Lance"

Lance is left there, speechless, frantically looking at him, Keith just shrughs thinking he just was being dramatic. And he went on with his life, ignoring some sniffling sounds that started just before he left the corridor.
He is brought back to the present thanks to the sounds

Of love making, the sweet voice of his Lance, laughing with pleasure, he was happy with someone else, someone who made him feel loved and cherished, someone who listened to him, that protected him, not someone like Keith.