He’s heard Lance laugh before. They’ve all heard Lance laugh before. Planets in other GALAXIES have probably heard Lance laugh. It’s loud and big-mouthed and ENORMOUS —- and Keith … likes it — ? Despite the noise, it doesn’t induce the pulsing he feels in his head when Lance rambles about their rivalry, or when he make a reference Keith doesn’t understand. It’s something Keith feels he can SHARE with the Lance. AND the red paladin chooses not to find anything wrong with it, because, well, they were having FUN. And he’s not against getting along with his team.
HIS TEAM — Keith steals a glance towards Lance, lounging at equal height with his familiar, bubbly disposition. The last time Keith thought he’d have a team of his own, and really make TRUE on that kind of a promise, was during his time at the Garrison.
Now Pidge, Lance, Hunk: THEY were a team. And back at the Garrison, Keith was 0 for two: no team, no Shiro, and it just went downhill from there — maybe Keith LET it.
But Lance digs deeper into his slippery, wet grave, and Keith’s barely given any time to mull over his failings. A tear rips through his side as another wave of laughter sends him folding in on himself. His ribs hurt, muscles squeezing in a way that exercising never called for. Instead, they ache each time his laughter is too BIG, like Lance’s, to contain. Keith urges his spine straight, exposing a smirk that carves into his cheek.
❝ I think my chances are better than yours. You ‘could’ve DIED’, right? ❞ The satisfaction that stretches from ear to ear remains put, adamant only up until Keith’s stopped laughing long enough to REVIEW the situation rather than simply press rewind on Lance’s tumble. It did look like a hard fall. His cheeks weigh down on the corners of his mouth, grin gradually shrivelling. It’s still there, hopeful and a little giddy, but with enough room for concern to push his tongue out and lick at his lips.
❝ Could always take a trip to one of the healing pods if you need a boost. ❞ The arch in his brow betrays the concern driving his words.
Lance’s laughter is as adaptive as a chameleon and he has a laugh for every situation; a devilish snicker, a flirtatious giggle, a ROBOTIC chuckle for when he’s just not in the mood, and a hiccup-snort for when Hunk tells him the story of how he once puked on Iverson’s shoes. But this laugh is something else. It’s the one reserved only for when something is really, really FUNNY— which doesn’t completely make sense because all he did was slip... but blame the sleep deprivation (and the monotony of the last few hours that must’ve short-circuited his brain). And maybe he forgot how good it feels to laugh like this as well. With Galra attacks on the rise, the vibe among Paladins simply wasn’t the belly-laugh sort... and Lance is out of practice.
It hurts... but it’s a warm ache; a THERAPEUTIC one, similar to getting knot massaged out— and he can’t bring himself to put a lid on the laughter that shakes his whole body. At this point, he’s not even sure if Keith is still laughing with him. All he knows is that he’s on his back, at the mercy of gravity with giggles that fill the air like a strong cologne and FIZZ like the bubbles of a carbonated drink, and that Shiro had better look out because he is going to have some serious abs after this. It’s only when Keith speaks to him that he breathes out an indulgently long, satisfied sigh and wipes the moisture from his eyes.
He’s eighty percent sure Keith is taking a stab at him, but he’s in too good a mood to bite. And he’d like to preserve said good mood; which means that he’s definitely not going to get in one of those pods. He’s been in there twice; and both times he’d left feeling almost as ROTTEN as when he got in. The dehydration, mixed with the stiffness of being too cold, too tired, and the vertigo that comes with being both hungry and mildly nauseous at the same time is uncomfortable to say the least— much more uncomfortable than putting up with a bruised elbow.
❝ —Nuh-uh.
Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh-uh. No way, man— nice try. Not unless I’m seconds from DEATH. ❞
And he rubs at the joint before FLEXING it as proof that the cartilage there is nothing more than a little swollen. He’ll pop some space ibuprofen and that’ll be that... though, now that he looks around him, maintaining that good mood might be more of an uphill battle than he thought.
❝ Ay, dios mío... this is gonna take forever to mop up... ❞