"I wonder if I'll see him when we get back to Earth."
Taken aback, Lance quickly glanced at Shiro. The older pilot was currently riding with him, and so far they had been travelling in silence.
"See who?" Lance asked. "Your folks?"
Shiro blinked hard and shook his head, as if coming out of a daze. He hadn't meant to say that out loud, and suddenly Lance felt like he was intruding on some private moment. There wasn't any taking it back now, however.
Shiro kept his gaze directed out the windshield. "No, I definitely plan on seeing them. Why wouldn't I?"
"Then who are you taking about?" He asked, not considering how personal of a question it was. To him, it was simple - Shiro probably just missed an old friend.
But it wasn't that simple.
Shiro hesitated, closing his eyes. He opened them back up, and their expression was hardened. "My ex-financé."
"Your... Oh." Lance tried not to let his surprise show. He checked to make sure the mic in his helmet was off. Thankfully, it was.
Shiro finally looked over at him, a small smirk gracing his face thay didn't match the look in his eyes. "You seem surprised. I thought everyone at the Garrison knew about it, taking into account how often my students talked about us."
Lance shrugged, nervously. What was he supposed to say? The truth? Yeah, the truth. "I didn't really talk to many other students. I wasn't exactly popular."
The elder paladin nodded, returning his attention to the stars. "So I've heard."
"What was she like?" Lance asked. "Your finacé?"
Lance could have sworn he saw Shiro flinch. "He worked at the Garrison, just like me."
"He?" Pause. "Oh."
Shiro laughed. "You need to stop saying that."
It took Lance much longer to respond this time. "What was he like, then. What made you like him so much?"
"Oh gosh...everything." Shiro's smile widened, much bigger than Lance had seen it since before the Kerberos mission. This time, his eyes did match his smile. "He was funny. Compassionate. A real nerd, but... god, I loved it."
"You said ex-finacé." Lance recalled. "Why'd you call it off."
Shiro's expression fell so quickly, Lance barely had time to blink. "We had a disagreement about what was best for our future."
The way he said it made it sound final. Lance decided not to push it. Instead, he had other words in his mind. Harder words. Words that he felt crawling their way up his throat before he could stop them.
"I'm bi." They flew out. "Shiro, I'm bi and...and, well, I've never told anyone before. No one but Pidge and Hunk, that is."
"Then why are you telling me?" Shiro asked, surprised.
Lance looked up at him, only keep half an eye on where he was flying. "Because if somebody as cool and as heroic you can be LGBT than...so can I."
Shiro's jaw dropped slightly, clearly not expecting the admiration. "Lance, I-"
"Thank you, Shiro."