The soft hum of the Castle of Lions was almost soothing, but for Lance, it was far from enough to lull him into sleep. He tossed and turned in his small bunk, staring at the ceiling, thoughts of Earth flooding his mind—his family, the warm sun, the sounds of the ocean.

After another restless hour, he sighed and threw off his covers, deciding to take a walk. The quiet corridors of the castle were mostly empty, and he wandered until he found himself outside Keith's room.

As he approached, he knocked softly. The door creaked open, revealing a half-asleep Keith, his hair tousled and eyes still heavy with slumber.

“Lance?” he murmured, squinting. “What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Lance admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Just… thinking about home, I guess.”

Keith’s expression softened. “Want to talk about it?”

Lance hesitated but nodded, stepping inside. Keith motioned for him to sit on the bed, and he plopped down, the weight of his homesickness finally crashing over him. “I miss the ocean. The sound of the waves, the smell of the salt in the air…”

Keith listened, his brow furrowing slightly. “Yeah, I get it. Sometimes I miss Earth too.”

Lance looked up, surprised. “You do?”

“Of course. It’s not easy being out here all the time.” Keith paused, then added, “But you’re not alone, you know? We’re in this together.”

Lance smiled weakly, grateful for Keith’s understanding. “Thanks, man. It just feels different sometimes. Like… I don’t know, everything’s changing so fast.”

“Want to just hang out for a bit? We can watch the stars,” Keith suggested, glancing out the viewport.