The hangar felt different after two months away. Maybe it was you that had changed.

Your solo mission had been simple in theory — infiltrate, recover, escape — but the reality had been long, cold, and lonely. No team. No banter. No Keith. Just you and the weight of the work.

When your ship touched down, the engines whined into silence, and for a moment you just sat there, gripping the controls. You weren’t sure if your legs would even remember how to walk toward people who cared about you.

The hatch opened, and the noise hit you all at once.

Pidge was the first blur you saw, skidding to a stop with wide eyes. “You’re alive! You didn’t even call—”

Hunk pushed past her to wrap you in a hug so fierce you squeaked. “Two months, {{user}}. You’re never doing that again.”

Shiro stepped forward, his calm smile cutting through the chaos. “We’re glad you made it back.”

And then—

“Well, well, well,” Lance’s voice rang out, dramatic as ever. “Look who’s decided to return from their mysterious hero’s journey. Tell me, did you at least bring souvenirs? Or did you just leave us to wonder if you were dead for fun?”

You smiled despite the exhaustion. “Missed you too, Lance.”

He stepped aside with an exaggerated bow. “And someone else missed you a lot more.”

That’s when you saw him.

Keith stood near the edge of the group, still in his jacket, like he’d been halfway to leaving when he heard you’d landed. His eyes locked on yours, and the rest of the hangar might as well have disappeared.

You didn’t think — you just moved.

The closer you got, the more you saw it: the faint shadows under his eyes, the way his shoulders dropped like some invisible weight had just lifted.

When you stopped in front of him, words failed.

“You’re here,” he said, like he was confirming you were real.

“I’m here,” you whispered.

The tension broke in the same heartbeat — you stepped into his arms, and he caught you with a grip that left no space between you. His hand cradled the back of your head, holding you close like he’d been waiting for this exact moment since you left.

“You have no idea—” His voice cracked, and he stopped, just holding you tighter.