Chapter Text
“This one?” Coran confirms, tapping at the image to pull up a detailed article on said bug.
All the Altean goes over Keith’s head, but it looks as close to what he remembers as they’re possibly going to get, and he has no doubt Coran will keep him here until they exhaust this entire list if he doesn’t figure out which one it was.
“Not to worry! This is a relatively harmless bite. The effects should last no more than three quintants, and then you’ll be good as new, number four!”
“What are the effects?” he asks.
“Nothing terrible. Heightened serotonin and dopamine levels, which can feel overwhelming but are calmed in the presence of the first being the victim sees following the bite. I suppose that would be Lance!”
“I don’t…” Keith starts, but oh shit.
Serotonin and dopamine, that’s…
“A lovebug !” Pidge gleefully confirms once they return to the rec room where the rest of the team is waiting to hear about Lance and Keith.
Shit.
He doesn’t feel anything like that, and there’s only one reason why that might be: it’s not working because he already has those feelings for Lance.
And look, this isn’t news to Keith. He’s known for some time now, but that doesn’t mean he wants the rest of the team to figure it out! So, he does the only sensible thing.
He fakes it.