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It was like a scene straight out of goddamn Baywatch. Lance Serrano was walking down the beach with the brightest red swim shorts that would’ve looked just awful on someone else, but with his glossy tan skin and toned legs it was downright delicious. He was wearing these shades that were the douchiest pair Keith had ever seen, but fuck if he didn’t look fantastic in them. His brown waves were tousled and breezing in the wind, and his sharp jaw worked as he chewed a piece of gum. Spearmint – it was his favorite. “Keith, you’re staring again,” Pidge muttered in delight. “I am not,” Keith snapped. “Don’t you have kids to watch, Katie?” “Don’t you?” Pidge slapped his bicep and walked over to where a group of her kids were playing in the sand. Keith was not looking for a summer romance when he signed up to be a counselor at Camp Voltron. All he wanted was a break from all the bullshit of school and his hometown, when his brother Shiro suggested he work at the camp he spent his own summers in. Shiro was a senior camp counselor and managed to finagle a way for Keith to work there and next thing he knew, he was in charge of 8 whiny fifth graders. He met Lance at the staff meeting a day before Voltron opened for the summer. His smile was too flirty and his eyes were too blue and Keith hated him, but not really. He just figured Lance would never go for him, until the taller boy swaggered up to him and said, “You must be a campfire, because you’re super hot and I want s’more.” Keith didn’t know whether he wanted to punch him or kiss him. Cue them, three hours later in the beach house, fumbling around in the dark as they shoved their tongues down the other’s throats like the hormonal teenage boys they were. You know, real classy. They decided not to make a big deal out of things, because summers were for flings and Keith also really did not want Shiro to know what he did in the late hours of the night. And the wee hours of the morning. And the occasional afternoon delight. Keith wasn’t going to lie – it was incredible. Lance was an amazing guy (and not just with his tongue, which Keith could write sonnets about) and Keith seriously did not deserve it, not in the slightest. And to make up for it, their relationship wasn’t really official. Not that Keith had anyone lined up to fuck him, but Lance certainly did. It was easier that way, because if he had Lance all to himself he would just die when it came time to leave. They hadn’t talked about that, the whole leaving thing. It was all Keith thought about, though. And it wasn’t like he had any friends at school who cared. Hey, everyone, I fucked a lifeguard this summer. He was hot and he had abs. Take that, asshole football team. “Hey, stranger,” Lance greeted, the slow-motion David Hasselhoff move wearing off. “Haven’t seen you around much lately.” “It’s the end of session two,” Keith replied, looking off into the distance to pretend he was disinterested. Camp Voltron split the summer up into three sessions, one new group for each session. “I’m just making sure the kids have the best ending they can.” “You’re such a good person,” Lance teased, stepping closer to Keith. “I know. It’s sickening.” Keith’s mouth was going dry with Lance standing so close. A step loser and Keith would be able to smell his suntan lotion and his natural cinnamon-y fragrance. It was nauseating and intoxicating all at once. “Well,” Lance lowered his voice and tipped his head toward Keith, “how’s about you and me meet by the Dead Man’s trail tonight after the kiddies have gone to sleep? We can just ravish each other in front of the innocent creatures of the forest. It’ll be fun.” Keith looked Lance up and down, watching him twirl the whistle around his neck. God, he was tantalizing. “Very tempting, but tonight I promised Shiro I’d help with the bonfire tonight.” “What a strange coincidence,” Lance clucked, “I’ll be there, too. Maybe we can take the leftover chocolate and smear it all over each other after we’re done.” Oh, boy. Keith had to take a deep breath and swallow hard because they were in a very public place and what he was feeling was very private. “We’ll see. I have to go.” Lance winked. “See you tonight, sweetcheeks.” The whistle for free swim sounded, signaling the end of their time. Keith waited for his kids outside the changing rooms and when they were all accounted for, they moved to the ropes course. He cast one look back at the beach, where Lance was standing around with two other lifeguards, Plaxum and Allura. Lance caught his eye and winked. Keith turned away, flustered. Of course, he would see Lance tonight. He was heroin to Keith. And Keith desperately needed an AA meeting before he overdosed. - Later that night, as bedtime approached, the boys of his bunk giggled and scurried off to their beds like little mice. They were hopped up on all the sugar that came with smores. Lance was at the bonfire, of course, smelling of lake water and strumming a guitar for the kids to sing to. He looked so, so beautiful, with his ocean eyes and beaming face. Lance loved kids. He had four older siblings, a niece, and a nephew. These tidbits Keith kept stored in his mind, like a stash of Lance. He was a walking Lance-opedia. Keith settled into his own bed, waiting for all the boys to get into their sleeping bags before flicking off the lights. They giggled and made fart noises for a little bit until, one by one, the breathing slowed and snores rose from the bunk beds. Keith laid in the dark, looking out the mesh window into the bright, starry sky. That was the thing about living in the city with his brother, he rarely saw the stars shining so prominently. He loved looking at the skylight in the beach cabin where he and Lance would meet up in the night. They’d be curled together, Lance snuggling into his neck and leaving soft pecks on his collarbone. Staring at the sky now, he contemplated meeting Lance. He had these kinds of inner battles a lot. His affection for Lance always won out. As if on cue, the cabin door softly creaked open as Hunk Garrett, Lance and Keith’s friend from the kitchen, popped in. Lance often had Hunk come to watch the kids as Keith snuck off to fool around. “Hey, buddy,” Hunk grinned, ever the good sport. “I’m tagging you out.” Keith flushed, still embarrassed that someone knew what he was going to be doing. But Hunk was a good friend with a big heart, and would cover for Keith anytime, day or night. He nodded at the bigger boy as they traded places, with Hunk snug in the bed and Keith closing the cabin screen door behind him. Keith trod as quietly as he could through the thicket, only his low phone flashlight to guide him, since he left the shitty one in the cabin just in case the kids needed it. He knew the way to Dead Man’s Trail like he knew the back of his hand at this point. Lance liked to meet there at the bridge over the stream because he liked the way the moonlight hit it. Made things extra-dramatic. And extra-romantic, Lance would always chuckle. It did, of course. Keith could see Lance was leaning over the white bridge’s wooden railing as he neared, the sounds of bugs singing around his and the quiet rush of the water under him, the moonlight illuminating his dim figure. He looked beautiful, as always, even in joggers and a hoodie. The minute he saw Keith, he perked up, inflating Keith’s ego to the max. Lance was happy to see him – him. Now wasn’t that something. ”Thought you were too busy, Kogane,” Lance said, not all that quiet, as Keith stepped onto the bridge. Keith leaned back, staring straight ahead to the woods behind Lance’s head. “You still waited,” Keith responded after a couple of seconds. “Of course, you idiot,” Lance whispered, turning to grab Keith by the shirt collar and kiss him breathless. Every kiss from Lance left him breathless. It was a little unfair, to be honest. Lance kissed so lovingly, so emotional and soft and tender, all at once. Keith kissed like a fish out of water. They did that, for a while. Lance pressing Keith’s back into the railing, gripping his shirt like a lifeline, Keith’s arms tight around Lance’s waist. It was unreal, having this beautiful boy kissing him like they were the only two people left in the whole universe. Lance tasted like everything right in the world, his smell enveloping Keith like a warm embrace. He wouldn’t give this up for the world. “Hey, let’s head over to the lake,” Lance rasped after what could have been hours of kissing. “I’ve got a little surprise for you.” “Me?” Keith couldn’t contain the smile that slid its way onto his face as Lance grabbed Keith’s hand and led him off the bridge. “Of course, you,” Lance scoffed. “Who else?” Keith squeezed Lance’s hand like a warning, but it was playful. With Lance, he could drop the serious, sullen act. At night, when it was just them, they weren’t Keith and Lance. They were just two people, escaping from their own realities, finding solace in the arms of the other. As Lance led them through the woods to the lake, they fell into a comfortable silence. Keith knew the realties Lance was desperate to escape – his own self. Lance was way too hard on himself. Sometimes, if Keith had Lance in a post-coitus haze, and the night was late enough, he would confide to Keith how his own insecurities consumed him sometimes. It was hard to stand out doing something when he had four other siblings who had most likely done it before him. “I can feel you staring, Kogane,” Lance chuckled, pausing to turn around, their hands still intertwined. “Sorry,” Keith’s eyes flitted away. He stared a lot at Lance. The boy was just too good to be true. “Don’t be,” Lance turned back around and trod on. “It’s pretty endearing.” They came to the lake, a shitty wooden sign that said “BAKU LAGOON,” greeting them. Keith always thought it was a dumb name for a lake. But so was “Voltron” for a kid’ camp. “Do you know why they call it that?” Lance nodded towards the sign. “Baku Lagoon?” Keith looked to Lance, who had a smile edging onto his face. “No, why?” “They say a monster lurks in the depths of the lake,” Lance said in his spookiest, goofiest voice. He walked backwards on the sand, towards the dock where the most advanced swimmers would dive off of. Keith followed, a smile of his own forming. “It stays, watching, lurking, lulling you into a false sense of security. And then, just when you think you’re safe – BOOM!” Lance jerked forward, bringing his arms together like a crocodile snapping its jaws closed. Keith stumbled back, almost shrieking. He let out a laugh and lunged to grab Lance, his fingers missing by a centimeter. Lance booked it for the dock, peeling off his clothes along the way until he was just in his underwear, and then jumped off the dock with a splash. Keith skidded to a stop at the end of the dock, watching the dark, murky water ripple as Lance emerged. He shook his head, figuring it not worth it to dive into a black lake in the middle of the night. “Haven’t you ever seen Jaws, Lance?” Keith scoffed, crouching down as Lance popped back up and rested his arms on the dock. He looked like he was born to be in the water. “You could get eaten by the monster.” “Aha!” Lance exclaimed in glee. “So, you do believe in Baku!” “I believe in horror movies,” Keith corrected, “and the hot, young, horny teenagers who get killed in the first few seconds.” “Always a cynic.” “You know it.” Keith offered a hand to Lance, who took it without question. He wiggled up to the dock, soaking wet, and sat next to Keith. Their feet dangled in the water. The child in Keith, the one that imagined sharks lurking in his baths, could envision the jaws of a prehistoric monster coming up and taking a leg or two from him. He moved his legs to be crisscrossed on the dock. “So,” Keith started after a few beats of silence, “my surprise.” Lance inched closer to him, turning away from the stars to look at Keith. There was a look that crossed his face then, a fond and soft expression that made Keith avoid eye contact. He had spent almost his whole life wondering what love was like. His father died at a young age, his mother soon after. It was only a couple of years ago that Shiro’s family fostered, then later adopted him. But even then, no one had ever looked at Keith the way Lance did. It was…different. “The boy wants his surprise,” Lance said quietly, keeping the intimacy of the moment intact. “Exercise some patience, Kogane.” Keith leaned in to kiss Lance’s lips softly. Lance’s lips were a pretty pink, with a sharp Cupid’s bow and a pouty bottom lip. And they were always soft. Keith was positive Lance was addicted to lip balm, but he definitely wasn’t complaining. The kiss was chaste. Lance pulled away and got up, casting Keith a flirty look over his shoulder. The muscles in his back rippled as he moved to pick up his clothes from various places on the dock. Lance had a lean swimmer’s body from years and years of swim team and lifeguarding. Keith jogged and worked out almost everyday with Shiro, who was a gym buff, but there was something about Lance’s muscles that fascinated Keith. Like a moth drawn to flame, Keith followed Lance down the dock and to the cold sand. If he had to guess, Lance was leading him to the beach house, where the lifeguards hung out between shifts. He had been there several times, but only after dark. Lance opened the door for him, and Keith stopped to admire the view. The other boy had strung up fairy lights going down the hall and off into the room where the lifeguards relaxed. Keith turned around as Lance closed the door behind them. “Well, do you wanna see the surprise or not?” Lance smirked, waiting for Keith to make his way to the lounge. Keith, speechless, nodded and moved forward to follow the soft, twinkling lights. The lounge was also decorated in fairy lights, and all the furniture was moved to the walls. Lance had placed a picnic blanket on the soft, downy carpeted floor. There was a classic picnic basket and a bottle of sparking apple cider on top of that, and the faintest of music playing from a speaker on the coffee table Lance moved to the side. There were blankets and pillows, and it was so cozy looking as so… “What is all this?” Keith found himself saying, although it didn’t sound like him. “Take a seat,” Lance nudged him to the basket and sat across from him, still in wet underwear. He pulled his hoodie over his head, since the room was getting a little chilly. “I considered bringing my laptop to play a video of a bonfire,” Lance admitted sheepishly. Keith realized that he was nervous. He probably had been this whole time. That was something Keith liked about Lance – he put up a façade for everyone else, but for Keith he couldn’t hide forever. It was something special to Keith. “Who scrapped the idea?” Keith asked, shifting forward to trace circles on Lance’s knee. The boy shivered in response. “Pidge,” Lance answered. “She thought it was cheesy.” Keith scoffed. “Pidge doesn’t have a romantic bone in her body.” Lance smiled and shrugged. “Maybe so.” He reached into the basket and brandished a box of Club crackers. “Crackers and cheese, Your Highness?” “Oh, how fancy,” Keith laughed, taking the box and opening it. “Only the best for you,” Lance winked. Keith paused, cocking his head. What could Lance mean by that? Lance flushed in response, his cheeks still pink from the sun. “Lance, seriously,” Keith put down the crackers, “what’s all this for?” Lance looked down, and Keith took a moment to take all of it in. the soft lights made Lance look different, like there was a halo shrouding him. The music was too soft for Keith to hear it, but it was probably some indie artist crooning about cigarettes and heartbreak. Everything was so romantic, way too romantic for a summer fling. Unless… “We’ve been doing this…thing…for a while, right?” Lance started, still bashful. This Lance was a softer, more vulnerable Lance. Just as lovable as the other versions of him. “A month. And Keith…boy, I really like you,” he looked up, for a second, and then looked away, but then steeled his nervous to look back. “And I wanted to do all this, because you deserve it. Because…I want to be your boyfriend.” Lance sucked in a breath. Keith wanted to say, Breathe. He wanted to say, I want to be yours, too. All yours. He wanted to say a lot of things, but all that came out was, “Why?” Lance blinked. He didn’t expect the response, clearly. “Why? Are you nuts?” Keith furrowed his brow, yelling at himself internally for fucking up such a good moment. Not a good moment, but the moment. The one he’d been waiting for since he met Lance. Here he was, in the middle of the night, with food and twinkling lights and the most perfect boy asking to be his, and all he could think about were his own commitment issues. “I never…” Keith cursed. “I’ve never done this before. No one has ever asked to be mine. No one has wanted to be mine. And I don’t wanna fuck this up.” He laughed, but it was joyless. “God, I do not want to fuck this up. You are everything I have ever wanted, and then some, Lance.” Lance was giving him a look. This was not going anywhere. Keith took a breath and started again. “You want to do this?” Keith asked firmly. “With me?” Lance pointedly looked to the picnic basket, then the blankets, the speaker, the lights, and back to Keith. His eyebrows quirked up, a silent “Duh!” expression falling on his face. He grabbed Keith by his ratty t-shirt collar and their lips clashed together. Keith immediately moved his hand to Lance’s neck, rubbing the other boy’s jaw softly with his thumb. It was a little awkward, leaning so far forward, but Keith would bend over backwards to kiss Lance. “Just say you’ll be mine,” Lance sighed on Keith’s lips. “I’m yours,” Keith responded, breathless and desperate. “I’m all yours.” “Fantastic.” They resumed kissing, Keith moving closer to straddle Lance’s thighs. He still felt the slight dampness of Lance’s water-soaked underwear, and pulled away to look down. “Those must be uncomfortable,” Keith pointed out. “Extremely,” came Lance’s cheeky reply. “Maybe you should take them off,” Keith muttered, biting his lip. Lance was already a step ahead of him. “Anything for you, boyfriend.” It was a while later, after their soft love-making and a couple of brownies Hunk had packed for them, that they curled up underneath the blankets. It was so familiar to have Lance in his arms, and it never got boring. Keith prayed it never would. “We should probably head back,” Keith whispered into Lance’s hair. It was soft and smelled like the lake. “I don’t want Hunk to worry.” Lance hummed. He was not interested in moving. “C’mon, lover boy,” Keith chuckled. As he watched the lights flicker, a thought crossed his mind. “Lance, should we tell people? About us?” “Pretty sure everyone knows, lover,” Lance mumbled. “Except for Shiro. He’s oblivious.” “No kidding,” Keith scoffed. “All right, fine. Just no kissing in front of the kids. I have a reputation to uphold.” “You’re too cute,” Lance snorted, tickling Keith’s chest with the air. Keith tucked his nose into Lance’s hair, holding him just a little closer. In a month, Keith would have to go back home to the city for his senior year, and Lance would go back to his family’s farm that was over an hour away. They’d have to meet on weekends, and talk every day, and it would be hard. But as Lance gave Keith’s chest soft kisses, so content to just be there, Keith managed to convince himself that those were problems for future Keith and Lance. Keith and Lance. It made him smile. Sure, they were just kids, and this was very new, but right now? Right now, Keith could take on the world. “Boyfriend?” Lance called quietly. “Now that we’re together, do you mind cutting off that awful mullet you call hair?” Keith took a pillow they had cast aside and smacked Lance’s back with it. “You would miss it and you know it, you goofball.” Lance giggled and snatched the pillow from Keith’s hands, throwing it out of reach. He met Keith’s lips in a soft kiss, which was almost impossible as their smiles kept getting in the way. Yeah. They were going to be just fine.