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The most terrifying combination of words Keith could think of is “middle school summer camp”. Never mind just “middle school”. Oh no. Being young and being over pumped with hormones and grease was enough to make Keith sick to his stomach. Putting summer camp on top of that was even worse.     In all honesty, Keith was homeschooled until his freshman year, so he really dodged the bullet that was public middle school. Unfortunately that lead Keith’s parents to believe he was lonely and needed to make friends. So their brilliant solution was to chuck him in a mosquito infested lake with eleven other stinky oily hairy boys. It was possibly the worst day of Keith’s life when they told him he’d be spending his summer vacation, that he was really looking forward too, away from them and surrounded by water.     Oh yeah. Little detail. Keith fucking hated water. Sure, drinking it is fine, bathing is okay, but fucking swimming in it? Being in more than three feet deep in it? Feeling leaves and fish and shit in it? Keith wasn’t too thrilled about it. No matter how much his parents promised him it wouldn’t be that bad, he wouldn’t listen. If anything it would benefit him since he still wasn’t into the idea of showering everyday yet. Regardless, he said goodbye with a frown and his arms crossed.“Cheer up, honey. It won’t be that bad,” his mother promised.“I wish I could time travel to next month so I don’t have to put up with this,” he grumbled. His father shook his head chuckling.“We’ll see you then, bud.”“Mm.”“Okay, have fun, sweetie,” his mom gave him a kiss on his forehead before leaving with his father.“Don’t worry, buddy. We’re all about making everyone feel comfortable.”      Keith glared at the counselor and picked up his bed before making his way to the cabins. All he had to go off of was the paper his parents gave him with his cabin number and the weekly schedule of activities. He made his way into his assigned cabin and instantly face planted himself into the bed. His bag plopped on the floor and he groaned.“I didn’t know I was roomies with a whale,” someone said. Keith jumped and scrambled up to see who else was there. He sighed as he looked at the lanky teen laughing at him from across the room at his own bed.“Jesus, dude…” he mumbled and ran his fingers through his hair.“Sorry, man. I thought you saw me,” he replied. Keith shook his head and sat on the edge of his bed.“Whatever…”     Keith didn’t want to pay much attention to his new roommate. His game plan was to just go through the motions and keep to himself until he could go home. No making friends. No forming bonds with counselors. Just clockwork. He managed to stick to that plan until that evening. It wasn’t apart of the schedule to go to the campfire with everyone else, but it was very clear that they all had to. They were all thoroughly introduced beforehand, and Keith didn’t like being surrounded by other only homeschooled kids. Like, yeah let’s just shove a bunch of socially awkward kids in one camp together. That’ll go great!     It wasn’t great. It was terrible actually. The only two that seemed to act like normal human beings were his roommate and some other kid in camp. They looked like polar opposites. Lanky and skinny next to strong and plump. Soft yet sharp features compared to the other’s angular geometrical features. They got along perfectly, and it made Keith kind of envious. He was certain he’d never have a friendship like that. No matter how much he tried to convince himself he didn’t care, he did. He did and it hurt to think about.“Okay, kids! Anyone here with allergies?” The camp counselor, Coran, asked. Literally everyone raised their hands and he blinked.“Oh…uh—““My mom says peanuts will make my face blow up.”“I can have gluten. I’ll probably have a seizure.”“Fruit makes my tongue itchy.”“Sometimes water makes me through up.”“Okay, Okay! Uh…maybe no s’more tonight. Your parents definitely emailed us about that, but the caterers are the ones who worry about that,” he assured them.“Maybe you should worry about that too. Y’know. Since you were gonna handle food and potentially kill us,” said the kid next to Keith. He couldn’t help but try to stifle a laugh, but failed and made eye contact with the other kid. They giggled too and Keith looked away from their frames.“D—I, um…maybe I should,” he nodded.“I’m allergic to awkward camp counselors,” Keith’s roommate announced with a proud grin. His buddy shook his head disapprovingly despite his elbow nudging him.“Sounds like a personal problem,” Keith said a little too loudly. They made eye contact from across the fire pit, and suddenly bright blue eyes zeroed in on him and Keith felt his gut tighten.“I’m also allergic to whales,” he said with a snarky smile. Keith rolled his eyes.“Is…Keith a whale?” Coran asked.“Yeah, first thing he does when he gets in our cabin is flop down and groan like a freaking nautical giant,” he replied.“Wow, big words,” Coran nodded.“If you’re so allergic to everything, why are you even here?” Keith challenged.“Ooooo…” his friend said.“Because I want to, Keith-y boy,” he replied. “Why are you here?”“Boys, let’s not get-““My parents made me…y…you…” Keith said, the last words dying on his tongue. The campfire was silent for a moment, and then his roommate finally spoke.“Do you…not know my name?” Keith blushed.“Uh…”“We spent like an hour introducing ourselves,” he continued. Keith felt himself get sweaty.“…uh…”“Like, we all thoroughly went over that.”“I-““And you like…missed it?”“Hey, go easy on him. He’s socially awkward just like the rest of us,” the kid in the glasses spoke up. Keith glanced over at them, but otherwise tried to disappear into nothingness.“Yeah, but I share a fricken cabin with him,” he pointed out.“Well he doesn’t talk much, so maybe he’s the one with the personal problem,” his friend murmured. Keith shook his head and stood up abruptly to return to his cabin.     That night he didn’t try to interact with his cabin mate when he walked in. He definitely didn’t reply when he asked him if he was sleep, and he especially ignored him when he called him out for being awake. Instead he just laid there and waited for him to move on so he could actually go to sleep.     For the majority of the time at camp Keith more or less stuck to his plan. The only exception was the kid with the glasses. Keith learned their name was Pidge, and took comfort in their lack of a need for conversation. He never really learned his cabin mates name, and had successfully avoided him every since the first night. Which was impressive given the fact that they live and sleep in the same space. Keith could tell it irritated him because every time Keith was near him he’d glare holes into his head. Clearly he really pissed him off.     Their second to last day was burning. The heat was unbearable, and everyone was in the lake and only a couple were the cafeteria with the AC. Obviously Keith was in the cafeteria with Pidge and his room mate was out in the water. He sat with Pidge and they played tic tac toe together. After that they played chess. After that checkers. Finally go fish. As the sun was starting to set they looked out the window and Keith smiled at the fact that he would be going home the next day.“Keith, Pidge,” Coran called. “Go and fetch the other boys. It’s about to get dark.”     They didn’t argue. They didn’t fight. Instead they just bit the bullet and went down to the lake. Keith frowned at all the splashing and all the water on the dock and the grass. His frown turned to disgust when he saw how naked everyone was without a shirt. Sure they all had swim shorts, but nudity made him feel hot and nervous. So many guys in one space had him feeling suffocated. He couldn’t quite place his finger on why, but he felt like he shouldn’t be looking at them the way he wanted to.“Yo! It’s the party poopers!” His cabin mate called. Keith rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.“Coran says it’s time to come up. It’s gonna get dark outside,” Pidge told them. While most of the boys climbed out of the lake, the unnamed cabin mate stubbornly stayed in.“Why don’t you come in and make me?” He challenged. Keith shook his head and started to walk away. “C’mon coward! What, are you scared?“ he teased.“C’mon, dude,” Pidge said. Keith was tense at the idea of getting in the water with the other boy.“What? I just wanna go for a swim. Don’t tell me you can’t even swim, Keith-y boy,” he egged on.“Of course I can swim,” Keith lied crossing his arms. His cabin mate laughed.“Sounds like your overcompensating! Come here and prove it!” He taunted swimming a littler further out from the dock.“Guys,” Pidge sighed.“I don’t have to prove anything to you,” Keith sneered coming closer on the dock.“Yeah? Then I guess you’re just a loser who can’t swim,” he said with the biggest shit eating grin. Keith shook his head and glared hard.“You’re so immature,” he grumbled. He swam closer holding his hand to his ear.“What’s that? I can’t hear you over you being a frickin’ coward.”“God, do you ever shut the hell up?” Keith spat. “Keith, you can’t say that,” Pidge reminded him. Keith blushed and the immature boy laughed in the lake.“Seriously, man. Get in the lake, you buzzkill,” he urged.“Keith, lets just go,” Pidge sighed. He nodded and turned with them.“Wait! Wait!“ he called.“What?“ Keith nearly shouted. He swam to the dock and held up his hand.“I need help getting out…I had to push the last guy out and so I’m like stuck now,” he said. Keith raised a brow.“Yeah, he’s pretty stuck,” his chunky friend, Hunk, told him. Keith sighed and walked down the dock. He kneeled down at took the other boys hand.“Fine, I-“     Next thing he knew he was submerged in the lake water. He scrambled to get above the surface and gasped for air. The other boy was busy cackling as Keith clung to the post shivering. He glared at his roommate and shook his head as he laughed even harder.“I can’t believe you fell for that, man! Literally! Oh my gosh,” he chuckled. Keith said nothing as he clung to the post tighter. The other boy stopped laughing as he noticed how terrified Keith was. “Yo, you alright? It was just a joke, dude,” he said coming closer. Keith tried to move away shaking his head and trying to climb up. The wood was too slippery, and he clung to it for dear life.“Whoa, calm down. Okay?”“Sh-sh-shut up,” Keith stuttered and dug his nails into the wood.“Hey, it’s okay,” he cooed and reached for Keith’s arm. He squirmed away, but eventually had no choice but to accept the tan hand on his forearm. “Wow, you really can’t swim, huh?”“G…g-g-g-god y-you’re an asshole,” Keith stuttered some more, his teeth chattering.“Chill, man. I’m just trying to help you. You’re not gonna get out if you’re clinging on to this post,” the boy told him. Keith trembled silently before reaching out and accepting the boys hand. “I gotcha.”“Y-you got n-nothing,” Keith grumbled.“Just shut up and listen to me. I’m gonna pull you from the post, but you gotta swish your legs. Don’t just like flail them around. Just swing them like you’re walking fast,” he instructed. Keith reluctantly nodded and let his cabin mate lead him further into the open water. He kicked his legs and held on to the other boy tightly. He laughed, but this time not in a mocking way.“Yeah, you got it, buddy!” He said with a wide care-free smile.     Keith looked at him just as the sun was setting and suddenly felt light headed. His heart was pounding as a sudden and strong burst of infatuation exploded inside him. Looking at his freckles and his smile and his blue eyes and feeling his skin. Keith couldn’t recall ever feeling this way about another person. He was never into girls. He always felt like he shouldn’t talk to boys a lot, but this one…he felt himself fall in love the minute he smiled at him in the lake.“I’m Lance, by the way,” he introduced himself. “I dunno if you caught onto that, but…I thought I’d tell you face to face. Keith blinked and closed his jaw before nodding.“Yeah…that’s…uh…th-th-thank you,” He stammered still gripping his shoulders. Lance laughed again, and Keith felt nervous about how much he liked the sound.“Okay, let’s get out of here. Coran is gonna kill us.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The next year Keith was actually more adamant about going to summer camp. His parents had assumed he didn’t want to, but he made it very clear that he wanted to. He knew he would be in the same group, and he hadn’t seen Lance in a year. While he was in touch with Pidge over the phone, he hadn’t managed to snag a phone number from Lance. That summer he was successful in that mission.    That summer was probably Keith’s favorite. After spending a year struggling with how Lance made him feel and how much he missed him, seeing him was like a breath of fresh air. They weren’t cabin mates this time, but they snuck into each other’s cabins when Coran was asleep. Lance was with his friend Hunk and Keith was with Pidge this time. Neither of them were opposed to their shenanigans, and more or less participated in them as well. Their nights consisted of telling scary stories and ranting about their parents and why being homeschooled sucked. Lance announced that his parents were gonna let him go to a public high school and they all fawned over how lucky he was.
    Later that summer after he returned home, he found that he would be going to a public high school as well. What he didn’t find out until orientation day was that he was going to the same public high school as Lance. They made eye contact from across the room and Lance instantly had a giant grin plastered on his face as he walked over.

“Yo, dude! This is so crazy,” he said approaching Keith with a fist bump. Keith accepted in and chuckled a little.
“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” he replied. Lance nodded and looked around.

“It’s kinda crazy. Like, this is a lot of people,” he noted. Keith nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, it’s kind of…” he trailed off as a bunch of kids from the cafeteria laughed and shouted at each other. “…annoying.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna miss that silent studying time in my room,” Lance said.
“Well, at least we got each other, right?”

Wrong. They were really close for the first month. Then Lance was trying out for track. Keith was in band. Lance liked art class. Keith like math class. The only class they shared was the core classes and lunch. Even then, Lance was such a charismatic social butterfly, and Keith was still too nervous to approach any of his classmates. He had made a few friends, but he mostly talked to Pidge over text. It sucked because he missed talking to Lance.
“I feel like we haven’t talked in forever,” Lance said one day. Keith looked up from his math and nodded.

“Yeah, we’ve been busy with classes. We study very different things,” he murmured.
“Yeah…hey, do you wanna come to my track meet? It’s here this time. It would be really cool if you came,” Lance invited. Keith lit up at that invitation and tried not to implode. He paused for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah…yeah I’ll come. When?”
“Tomorrow after school,” Lance told him.

“Okay. I’ll be there.”
    It was raining at the track meet. As expected with the way Keith’s life was going. He still didn’t want to understand why Lance made him feel the things he felt. At first he attributed it towards not making a lot of friends, but that doesn’t make sense since he didn’t feel that way about Pidge. Then he tried to think of why he liked the way he looked and the way he smiled and the way he teased him no matter what they were doing. Before he could come to a conclusion, he forgot why he was even thinking about it and got lost in the fantasy. Going to the track meet posted a new problem.

When Lance said track meet, Keith didn’t think about the fact that he would be in track shorts. Even if he did, he didn’t know track shorts could be that short. There was such little fabric covering Lance’s lower body, that he was practically half naked. It didn’t help that he’s practically all leg, and that those shorts really emphasized those long tan limbs. Keith had to force himself not to watch them the whole time. In fact, he felt disgusted with himself that he was even looking in the first place. Surely, Lance would feel uncomfortable if he knew where Keith’s eyes were.
    What really hit the nail on the coffin was Lance’s victory. He clearly waved at Keith when he finished, and Keith felt a flood of happiness engulf him that /he/ was the first person Lance looked at and smiled at when he won. That happiness was suddenly stomped out when a girl ran up to him and flung her arms around his neck. His heart shattered as Lance engulfed her in a hug with red cheeks, and he felt absolutely broken when he realized Lance had a girlfriend. That was when everything finally made sense…and then came the emo phase.

“Are you like wearing makeup?” Keith blinked up at Lance and furrowed his brows.
“Uh Yeah? Was it not obvious?” He said pointing to his eyeliner. Lance then grabbed his hand to inspect his nails.

“And you painted your nails too? That’s kinda weird,” he replied. Keith rolled his eyes and snapped his hand away. Despite his giant gay crush, he wasn’t about to let Lance insult him.
“Maybe I like being weird. I dunno,” he said scratching the back of his neck.

“Yeah, but like…everything’s so black. You used to wear so much color. Like your orange shirt and green crocs,” he said with a nostalgic smile. Keith smirked at that too.
“Yeah, I don’t fit those anymore. I dunno. There’s not a lot of color in the men’s section and…I dunno. I’ve been feeling pretty ‘black’ recently.”

“I mean if you like it that’s fine. I’m not the boss of you,” Lance said with a smile. Keith bit his lip.
“Do you wanna hang out sometime?” He asked. Lance snorted.

“What do you mean? We study together in study hall every other day,” he pointed out.
“I know, but I mean like actually hang out. More like…outside of school? Like when we were at camp…without all the studying and shit,” he explained. Lance blinked.

“Oh…Yeah. That sounds good. I don’t have any meets this weekend. We could totally hang at my place if you don’t have any band stuff,” Lance offered. Keith nodded almost too eagerly.
“Yeah, we don’t have much this time of year. I think Sunday will be best,” he said. Lance smiled.

“Sunday it is. Do you need my address?” He asked. Keith nodded.
“Yeah, thanks.”

When Sunday came, Keith couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. It’s been a while since they’ve just hung out. They were usually either studying or talking about their respective extracurricular activities. Having time to just sit in a space that didn’t need to address those things was frankly kind of scary and he wasn’t sure why he put himself in that position. Clearly, his gay brain wasn’t properly thinking this through. Lance was clearly straight from the twelve girlfriends he’s had in the past two years they’ve been in school.
“Hey man. My mom isn’t home, and my dad is working in his office so we got the TV to ourselves,” Lance said as Keith came inside.

“Oh. That’s cool,” he said.
“My mom made cookies last night though. I told her that you’re coming over and she started gushing over summer camp again,” he told him as he lead him to the living room. Keith smiled at that.

“It feels like that was ages ago,” he replied.
“I know, right? It was so much fun though. That second year, we really raised some hell,” Lance said with a mischievous smile. Keith smiled back and watched as Lance crouched down to hold up a movie case and a gaming controller.
“Movies or games?”
“Games. Duh,” he replied moving to sit on the couch.

It all felt oddly natural and normal. His friendship with Lance seemingly to pick up exactly where it left off. He was pleased to find that despite all the girls and the school and the separation, he still Lance. The same kid he instantly fell in love with in the lake. That kid that he was so desperate to see again. The guy who he cared so much for. Lance.
“Gotcha. Smash bros?”

“What else? C’mon, hit me with the hard questions,” Keith teased.
“What’s the square root of Pi?”

“It’s transcendental because Pi can only be precise with an infinite amount of numbers and therefore-““Okay, shove it nerd. I didn’t need a real answer,” Lance said shaking his head with a smile. Keith chuckled a little as Lance joined him on the couch. “Now get ready to get your ass beat!“
    In the end, his ass did not get beat. Instead, he was doing more of the ass beating than Lance. They laughed about it, but watching Lance get a little frustrated was kind of satisfying, since he’s been making Keith’s head spin since the eight grade. He smirked as Lance went down the seventh time and he groaned.

“Bro, how did you get so fucking good?“ Lance asked. Keith laughed.
“I play smash all the time with my older brother. You get good when you have ruthless older siblings,” Keith explained. Lance sighed.

“Yeah, I mostly got little ones. Our littlest one is with mama, and the other two are having play dates with their friends from school. They’re lucky they weren’t fricken homeschooled,” Lance said. Keith nodded.
“Yeah, it definitely makes it hard for me to talk to people,” he murmured. Lance nodded.

“Yeah, it’s kinda embarrassing,” he agreed. Keith frowned.
“Really? You seem to have no problems starting conversations and talking to people,” he said. Lance shook his head.

“I can start a conversation, but it’s like, obvious, I have some social disconnect after a while. Why do you think I’ve gone through so many girlfriends? They just didn’t realize I’m actually socially awkward,” Lance said bitterly. Keith was silent for a moment as Lance messed with his hair. It was getting a little long for what he typically wears.
“Yeah, that always sucks,” he said slowly. Lance looked legitimately sad for once.

“I only broke up with like two of them. The rest were just fucking nasty,” he said. His throat sounded tight, and Keith felt an uncomfortable jab in his stomach.
“I…Jesus, that’s terrible.” The thing that hurt the most was hearing Lance sniffle and watching him wipe the starting of a tear down his face.

“Sorry, I just…Jessica broke it off on Thursday and she’s already off telling everyone I’m a fucking dork, so…I dunno. I’ve got a lot of emotions,” he murmured.
    Keith’s frown deepened and he hated seeing his friend so down. He gently rubbed his back and leaned closer. It felt a little awkward, but the fact that they understood the fact that they couldn’t help it made it bearable.

“This might sound kinda weird, but…can you like hug me?” Lance requested. Keith hesitated before nodding and moving closer on the couch.
“Yeah, of course,” he murmured.

He slipped his arm around Lance and held the other boy. Lance was the one who clung to Keith’s frame, and despite wanting to so badly, Keith knew he’d never let go if he reciprocated. At the most, he allowed himself to stroke the hair over his nape. When Lance finally pulled back, he sniffled and wiped the fat of his tears away. He let out a watery laugh and looked away to hide his puffy eyes.
“Look at that. I instantly feel better,” he said. Keith felt warm when he said that.

“Yeah?” Lance sighed and flashed him a smile.
“Yeah.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Things stayed the same for a while. Lance continued cycling through girlfriends. He still hung out with Keith when he could. Keith was still in band. They both went to prom, but not with each other, and they both started college. Community college was the best option, financially, for both of them, and outside of that, they both had different jobs. They both lived with their parents until they started at a four year and lived on campus.    The funny thing was they ended up at the same four year college. It was the closest one to town, and it was reasonably inexpensive compared to other four year colleges. Since they lived on campus, they had more opportunities to hang out with each other. Their roommates were unbothered by them constantly being together, and so they merely continued having study sessions and gaming weekends together. Even years later they still felt socially incompetent, so they sought out solace in each other’s awkwardness. It was the best Keith had felt about himself in a long time.    By this time, Keith was out. He was out and he was proud and all that fun stuff. He went to pride with Pidge who came out as non-binary, and he loved every second of it. It was funny that he was so out and loud about it, but once he was around Lance he wouldn’t bother mentioning it. He didn’t know if it was because he was shy, or if he was worried Lance would assume Keith had a giant crush on him. Which was true and he couldn’t deny that. He had spent so much time thinking about how he’d tell him and how he’d react and what he’d hope he would say. In a perfect world, Lance would just smile and give him his first kiss, but that would probably stay in his head.“Do you mind if Lance comes over while you’re out?” Keith asked his dorm mate.
“I don’t care. Just don’t have sex on my bed,” she said. Keith turned bright red.

“Um, what?“ he questioned. She put on her jacket and furrowed her brows.
“Don’t have sex with your boyfriend on my fucking bed, dude,” she said.

“L-Lance is not my boyfriend!” Keith denied. She scoffed and rolled her eyes as she put her bracelets on.“I don’t mean to be rude, dude, but that guy is so into you. If he’s not your boyfriend he definitely wants to be,” she told him. Keith blushed deeper and shook his head.
“We’re just close, okay? We went to summer camp together in middle school. Plus, he’s super straight, so whatever,” he said.

“I totally saw him making out with a dude at Kelly’s party last week,” she deadpanned.“That’s just how he gets when he’s drunk. He totally blacked out last weekend. He’s still recovering.” She sighed.
“Whatever. If you don’t see it that’s not my problem. I’ll see you at three am,” she replied.

“Try and bring me a bear, will ya?” He requested. She chuckled.
“You got it,” she said as she opened the door. “You’re boyfriend is here,” she announced as she walked out. Keith rolled his eyes and closed his comic book as Lance walked in.

“I see Thalia is still Thalia,” he said and plopped down on the other end of Keith’s bed. Keith laughed and sat up.
“Yeah, she’s too much sometimes.”

“Oh yeah. I thought I was the only one.” Lance shook his head and laid down propping up his head.
“Nah. How was your week?” He asked.

“It was okay. I started studying for midterms, but I’m so fricken tired from staying up so late,” he sighed letting himself fall on his pillow.
“Why were you up so late?” Lance asked despite know the answer. Keith was silent for a moment.

“…because I was studying,” he admitted.
“I think it’s okay for you to take a fucking break dude,” he replied.

“Maybe…”
“Also, midterms are like a little less than a month away. You’re doing that thing where you over study because you’re bored.”

“Ugh…why do you know me so well?” He groaned. Lance laughed and played with the hem of Keith’s pants. He bit his lip and let his eyes travel up his legs and settled on his face. His eyes still closed and his chest rising and falling with his even breaths.
“You’re just so predictable,” he decided. Keith chuckled.

“Sure. What about you? How was your week?” He asked. Lance hummed and looked back to his finger as he ran it up the seam of Keith’s jeans.
“Terri from my writing class asked me out on Tuesday,” he said quietly.

“And?”
“I dunno. She’s pretty and all, but…”

“But?”
“I’m kind of in a funk at the moment. Like…I’ve hooked up a couple times, but not recently. I think the last time I had a girlfriend was freshman year. I’m kinda tired of meeting girls only for them to pump and dump,” he said. Keith sighed and nodded.

It was no secret that Lance wasn’t a virgin anymore. With his looks and his charming first impression, it was no surprise. Keith, on the other hand, was still trying to get over his giant fucking gay ass crush on Lance before he even thought about being with another man. He still couldn’t help but shiver whenever he had skin to skin contact with Lance, so he just avoided it. Everyday, he hoped and he hoped he could finally fight that feeling whenever Lance even looked in his direction. It was like Keith was on fire and Lance was constantly kindling him even when the flames were low.    In a sense, Keith was kind of saving himself for Lance. He has turned down a few boys and several girls, and he still hadn’t even had his first kiss. After all that time, he couldn’t help but feel a little pathetic, but it’s what he had to do to feel morally okay. The idea of liking someone more than he liked Lance was unfathomable. He didn’t like the idea of only offering a part of himself and then inevitably skip out on them. If he was willing to leave them for Lance, then he didn’t feel right doing that to someone.
“Yeah, that really sucks. I’m honestly really annoyed for you. Like is it so impossible to actually get to know someone before you fuck and then fuck off?” Keith agreed. Lance sighed and touched down further on Keith’s jeans.

“Yeah…what about you? Have you set sail yet in the dating world?” Lance teased with a smile. Keith smiled staring at his ceiling.
“No…I’m just waiting for the right one,” he murmured. Lance laughed.

“Sounds like a fairytale…or a Hallmark movie.”
“As cheesy Hallmark movies are…you gotta admit it would be nice to meet the love of your life in a gingerbread competition,” he replied. Lance laughed and patted his shin.

“You’re right. I can’t argue there.”
“Exactly.”

“So when and how do you think you’re gonna meet the love of your life?” Lance questioned. Keith took in a deep breath as he thought. He let it out with a sigh and crossed his arms over his stomach.“I dunno…” he paused. “Maybe…maybe I’ve already met him. Maybe he’s just as lost as I am,” he murmured. Lance briefly slowed his fingers before stopping completely.
“He?”

“…I mean…I have a fucking gay pride flag on my wall,” he pointed out trying to mask his embarrassment. Lance looked back at the rainbow flag above Keith’s bed.“Oh…I guess that would be pretty obvious,” he said. Keith chuckled and rubbed his eyes with the butts of his palms. “Why didn’t you mention it earlier though?”
“I dunno…if it’s not relevant then I feel no need to mention it.” Lance thought for a moment.

“I guess that makes sense…but still, I’m like your best friend and best friends tell each other everything,” he pointed out. Keith squirmed and ran his fingers through his hair.
“I dunno. I just didn’t wanna mention it.”

“Do you feel like you can’t tell me anything?” He asked. Keith didn’t answer for a while.
“…anything is a lot, Lance,” he said.

“…is that a no?” Lance asked. Keith sighed.
“I dunno about anything and everything, but I can tell you more and talk with you more and trust you more than literally anyone else.”

“‘I mean, same.”
“Surely there’s something you wouldn’t tell me about,” he said. Lance thought for a moment before sighing in defeat.

“I guess so…”    Let’s start from the beginning. Lance begged and begged his parents to let him go to summer camp. He was so tired of being locked up with his siblings and his parents. His only friend was Hunk, and he met him through his mother’s best friend. They clicked instantly and Lance loved having his own best friend (as well as someone his age to hang out with). Once he got a taste of friendship and social interaction he craved more. When his parents finally gave him the Okay he was ecstatic. He was certain this would be a life changing experience, and he was right.    The moment his roommate walked in he was enamored by him. His pale skin, his shaggy black hair, his bright orange shirt paired with his cargo shorts, even the way he flopped over on the bed. It made Lance’s heart race, and he had no idea why. So he conflated his desire for the other boy with friendship. Unfortunately, Keith didn’t seem as excited to make new friends as Lance. The entire time he avoided Lance after their little argument at the campfire, and Lance hated it. He decided that he should avoid Keith too, but he really didn’t want to. He wanted to talk to him, play with him, tell him all about his family, hear him talk about his life, hold his hand, play with his hair, fall asleep with him under the stars.    They ended up doing all of that and more during the second summer. Keith was all Lance could think of for that entire year. When his parents asked him if he wanted to go again his instant response was “yes yes yes! Oh please yes!”. And so he instantly greeted Keith with a hug when they arrived.    He felt a little bad about not spending enough time with Hunk, but he seemed to be okay with hanging out with their new friend Pidge so he didn’t feel too bad. They always snuck into each other’s cabins to play around and tell ghost stories. Coran only caught them once, and they continued to do it despite his warnings. They were all too busy loving each other’s company and having fun making new friends for the first time in their lives. It was thrilling just to be around so many people who weren’t family. Lance loved it.
    Lance also loved Keith. He told him one day as they sat outside looking up at the stars. When the other boy returned his feelings, Lance felt himself smile wide. They laid in the grass together pointing out different constellations and inches closer and closer to each other. Their fingers brushing against each other as they giggled together.

“I’m really glad I came to summer camp,” Keith said.
“Yeah?” Lance asked with his head turned to look at Keith.

“Yeah…I didn’t want to at first because I hate camping, but…” he let his fingers slip between Lance’s. “I’m really glad I met you.”
“I’m glad I met you too,” Lance said smiling.

Keith turned his head and they were suddenly so close. Lance could feel their breath mingling, and felt his muscle tense. He didn’t know why, but the moment he realized how much he wanted to kiss Keith, he flung back and put as much distance between their lips as he could. His face was bright red as Keith furrowed his brows.
“You okay?” He asked.

“Y-Yeah, um…we should probably get back to bed,” he suggested. Keith nodded and then they walked back to their respective cabins.    That started Lance’s long journey of absolute denial. Instead of facing his feelings for his best friend, he decided to fling himself in the other direction. He blindly took his first opportunity to get a girlfriend, and kept going on from girl to girl. All he wanted was to find someone to distract himself from the way he felt about Keith, but every time they either left him or he couldn’t take it. He tried to busy himself with sports and school, but he always found time to just study and be in the library with him. Lance couldn’t just cut him off. He was his support system and his best friend. Keith was always there for Lance if he needed a shoulder to cry on.    If high school was torture, then college was hell. Ever since he lost his virginity to some girl from the cheerleading team in senior year, he had a bad habit of having one night stands to try and get rid of his desire to just tell Keith how he really feels. Whenever he got drunk enough he made out with guys, but he always pretended to black out incase Keith thought he was gay. For all Lance knew, Keith was straight and would be uncomfortable with Lance’s feelings. After all, Lance was the one to initiate any kind of touching, and even if it was reciprocated Keith was very visually uncomfortable. He hated it.    Day after day, he dreamed of just giving in and kissing him. He wondered how his lips would feel knowing he’s never kissed anyone before. He imagined how responsive he’d be since he’s never slept with anybody. He hoped he would like it as much as Lance would like it. Surely he was way in over his head. Surely Keith felt nothing near what Lance felt for him. How could that be possible? At that point Lance was convinced he didn’t deserve to be loved.“Either way, what’s important is that we’re here for each other,” Keith said interrupting Lance from his thought. Lance blinked up at him and smirked before trailing down to his ankle. He twitched when Lance’s fingertips brushed against his skin.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he said.

“Lance, don’t even think about it,” Keith warned pulling his leg away, but Lance was too quick. “Lance!” He shrieked as fingers feathered against the bottom of his foot. Lance laughed and crawled further to attack his belly and Keith rolled around laughing trying to fight him off.
“La-AH! St-stop!” He giggled with a giant grin.

“Tell me all your deepest darkest secrets now! Resistance is futile!” He joked moved his fingers to Keith’s sides. Keith jerked his chest up and continued to writhe, trapped by Lance’s legs.“God! Y-you’re a fu-ah-cking a-asshole!” He laughed harder. Lance eventually stopped and Keith had to catch his breath. When he finally felt settled he looked up at Lance with a tired smile. He touched Lance’s knee and shook his head.
“You’re an ass,” he said. Lance smirked.

“Yet you still hang out with me,” he replied. 
    It was hard not to notice how sexy Keith looked bending his body that way. Lance had to fight off the warmth pooling in his stomach, but found himself failing, looking down at his tired smile with his eyes closed in bliss. Like Lance was the reason he was so happy. Curse his libido…

“Yeah…I guess I still do,” he murmured.
“You good, dude?” Lance asked.

“‘M just tired. It was a long week,” Keith said sighing. He still had his hand on Lance’s knee, and the contact was driving him mad.
“Should I let you sleep?” Lance asked. Keith hummed.

“I mean, if you wanna watch me sleep that’s whatever,” he joked. Lance laughed and got up despite just wanting to get closer.
“Dunno, it’s not really on my list of things to watch,” he said.

“Aw, you’re breaking my heart,” Keith fake pouted. Lance chuckled and started to make his way to the door. He paused at the knob and looked back.“You’re gonna find the right one, Keith. I’m certain,” Lance said. Keith pushed himself up and furrowed his brows.
“What makes you so sure?” He asked. Lance shrugged.

“I’m just certain.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The time finally came where they graduated from college and they needed to actually be independent. At first, they didn’t plan on living together, but after looking and looking for a good roommate they finally decided to stick with each other. If it ain’t broke, then why fix it? They knew they could get along, and living together wouldn’t be easy but they could at least learn to do it. The first month was kind of really great. Lance cooked a lot, Keith’s cleaned a lot. It was a mutual agreement that they would do that and then watch movies together until early in the morning.     They got even closer and closer, but any time they were close to being more affectionate, Lance would jump away. His insecurities bleeding through whenever he had to pull away, and only confirming Keith’s believe that he was straight. That was probably the most annoying thing. It wasn’t that Lance was taking girls home because he just wasn’t. What was so annoying was the almost no-homo behavior and overly compensating comments about the girls on TV. It made Keith irritable, and he was less likely to stay up late just to hear Lance go on and on about the girls on TV and then joke about how Keith wouldn’t understand because he’s gay. There was something about listening to your life long crush talking about how he’d never be attracted to your gender that didn’t sound appealing.    The second month was a little tense. Lance noticed that Keith would often leave in the middle of movie nights and say he was tired from work. After a while, movie night kinda fell apart and Keith was more hung up at his job. Lance had his own job to focus on, so he decided to throw himself in his work too. He didn’t know what he did to make Keith spend less time with him, but he hated not spending time with him. Some days,  they didn’t even talk, and those days made Lance’s heart ache. He got tired of waking up and sitting in silence as Keith ate his cereal. He hated that they didn’t talk about their days anymore. He was completely crushed when he realized Keith was upset with him.    By the third month, Lance was done. He missed his friend and decided to make Keith’s favorite food while he was working late. He had the movies all set out and everything. He cleaned up so Keith wouldn’t have to, and just as he was serving up the food Keith walked in. He froze as he saw Lance with a sheepish smile offering a plate to him.“I dunno what’s up, but…wanna hangout? Like actually hangout?” He asked, mirroring Keith’s words from high school. Keith couldn’t help but smile a little and took off his jacket.“You might be the cheesiest person I’ve ever met,” Keith said.“Well, now I’m extra cheesy because I made lasagna,” Lance joked. Keith chuckled and took the plate.“You’re just the worst, aren’t you?” He teased. Lance laughed and served his own plate, happy that they could get back into the swing of things.“You know it. Wanna watch some movies tonight?” He asked as he handed Keith a fork. The other man bit his lip and sighed as he took the fork.“I dunno Lance…I stopped watching them with you because it just started getting annoying,” he confessed. Lance frowned.“Annoying? What do you mean?” Keith took his first bite and rushed to swallow so he could talk.“Oh I dunno. Maybe the constant ‘oh look at that girl with the giant tits. I’d totally fuck her,’ and shit like that,” he sassed. Lance felt his face turn red. He had a point.“Sorry, man. I didn’t realize that bothered you.”“It’s not just that it bothers me, but it doesn’t feel like you. Like you sound like you’re overcompensating for something. Something that you can talk to me about instead of making stupid comments,” Keith pointed out. Lance put his plate down and leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. He shrugged.“I dunno…I guess I’m…” he trailed off and sighed looking away. “I think I’m bisexual,” he announced. Keith blinked and set his plate down to touch Lance’s shoulder.“Hey, dude, it’s okay,” Keith assured him. Lance couldn’t look at him. If he did he was scared of what he’d do. “I didn’t wanna think I was gay for a long ass time. Hell, I’ve been out for years, but I still don’t talk about it. It’s okay to feel scared,” he assured him. Lance sighed and furrowed his brows. He felt his lips quiver and covered them. “It’s okay…” Keith cooed and rubbed his back. Lance snapped and hugged him tightly. Keith accepted his arms and hugged him back. His mind racing back to high school and then back.“I’m so sorry,” Lance whimpered.“Why are you sorry?” Keith asked giggling a little. Lance shook his head and reached up to dig his fingers into Keith’s midnight hair.“I just…I-I…”“Why don’t we watch some movies, okay?” Keith suggested. Lance paused before nodding.“Okay…” he said pulling back and looking down. Keith smiled and grabbed their plates.“C’mon.”    Keith held Lance for as long as he needed to be. Resting their heads atop each other and running his fingers through short brown hair. Lance seemed to only hold him tighter, and Keith couldn’t help but love every second of it. They eventually fell asleep on the couch, and woke up smiling and laughing about the whole thing. Keith cleaned up the dinner from the previous night, and Lance cooked them bacon and eggs. Lance watched as Keith put the lasagne into lunch containers and smiled.“I’m glad you’re my best friend,” Lance said. Keith chuckled and looked up to meet his eyes.“I’m glad you’re my best friend too.”    Things really only got worse from there. Between them their friendship was great, but both of them suffered from major inner turmoil. The constant longing for more from each other mixed with their daring efforts to ease into more and more affection was hard to balance. At first, Lance still had a knee jerk reaction whenever Keith tried to initiate it, but eventually settled into it. Their timid but oh so desperate attempt to keep the line between friendship and love clear went well, but they couldn’t help but blur it every once in a while.    Every once in a while, they fell asleep next to each other on the couch, but the next day they’d make themselves sparse from each other. They’d laugh and have a wonderful breakfast together, but hang out with other friends in the evening. They had to put that distance from each other so not to risk giving into the endless want to just be close. It was tragic, but it seemed to work for three or so months. They had been living together for half a year, and they still hadn’t addressed the elephant in the room. Except, it wasn’t as obvious to each other as it was to themselves.“How’s living with Lance so far?” Pidge asked Keith one day. He sipped his coffee and shrugged.“It’s alright,” he murmured.“Has your giant gay crush on him brought up any problems yet?” Keith rolled his eyes.“I told you about that like a week ago,” he reminded them.“Still. You’ve had a crush on him since summer camp, yeah?”“End of summer camp…”“Still. You’ve liked him for a long ass time.”“Yeah, whatever. I shouldn’t have told you,” Keith grumbled.“Are you ever gonna tell him? “ they questioned. Keith shook his head.“Nope.”“Why not?”“Because he obviously doesn’t feel the same,” Keith replied.“How do you know that?”“It would just be too good to be true if he did. I was lucky enough to get a great friend. I highly doubt he thinks of me as anything else,” Keith explained. Pidge shook their head.“God, you’re an idiot.”    Time seemed to fly by. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Months turned into their first entire year of living together. It felt kinda special, so Keith bought a bottle of wine on his way home. They had spent the whole year growing closer and teetering closer and closer over the line. Nothing was ever final or sealed or anything like that. They never kissed, didn’t cuddle much, stayed separated until they couldn’t bear it. It amused Keith when he realized they could barely spend more that eight hours apart. If they did, they just compensated by staying up late talking about random shit. The smallest things filling Keith’s stomach with butterflies.    It was weird being home first. Not only did Keith get off early, but Lance texted saying he was going to be in the office late. He set down the merlot and looked through the kitchen. Keith wasn’t known for his cooking skills, but he knew how to boil pasta and fry up some chicken. The ingredients were there, and there was Alfredo sauce so it wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Just as he was dumping the cooked pasta into the strainer, he heard the door open and smiled at his roommate.“Hey, dude,” Keith greeted and put the now dry noodles back in the pot. Lance blinked as Keith tended to the chicken.“Are you like actually cooking?” He asked, taking off his coat. Keith nodded and took the Alfredo sauce from the microwave.“Yup. I didn’t cook any vegetables because I forgot and now I can’t be bothered,” Keith explained as he pulled down their plates. He piled on some noodles and placed a few slices of chicken on top.“Damn. What’s this wine for?” Lance asked picking up the merlot.“It’s for us,” Keith said handing him his plate. “Happy room-iversary.” Lance grinned at that and accepted his plate.“Oh yeah. It has been a year, hasn’t it?” he murmured. Keith nodded and handed him a fork.“Be honest. How bad is it?” He asked while serving himself. Lance took a bite and shook his head smiling.“It’s great. Don’t put yourself down,” He told him. They laughed together and then opened the bottle of wine.    The last time Lance got drunk was in college. It was the first time he actually legitimately blacked out, and he had woken up next to a random guy he had never seen before. It was pretty obvious he finally slept with a guy, but he had no memory of it. That experience was so frightening and worrisome it caused Lance to never want to get drunk again. Sure, he’d have a couple beers and drink occasionally with friends and co-workers, but he didn’t get anymore than tipsy. Unfortunately, that night he would be breaking that streak.    It started out innocent. They raced their first glass, which was never smart, and for their second glass they were so blitzed that they poured way more than they needed. By the third glass, they were giggling at the movie they were watching and eventually reduced themselves to just drinking out the bottle.“Is it safe to drink half a bottle of wine?” Lance slurred as Keith took a jug. Keith hiccuped and then laughed a little.“Pretty sure it’s fine, dude,” he murmured and tilted his head back against the couch. Lance smiled and let his eyes move down Keith’s throat. He took the last swig before setting it down on their coffee table.“Heh-heh…we’re basically swapping spit right now,” Lance giggled. Keith turned his head to look at Lance and furrowed his brows with a drunken smile.“Ew. Why would you put it like that?” He sighed and shook his head. Lance laughed and leaned closer on the couch.“Dunno…sounded funny.”“You’re funny,” Keith said, slapping his hand on Lance’s face. Lance merely laughed some more and took the others hand.“You’re funny,” he replied. Keith shook his head harder.“No…no, you’re definitely the funny one,” Keith insisted, shooting his pointer finger into Lance’s shoulder. Lance wheezed and leaned his elbow on the couch looking at Keith’s skin. Keith looked at him and didn’t miss how Lance bit his lip. His hand still holding Keith’s.“Then you’re the pretty one,” he said. Keith cracked a smile.“The what?”“The pretty one. Y’know. There’s always a funny one and a pretty one,” Lance explained, blinking slow. Keith hiccuped again and burped, shaking his head once more.“Nah…you’re both. Pretty and funny,” he said, returning his head to its previous position on the couch. Lance chuckled and moved closer.“You think I’m pretty?” He asked in a familiar tone. That was the same tone Keith had heard again and again when Lance was flirting with someone. Keith rolled his eyes.“I mean, it doesn’t take a fricken genius to see it,” Keith replied turning his head back. He was surprised to see Lance so close. The other man peeled himself off the couch, but was still much too close for Keith.“Same for you. I mean…” he moved even closer and trailed his hand over the inside of Keith’s thigh. “…it didn’t take me long to see it.”“See what?” Keith asked. He felt strangely calm despite his life long crush explicitly coming onto him. Lance bit his lip again as he smiled.“You…everything…’t’s just…beautiful,” he hummed and rubbed closer towards Keith’s knee. Keith snorted.“Beautiful…” he mumbled. Lance nodded.“Yeah,” He murmured and then moved even closer. “You still doing that waiting thing?”“Huh?”“Like…waiting for the right person or whatever…virginity,” he said without much thought. Keith laughed.“Oh yeah. Yeah I’m still a virgin and I still have never been kissed,” Keith answered. Lance smiled. Despite wanting the best for him, Lance was happy Keith hadn’t done anything yet. He giggled.“Has Mr. Right come yet, or are you still waiting around?” Lance asked. Keith shrugged.“Hard to say. I’m just…” he waved his hand around. “…living life,” he sighed. Lance giggled and leaned in. Keith grew red when he realized how little distance there was between them.“I know you’re waiting for someone, but I’ve always kinda thought it was cool.”“Yeah?”“Yeah, like…it kinda made me wanna kiss you,” Lance said with a sloppy drunk grin. Keith found himself sobering up at Lance’s drunken words. He was silent in response. “I know it’s kinda shitty, but…” he brought his lips to Keith’s ear and whispered. “Yo quiero ser tu primero.”    With that Lance was suddenly kissing Keith’s check and down his jaw to his neck. Keith stayed tense and still as Lance continued obliviously. He was shaking while Lance continued and dug his fingers into Keith’s thigh. Eventually, Keith took a breath in and started to distance himself.“Lance, stop,” Keith said firmly. Lance giggled and rested his head on Keith’s shoulder. “Heh-heh-heh…I’m so stupid,” he murmured. Keith frowned and pushed himself up to grab their wine glasses. Lance blinked up at him as he left and frown.“Keith…”“Just…stop,” Keith said, rinsing out the glass and leaving it in the sink. He went back to get the bottle, but Lance weakly grabbed his arm to stay.“Keith, please, I’m so sorry,” he begged. Keith shook his head and let Lance try to pull him closer.“You’re a real piece of work, Lance, I’m not one of your fuck buddies,” he spat. Lance’s eyes welled up and he shook his head.“N-no! Th-tha-that’s not w-what I was…”“This is really shitty of you, okay? I hope you know that. I’m not a guy you can make out with just because you’re fucking drunk,” he went on.“Keith…I…no…”“It really hurts because, here I thought I fucking mattered to you,” Keith’s words were like venom and Lance sobbed and held Keith’s hand to his forehead begging him to stay.“‘M so sorry…so sorry…god, I’m such a fucking coward,” he cried.“Glad you finally realized it,” Keith said bitterly, trying to pull away. Lance scrambled to grab more up his arm.“No! Don’t go! I’m sorry. I-I’m so sorry! Please, I just…” Lance blinked more tears down his face, and Keith merely stood there, glaring at him. “I love you…” he confessed and clung to Keith’s arm.“I’m not sure if you do anymore-““No, I just…I’ve been in love with you so long it’s killing me,” he whimpered. Keith felt his glare soften.“I…what?”“I like you,” Lance blubbered. “I like you, I love you, I’ve only wanted you a-a-and I’ve been such an idiot,” he went on. Keith blinked hard before sighing.“Lance, I swear to god-““Keith, I’m being serious,” Lance swore, staring up at him with tired, watery eyes. Keith felt tense.“I…god, Lance,” he groaned and shook his head.“I’m sorry…I-I shouldn’t have…fuck…” he pressed his forehead against Keith’s arm, and was shaking as he sobbed.    After a moment, Keith crouched down and let Lance hug him tightly. He sobbed into his shoulder and Keith found himself once again comforting the man he loved so deeply. He couldn’t help but blink a few tears himself and dig his fingers into Lance’s shirt. They eventually passed out on the couch again. It was so repetitive that they almost didn’t even need to think twice about it. Keith held Lance close to his chest and possessively ran his fingers through the other’s hair. He drifted off to sleep with the scent of Lance’s shampoo.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Keith woke up that next morning exactly how he fell asleep. Lance’s arms tight around his ribs, and his fingers in short brown hair. He sighed and reluctantly pried off the other man’s arms so he could get up and get the coffee going. Lance was, predictably, hard to pull away from, but in the end, he was successful. He wadded into the kitchen and got out the filters and the grounds. As he started the pot he grabbed a couple mugs and got the milk out. When he finished up their coffees, he heard a thud followed by Lance groaning and couldn’t help but chuckle. He walked back to the couch and looked at the other man on the ground.
“Good morning,” he greeted. Lance groaned again and pushed himself.

“I dunno how good it is,” he sighed and pulled himself into the couch again. Keith handed him his coffee and sat down next to him. Lance took a big gulp and wiped his mouth.“I’m a real asshole,” he sighed and took another drink. Keith sipped his own cup and nodded in agreement.
“Yeah. You’re kinda up there in the asshole level,” Keith said. Lance rubbed his eye with his free hand.

“I’m so fucking sorry…” he grumbled and shook his head to express his disappointment in himself.
“I dunno what was worse. The kissing or the sob story about being in love with me,” Keith muttered, almost bitterly. Lance was silent for a moment before setting his mug down.

“It’s not a sob story…I’m…it was just bad timing. I didn’t know if I would ever tell you anyways,” Lance admitted. Keith furrowed his brows.
“C’mon, there’s no way…are you seriously trying to tell me you’re in love with me now?” Keith was having troubles staying calm about this.

“Now? Dude, I’ve always felt this way about you,” Lance said, looking at him for the first time since last night. Keith was bright red.
“I…w-what?”

“Every since I met you I’ve been like crazy about you,” he confessed. Keith shook his head in denial.
“No way. Are you serious?” he asked, putting his own mug down. Lance nodded.

“Yeah, I’ve literally liked you since we were in middle school,” Lance told him. Keith was gaping at him, blushing deeper. “Uh…sorry…”
“No! No sorry! I just…” he trailed off and took a deep breath in and out. “You really like me?” Lance nodded.

“Yeah.”
“Like…do you mean like in a romantic…dating…couple shit way or like a friendship and cuddle type of way?” He asked. Lance couldn’t help but laugh.

“What kind of a question is that?” Keith gave him an annoyed look.
“Humor me.” Lance sighed.

“I mean, obviously both, but like…in a forever type of way.” Keith let out a shaky breath. “Is that…bad? Do you not…?”
“No, I…I’m just…I’ve just liked you for so long…I thought you were straight and I just…” he swallowed nervously. “…I never thought…you’d actually like me back.” Lance laughed sheepishly.

“Yeah, I went through a lot of denial and overcompensating. I grew out of it eventually, but…I couldn’t deny how I felt about you through it all.”
“Oh…” Keith felt himself get hot. “I…okay…”

“Sorry if I…messed something up.”
“No, I just…” Keith felt his heart race as he clutched the couch. “We both like each other…and we live together…and we…w-we like each other…” Keith smiled at that. Lance smiled with him.

“Yeah…we like each other,” Lance murmured.
“So…now what?” He asked. Lance shrugged.

“I dunno. I didn’t think we’d get this far,” Lance replied. Keith laughed and shook his head.
“Neither did I.”

Lance bit his lip before leaning over and guiding Keith’s face towards his. Keith went along with him and felt nervous at the reality that his first kiss was in fact about to happen. He clenched the couch as he felt Lance’s lips brush against his own, and then relaxed as Lance pressed closer and finally kissed him. Keith hummed in delight and Lance quickly indulged in a second one. The third one was lead by Keith, and it sent shivers up Lance’s spine. It inevitably ended and Keith couldn’t hide his gritty grin. Lance pressed his forehead against Keith’s and smiled in bliss.
“How was that for a first kiss?” Lance asked. Keith giggled.

“Better than if you were drunk,” he murmured and traced his thumb over Lance’s jaw. Lance loved it. He’s never been touched like that before.
“I agree, and you’re pretty good. Are you sure I was the first?” He asked leaning closer. Keith took that opportunity to slip his hand around Lance’s waist and pull him a little closer.

“I promise,” he cooed and brushed his lips against Lance’s.
“Guess I’ll have to take your word,” Lance whispered. Keith chuckled softly before pressing another kiss against his lips.

“Guess so…”
    Everything was slow at first. It took Keith a while just to remember that they were in fact together, and even then they easily got shy when it came to showing affection. Their dinners consisted of soft touches and red cheeks. If they felt so daring, they’d share a couple kisses before going off to bed. It took them a month until they finally decided to just share a bed together. Even then, everything was cautious and reserved. It had just been a month later and the most they’ve done was still kissing.

For Lance, the whole thing was just so new to him. Sure he’s kissed people before, and sure he’s dated people before, but he was never in love with anyone else and he hadn’t managed to keep someone of so long. He couldn’t help but feel a little anxious in the month since that was usually when his relationships would end. A part of him scoffed at his fears. He’s had Keith in his life for so long, there was no way he’d leave him like that. Besides, Keith said he loved him back just as long. It was very unlikely Keith would skip out on him. They were in the middle of their lease! Still, another part of him couldn’t help but notice the patterns and fear the outcomes. He couldn’t help but still be reserved for a different reason than chastity.
    For Keith, he had never been so physical with another human being. The closest was his older brother, but Shiro only tackled him and ruffled his hair. Lance was entirely different in every single way. He was so warm and comforting and everything Keith had dreamed of. His mind couldn’t think of what else could come because he was so thrilled to just kiss him and hold his hand. What else could he want? What else could he ask for? He had everything he had ever wanted and it felt so good.

“Y’know there’s a show we’re watching,” Lance said. Keith hummed and resumed nuzzling into his neck.“Yeah, it’s great,” he said as he reached up to run his thumb against Lance’s jaw. The tan man eased himself into the affection. At first, he had resisted like he always did, but the more Keith touched him the more he realized how much he was starving for it.
“You’re not doing much watching,” Lance pointed out with a smirk.

“Of course I am,” Keith replied and pressed a kiss against Lance’s pulse. He chuckled nervously, but allowed the other man to trail kisses up and over his face.
“Keith, my god—“ he cut himself off with a giggle as Keith cupped the side of his cheek to hold him still as he pecked his face. “You spoil me,” Lance sighed and held Keith closer and adjusting their blanket.

“You say that like I’m doing this for you,” Keith murmured and kissed his cheek. Lance turned his head and let Keith kiss him on the lips. It lingered and Lance loved the feeling of Keith’s fingers through his hair.“I guess you are kinda clingy,” Lance whispered as their kiss ended. Keith smiled and leaned in for another.
“We have a lot of years to make up. Must I remind you, we literally could’ve been doing this for years,” he pointed out as he rested his forehead against Lance’s. He smiled.

“You really liked me that long?” Lance asked.
“I’ve loved you that long. I remember I fell in love with you after you taught me how to swim…the sunset was perfect…you were perfect,” he finished his sentence with a kiss. Lance followed as he pulled back, and cupped his face to bring him back.

“Loved you the moment I saw you,” Lance sighed between kisses. Keith was breathless as Lance kissed him more and more. Eventually, he gently came to a stop and Keith nuzzled back into the crook of his neck.
“I love you,” Keith murmured. Lance ran his fingers through Keith’s hair.

“I love you too,” he hummed.
    Days were easier like this. Knowing that Lance could come home to Keith’s warm affections after a long day made that day not so long. Feeling his kisses and hearing his laugh made all his frustrations melt and dissolve in the sweetness like ice cream. Holding him tightly as they shared eager yet timid kisses as his heartbeat fast against his. It was absolute bliss. At times he felt like he was in a dream and he would wake up the next day and have to face that drunken night all over again just to get rejected. He was always struck with grief whenever he imagined that.

The sad part about it was that Lance was so not used to the attention. Keith was always there. Kissing him, holding him, laughing with him, flirting with him, wiggling further and further inside his heart. He loved being loved, and he loved that Keith was the one who loved him. He swore it was all too good to be true. The one thing he wanted besides Keith was a sense and a feeling that he was wanted instead of temporary.
“Hey,” Keith greeted sliding his hands down Lance’s shirt from behind. Lance smiled at his love’s touch, but remained focused on his paperwork.

“Hey,” he replied while going through the pages again.
“Y’know, we’ve been together for two months now,” he hummed and kissed the side of his face. Lance chuckled.

“I’m pretty sure we’ve been together since we were in middle school,” he said.
“Not officially, and definitely not like this,” Keith replied running his nose up Lance’s face to press a kiss to his cheek. Lance grinned and gently squeezed Keith’s wrist that was around his neck.

“I suppose you’re right, but I need to finish this for tomorrow,” Lance told him. Keith huffed and held the hand on his wrist.
“I’m not stopping you,” he said. Lance smiled again and turned his head to give Keith a kiss.

“But you’re distracting me,” he replied. Keith smiled back and shook his head.
“I suppose you’re right,” he said before stealing another kiss. Lance allowed him too before ending it.

“I need to work.” Keith sighed.
“Don’t stay up too late, Okay?” He said and touched Lance’s chin. The other tilted his head up for Keith and he felt a rush through his body.

“I’ll be in bed before you know it,” he promised. Keith smirked.
“I’m gonna take a shower then,” he said and turned to walk to their bathroom.

That next day, they woke up to Lance’s alarm and Keith helped him out of bed. They got ready for work, ate breakfast, and left their apartment together. When Lance arrived to the office he was happy that he finished his work last night. The load that day was less intimidating with one less stack. His boss looked through what he did last night and smiled. He congratulated him on it, and then dismissed him to his cubicle. Lance did as he was told and then met up with Hunk when his lunch break came around.
“Hey, buddy,” Hunk greeted with a giant bear hug. Lance laughed and hugged him back.

“Hey, dude. How ya doin’?” He asked. They sat down and Hunk let out a breath.
“Pretty good. We’re working on a big project at work, so I’m kinda up in my brain so I need some brain food,” he said. Lance chuckled and picked up the menu.

“I’m right there with you, buddy,” he agreed.
“How ‘bout you? How’s life with your new boo?” Hunk said with a smile. Lance rolled his eyes.

“It’s great,” he replied vaguely. He knew if he got into it he’d definitely blush all the way up to his ears.“Just ‘great’? C’mon dude, you’ve liked Keith since fricken middle school. It’s gotta feel better than just ‘great’,” he said crossing his arms. Lance sighed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
“Hunk, I’m gonna get all mushy if I talk about this. I’m like sleep deprived and he’s the love of my life,” he groaned. Hunk grinned.

“That’s why I wanna know! Let out all the mush, I really wanna hear. Keith doesn’t tell me anything because he’s Keith, and Pidge doesn’t hear much either. C’mon, what’s up?” Hunk told him. Lance let out a long and heavy breath before putting down his hands.“Fine, fine, okay…” he nodded. “It’s a little bit more than great,” he confessed.
“Oh my god, Lance, please.”

“I wasn’t finished yet! Calm down,” Lance laughed. Hunk sighed impatiently. “I mean, I dunno. It’s really great, and it’s really nice that we live together already. Just…always coming home to him and spending my free time with him in a way we’ve never done before is just…so wonderful. I-I really love him, and…it almost feels like a dream because this all is way too good to be true,” he rambled.
“Aw, Lance. That’s really cute, I’m so happy for you,” Hunk said. Lance nodded.

“Thanks. Everything is perfect, like I couldn’t even ask for more because it’s all I’ve ever wanted, right?”
“I’m sensing a ‘but’.”

“…but we haven’t had sex yet,” Lance admitted. Hunk blinked.
“I…oh…oh, okay. How long have you guys been official?” He asked.

“Two months. I mean, it’s not long, but the last time I got laid was in college. I’m not itching to be back in that stupid cycle of getting a girlfriend, having sex, and then having to endure her breaking up with me the next week once she got enough dick for the month,” he said. Hunk nodded.“Right, and Keith’s still a virgin, right?” Lance nodded. “He’s probably not even thinking about sexual frustration.”“Honestly, yeah. He’s so nice to be around and he’s really cute about showing affection. All he does is kiss me and hug me and try to get my attention, and it’s so adorable…but we’ve never even made out!” Lance went on. Hunk gaped at that.
“Oh that's rough.”

“I think I’m a little bit wound up,” Lance sighed and buried his face in his hands again.“Well…maybe you should initiate something,” Hunk suggested. Lance peeked at him through his finger. “Like, start out slow. Maybe move to making out, and see how he feels about it. If he’s open to continuing then maybe talk about it,” he went on. Lance crosses his arms and nodded.
“Okay…that’s not a bad idea.”

He took Hunk’s advice that night. After spending so much time working the previous night, he gave Keith all the attention he desired. He attacked him with kisses and held him closely on the couch. Keith let out the cutest giggles, and Lance was glad they didn’t put on a movie, because that would dilute the sweetness of it. Eventually their lips found each other, and they shared a couple kisses. They paused where they usually did, and Lance followed Keith when he tried to pull back. He hummed with approval as Lance continued to kiss him over and over again. He reached up to cup Lance’s face, and it made Lance shiver. His hand so firm when he was so used to passive fingers down his chest.
“Mm…Keith,” Lance sighed as the other man started to lead the kisses.

Eventually Lance found himself with his back against the couch. There was no sexual motivation, but it felt good to kiss Keith for so long. He introduced his tongue a little bit, and Keith ran with it. Lance slipped out a quiet moan of excitement, and Keith broke apart to breathe, only then jumped back in. Lance reached up to wrap his arms around his boyfriend’s neck, and was happy to feel a strong warm hand on his waist. No one has ever made Lance feel like this.
    Eventually they settled down, and Lance looked up at Keith while slowly catching his breath. Keith looked back down at him sat up straight between his legs. He touched Lance’s knee and leaned down to give him another kiss. Lance giggled around it, but accepted his affection anyways. Keith then continued to cover his neck with little pecks. Lance laughed at that, and then shrieked when Keith started to tickle him.

“Ah! Tha-at’s not fair!” Lance cried out.
    Keith cackled and pulled his shirt up a little to tickle him more effectively. Lance tried his best to fight him off, but eventually had to just give in and let his body reach and writhe. Eventually, Keith slowly stopped and leaned back down again. He kissed Lance hard, and Lance instantly returned his arms around his nape. They’ve never kissed like that, and it made Lance feel light headed. When they pulled apart Lance craved even more, and he only hoped that Keith felt the same.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Lance tried really hard to take Hunks advice to go slow. He really did, and he wanted to so badly, but when Keith just kept going and going he couldn’t stop him. And who’s to say he had the right to? If Lance was more than willing, and Keith wanted to explore more of his sexual side, who was Lance to say that they should wait? He wanted Keith, and it was obvious that Keith wanted him. He made it known when he took every single opportunity to make out with Lance, and pin him to the couch. Sometimes he’d do it in the bedroom, and that was when it was really hard to resist.     Keith would do everything and anything. Kiss, bite, lick, touch, hold, caress. He’d do anything within the realm of what they’ve done together, and Lance loved every second of it. He loved kissing just for the sake of kissing. No motive to move on and no pressure to perform and prove himself. Keith was just there to express his love in whatever way he wanted too, and Lance appreciated everything he did.     There was one night that they finally had to address it and discus what they were doing. Lance was under Keith per usual, and he was so sensitive from the literal years without any sexual contact. He bit his lip as Keith kissed down his neck and rubbed his thumb against his bare waist. His fingers dug into Keith neck and his scalp, and he couldn’t help it anymore. It was driving him absolutely mad, and he had to let out an obvious moan. Keith tensed up, and took that encouragement to move up and kiss him on the lips. That only made it worse, and Lance was so devolved as to moan Keith’s name into his mouth. He groaned and pressed his tongue into Lance’s mouth.“Ah…fuck, baby,” Lance sighed as he tightened his grip in Keith’s hair.“Mm…” Keith dropped his forehead to rest against Lance’s.“Why…why’d you stop?” Lance asked loosening his grip to move his hand and cup the side of Keith’s face.“I…um…” he was breathing heavy. “I-I dunno what I’m doing,” he said sheepishly. Lance pushed head back to look at him more clearly and furrowed his brows.“What do you mean?” He asked. Keith bit his lip, and looked away bashfully with red cheeks.“I…I uh…I’ve never…I mean…” he stumbled over his words and started to pull back more. It was then when Lance noticed the front of Keith’s sweatpants.“Oh,” he said looking down with wide eyes.“Sorry-““Don’t be!” Lance assured him.“Y-you were just making all this noise-““I really shouldn’t have-““—a-a-and everything you do is just so-““-I really should’ve started this conversation sooner—“ “—so…fuck, I love you,” Keith said silencing Lance. He smiled up at him with a little laugh.“I love you too,” he replied warmly. Keith smiled back.“I’m glad I saved everything for you…but I seriously have no idea how to…move on…I suppose.” Lance nodded and sat up.“Right…I mean, I don’t wanna pressure you into anything, or rush you. If you’re not ready or if you ever wanna stop, like I won’t be upset about it,” Lance assured him. Keith nodded. “Do you…want to have sex?” He nodded again with more vigor. “Oh okay.”“I-I didn’t know how to initiate it, and I’ll admit I did get caught up in just the fact that I could kiss you that I didn’t even think about sex when we became official, so I’m probably a little late to that—“ Lance interrupted him with a shake of his head.“Whoa whoa, slow down, okay? We don’t need to have sex. It’s only if you want to. Like I said, I don’t wanna pressure you into anything,” Lance told him. Keith sighed.“I…okay…”“What are you comfortable with right now?” Lance asked. Keith bit his lip and tried to think of something, but he had no clue.“I…I’m not sure what there is to be comfortable or not comfortable about…I just don’t know much…” he said sounding embarrassed.“That’s okay. Do you want me to lead? If you don’t like something we can stop. Sound good?” He proposed. Keith nodded with a shaky breath, and Lance nodded back. “Okay. How about we start where we left off. Sound good?”      Keith nodded again and slowly eased back into their previous position and caged Lance in with his arms. The skinny man urged his lips against him, and continued the kiss their shared before. It started out slow and timid, but Keith eventually got back to the intensity he had before. He held Lance’s face and used his tongue to ask for more. Lance was more than accommodating, and gently moaned when Keith moved his hand back to Lance’s waist. He pushed up more of his shirt, and Lance squirmed a little as they came into more skin to skin contact.     Eventually Lance let his head fall back and Keith moved his lips down Lance’s chest as he touched more of his body. He moaned, and Keith found himself just as turned on as before. Lance trailed his hand down Keith’s chest, and then gently pressed his palm against the bulge in his sweatpants. Keith gasped at the sudden sensation and shivered as Lance massaged him through his clothes. A smile spread across Lance as he guided Keith closer between his legs, and pressed kisses against his jaw. The pale man groaned and buried his face into the crook of Lance’s neck and continued to helplessly paw at Lance’s skin.“I got you, baby,” Lance cooed and then reached into his pants past his boxers.     Keith gritted his teeth, and instinctually thrusted his cock in Lance’s fist. The other man gave a little moan in surprise. He trailed a trembling hand against Lance’s hip, and eventually the front of his pyjama bottoms. Lance let his head fall back again, and let out an airy moan as Keith nervously squeezed his length. He circled his thumb around the head of Keith’s dick, and bit his lip in satisfaction as Keith huffed and started kissing at his neck.     By the end of it, Keith was still shaking, but it was mostly from the orgasm he was gifted with. Lance laid there catching his breath despite the other man nearly suffocating him. He wiped the cum off his hands on Keith’s pants, and then happily wrapped Keith up in a hug and kissed the side of his face.“How was that?” Lance asked. Keith nodded.“Worth the wait.” Lance giggled and held him tighter.“Good.”     After that they were inseparable. Any chance they got they were on each other instantly. Every night consisted of new touches, new sensations, new ways to love each other. The rush of sharing his body with someone who really actually cared about him was the most euphoria Lance had ever experienced. Knowing that Keith wanted him for more than sex made him more than willing to give it to him, and he definitely wanted it. Years and years of saying no and patiently waiting for the love of his life and trying to get over Lance added up. Every touch every word every thing made Keith tremble with pleasure and delight. He covered Lance with as much love as he could.     They fooled around on their kitchen counter way too much, and it was their fun little secret when friends came over. Lance learned that Keith loved to watch him fall about, and he learned that Keith was probably the most ecstatic sexual partner he’s ever had. He was constantly pushed and held and manhandled, and he loved every second. It was starting to get addictive. The feeling of Keith’s body hot and heavy against his. His callused fingers running over his skin and gripping him in the most perfect way. Endless nights filled with whimpers and whines as Keith rubbed their cocks together. Everything was so amazing, and Lance was more than satisfied.“Have you ever tried anal?” Keith asked one day. It was a lazy day that they had to themselves. No work, no plans with friends. Just them and their television. Lance pursed his lips and kept his eyes on the game he was playing.“No, not really. If I did I was blacked out, but I seriously doubt it,” he answered.“Do you wanna try?” He questioned. Lance flicked his eyes to his boyfriend lounged at the other end of the couch, and then back to his game again with a smile and flushed cheeks.“Do you?” He reflected. Keith smirked and crawled over to him on the couch.“Only if you do,” he whispered before kissing his jaw. Lance bit his lip and gripped his controller as Keith continued down his neck.“C’mon, dude. At least let me finish this level…” he sighed. Keith ignored him and ran his fingers down the inseam of Lance’s boxers.“You can pause it,” Keith hummed and rubbed his thumb against Lance’s thigh. Lance did so and rolled his eyes.“Y’know we need lube to do that, right?” He told him. Keith pulled back with furrowed brows.“Lube?”     A trip to RiteAid and a quick google search later Lance was thrown back into a world of absolute pleasure. Keith took the lead as he usually did, and while Lance was going to protest he was glad he didn’t because it was just so good. Of course it was awkward at first. Trying to figure out a comfortable position, and carefully maneuvering their way through the whole ordeal. Eventually it smoothed out, and the complete and utter bliss that pulsed through out Lance’s body was unlike anything he’s ever felt. Keith was just sitting there, heavy inside him and hotter than Lance would’ve predicted. His breath couldn’t calm, and his heart was racing so fast he could barely move without shaking. He let out a heavy desperate breath and Keith pushed his legs closer to his chest. The mere shift in position made Lance moan.“Fuck…” he sighed.“‘T’s good?” Keith panted. Lance was glad he wasn’t the only one struggling with their composure. He nodded and held onto the sheets underneath him.“Y-you can start moving,” Lance told him.     Keith nodded and gently pulled out and pushed back in. Lance was instantly flooded with a new addicting sensation coursing through him. His fists tightened in the sheets, and he let his eyes roll back at the gentle sluggish pace Keith had set. Strong hands gripped his hips, and he loved the feeling of Keith’s grip on his body. He started to pump his hips a little faster and Lance let out a light moan and opened his eyes. Keith’s pinched expression was so satisfying to see. It was interesting to know what it feels like to get fucked instead of doing the fucking. He absolutely loved it.“God, Keith…” he gasped as he rolled his hips. Keith groaned, and Lance reached to splay his hand over Keith’s hip. That instantly made him move faster, and Lance snapped with pleasure.“Haa—ah!…aaah…K-Keith…holy…” he groaned loudly and reached back for the head board and let his head roll back.“Fuck.”“Goddamn…fuck that’s so good,” he gasped. Keith tighten his grip on Lance’s hips, and shoved his lover down on his cock as he pushed in. It drove Lance wild. “Oh! K-Keith!”“You’re so hot,” Keith breathed as he watched him writhe with pleasure under him.“Mmm—mm…” Lance moaned weakly as he turned his head away and grabbed the sheets again to hit the bed.“So hot…”“Fuck…fuck, it’s…aahhh…god, I-I didn’t think…” he was surprised when Keith leaned down and started kissing him, but he accepted it anyways. “…d-didn’t think this would be so fucking good,” he whispered. Keith growled and shoved his hips harder and faster. Lance cried out and clung to his lover as he set his punishing pace.“God, it’s so warm…so wet…feels amazing,” Keith sighed as he kissed him l and kissed him more.“Yeah? You like it?” Lance murmured and ran his fingers through Keith’s hair. He moaned and kissed Lance hard. “Feels good, huh? Fucking something?”“Mmm…fucking you,” he murmured against the other’s lips. Lance couldn’t help but smile as his heart melted.“I love you…” he sighed. Keith smiled back.“I love you too…” he whispered.     The introduction of such a close and intimate way to have sex re-kindled that romantic side of their sex life. For a while it started to slip into something purely for pleasure. With Keith exploring more of his sexual side Lance barely noticed it, even welcomed it, but once he was shown the more tender gentle and loving side of Keith’s affections he never wanted to go back. It stopped being sex and started to become making love. It stopped being a daily occurrence, and became something that they cherished whenever it decided to happen. Their kisses lost their velocity, and their fingers lost their grip. Instead everything made Lance melt and meld with his lover. It was magical.“So how’s everything going?”     Lance hummed and stirred his coffee as Hunk waited for his response. He sipped his drink, and then raised a brow when he returned his cup to the table. He took a moment to swallow his drink, and then wiped his mouth.“How’s what going?” He asked.“Y’know…remember when you were kinda frustrated a few months ago…about Keith not really getting busy?” Hunk said trying to jog Lance’s memory. He blinked.“Oh…oh yeah! I remember now,” he nodded. It was hard to remember because of how regular it had become for them.“How’s it going? Did you go slow like I told you?” He questioned excitedly. Lance slowly lifted the cup to his lips and nervously laughed a little.“Yeah, about that…” Hunk dropped his smile.“Lance…”“Okay, it wasn’t my fault-““Seriously? You’re gonna blame Keith? The guy who didn’t have sex all through college?”“Yes, and it was a good thing he didn’t because he is a fucking monster, okay?”“A little too much info, Lance.”“Whatever! What I’m saying is, I was doing my best to go slow, y’know? And I was doing good! Then he just…” he made an exploding gesture with his hand and groaned. “…he ran with it, bro. Like we fucked everyday, multiple times a day, for a solid two months,” he told him. Hunk pulled an upset and disgusted face, and Lance merely shook his head and took another sip.“Are you serious? That doesn’t sound healthy.”“That what I was thinking! Well…not at first, but after like a month I was starting to be like…okay this is going on for a while, but then I realized I’m dating a twenty five year old virgin and I decided it was well deserved,” Lance said.“Okay. I can see why that would lead to two months of nonstop sex.”“Right? But yeah…it’s not really a problem anymore,” Lance finished with a bashful smile and red cheeks.“That’s good. I’m happy for you,” Hunk nodded. Lance smiled at him.“Thanks, man.”“And it feels okay? Like obviously he’s not gonna pump and dump, but I can understand if that would give you anxiety,” Hunk went on. Lance hesitated before nodding.“Yeah…I’ll admit for the first few days I couldn’t help but feel anxious, but once it hit the second week I was feeling a lot better. That’s usually when girls would dump, so it felt nice to finally have a sexual relationship that lasted longer than a week and a half,” he said. Hunk nodded and patted his shoulder.“I’m glad, dude. This is what you’ve always deserved. It sucked watching you go through that. I can’t imagine how it must’ve felt.” Lance sighed.“Yeah, it fucking sucked, but in the end I was glad they didn’t stick around. Could you imagine what it would be like if I like actually succeeded in dating a girl and trying to move on from my feelings about Keith? That would be do inconvenient right now,” he grinned. Hunk laughed and nodded.“Yeah, it really would,” he agreed. Lance checked his watch and then stood up to start gathering his things.“I gotta get going. Keith is cooking tonight, so I should probably make sure he hasn’t burned the kitchen down,” he said. Hunk chuckled and nodded.“Sounds good. I’ll see you whenever, dude,” he replied. Lance slipped his coat back on and picked up his coffee.“See ya!”     Thankfully when Lance got home the kitchen was still standing. He walked in, toed off his shoes next to Keith’s, and hung up his coat. Keith was at the stove stirring and humming a tune, and Lance quietly cane up behind him and slipped his arms around his waist. Keith smiled and let Lance press kisses to his neck. He giggled once it started to tickle and reached back to push Lance’s head closer to his.“Welcome home,” he said.“Thank you. What do you have in store for tonight?” Lance asked as he nuzzled against Keith’s check.“Mac and cheese,” he announced proudly. Lance laughed and ran his nose up the side of Keith’s face.“Of course.”“I think comfort food is the perfect way to end a long week. That and the wine I got on the way home,” Keith said. Lance nodded.“You’re right and totally not just making an excuse to make something simple and in a box for dinner.”“Oh hush,” Keith chuckled and turned off the stove.     He turned around and cupped Lance’s face to give him a proper kiss. Lance slowly wrapped his arms around Keith’s neck, and the other moved down his hands to hold his hips. A spark of heat flickered in Lance’s stomach when Keith pressed another slow and lazy kiss against his lips, and he let the other man move him until he was pressed against the counter.      It only took seconds before Keith had him lifted on the counter and wedged his way between Lance’s long limps. He giggled and continued to kiss Keith back while he let his hands run down his thighs and back up to his ass. His tie was quickly tossed to the side followed by his shirt, his undershirt, and finally his pants. He hummed with delight as Keith kissed down his neck, and then felt Keith gently push and guided him until his back touched the cool granite. Suddenly he climbed on top, and Lance welcomed him with open arms. Keith tugged off his own shirt, and returned his lips to his lover.“Am I on the menu as well?” Lance murmured as Keith tugged on his lobe and pushed his waist up by the small of his back.“You always are,” Keith whispered and kissed his pulse. Lance shivered and dug his fingers in dark midnight hair.“At least fuck me on something comfortable. This stopped being fun after I almost got a concussion from my orgasms,” Lance said. Keith laughed and sat back to pull Lance up.“I suppose you’re right,” he replied. Lance sat up and instantly greeted him with a kiss on the lips. Keith smiled down at him and kissed him back. “I love you,” he murmured against his lips. Lance smiled and nodded.“I love you too…”