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Since he was a young witch, Lance has been taught to be careful who he trusts. He comes from a long, long, long line of witches who practice all kinds of magic, from illusions to necromancy to elemental manipulation. All witches can learn any magic, but most find themselves drawn to a particular kind that eventually becomes their specialty. For Lance, that’s healing magic. He’s always had a knack for it, but his family is so extensive that growing up he was able to pick up a little bit of everything. It was practically impossible not to. Magic is in his blood—and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Most witches would.Which is why one of the oldest, most well-established unwritten rules of witchcraft is this: never trust a vampire.It’s nothing personal. No witch is foolish enough to believe that every single vampire in the world is out to get them. But witches have always been protective of their magic, and since vampires have the ability to irreversibly turn other beings even against their will, it’s only natural to be wary. There are bad vampires, just like there are bad witches and bad werewolves and bad spirits. But only one of those poses a threat to magic, and many witches aren’t willing to risk trying to differentiate between the good and the bad.(Only, it is personal.) The relationship between witches and vampires is a long and tumultuous one, dating back centuries that are rife with conflict. For a long time, they simply tolerated one another. Witches feared vampires for their power to turn others, while vampires feared witches for their ability to cause them true physical harm. Their mutual distrust worked out in a way, both sides prevented from acting on their fears out of an instinctual need for self-preservation.That was, until it came to light that a series of gruesome murders among the witch community had been committed by a rogue group of vampires, all of who would go down in history as some of the most ruthless beings that ever lived. After that, all hell broke loose.Some witches were convinced that creatures as treacherous and spiteful as vampires were nothing but a danger to the rest of the magical world, and used the widespread fear and panic to justify hunting them down. In turn, vampires were forced to reveal the cruelest, most vicious parts of themselves for their own safety. It’s a dark, bloody part of history that neither side is proud of. The only thing that ever had any power back then was fear, and there was plenty of it to go around.But that was years ago. Decades. Centuries. Things are much different now. Magical beings of all kinds have learned to make peace with and even live amongst each other. Some tension still exists, but it continues to ease with each new generation. While rare, it’s not unheard of for witches and vampires to even marry in this day and age. Some witches choose to keep their magic and others choose to be turned, though that decision is often met with controversy from other witches.So yes, a lot has changed—but not everything. Rumors are powerful things, often so long-lasting that it’s hard to believe they’ll ever be put to rest. There’s still a long way to go to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself.For example: Lance heard all kinds of stories about vampires growing up. They’re dangerous, not because of their razor sharp fangs or their inhuman strength, but because of their lightning-quick wit and deadly charm. They’re cunning, crafty, always luring people in even when they’re not trying to. They’re tricksters, and con artists who will take advantage of anyone foolish enough to let them.No, Lance doesn’t hate vampires. He never has. But that sure doesn’t mean he has to trust them.So when he started his first year at the Altea Academy for Witchcraft, Magic, and Alchemy, he made sure he went prepared. His uncle fashioned him a small silver pendant and enchanted it with sunlight upon his request, so Lance could wear it around his neck as a clear warning sign that he was not to be messed with. He had a pocket mirror on him at all times in case he ever felt like someone was trying to conceal their true identity from him. He even kept a small vial of minced garlic in his pocket, just as a last resort.He encountered his very first vampire on his very first day of classes, when a bat swooped right into his hair and elicited from him an inhuman shriek while he was trying to get into his locker. It flapped just a few feet away before descending and morphing into an entire person right before his very eyes, and Lance’s pride was so wounded that it took him longer than it should have to realize the implications of what he just witnessed.“Hey!” he started, dusting off his robes. “Watch where you’re—” And then he’d stopped, a chill going down his spine when he lifted his head to get a good look at his supposed offender. Dark hair. Even paler skin. The ability to transform from a bat into a person and a person into a bat. Unnaturally-colored eyes. And just the slightest hint of a fang peeking out from his upper lip.The guy hardly spared him a glance, already busy opening his locker and rummaging around inside. “Sorry. Didn’t see you.”Naturally, Lance was borderline furious. All the brief shock and embarrassment he’d been feeling beforehand vanished in an instant and he sputtered, chagrined. “Wha—I’m the only person out here!”To his credit, the guy did actually look up then, though he still didn’t look like he could be bothered to care about the situation. His gaze swept across the hall before landing on Lance. “Well, I see that now.” “Oh, okay.” Lance glared, crossing his arms over his chest. “Very convenient that you see me now, but not twenty seconds ago when you nearly flew into my head.” “Uh, yeah, because I couldn’t see you. Bats are blind, genius.” “I know that!”“Then what’s the problem?” The stranger turned back to go about his business, pulling a satchel out of his locker and unceremoniously dumping a few books inside. “I already said sorry.”Lance rolled his eyes, but he turned back to his own locker and yanked it open, grumbling to himself. “Whatever. I still think you did that on purpose.” He snatched his bag and started loading it with his materials for the day, probably a bit more aggressively than necessary. A moment of silence passed by before he realized the other guy had stopped what he was doing to watch him, a frown etched on his face. “Who are you again?”Lance bristled slightly at his tone. “Uh, the name’s Lance,” he said, jabbing a thumb against his chest for emphasis. “Who are you?” “Keith.” He was still frowning, studying him as if he was sizing up his next meal. Something about his gaze felt so calculated that Lance had to try really hard to suppress a shiver, glaring back at him twice as hard. No way was he going to let this guy think he was scared of him.So he fully committed to the part, making a show of looking him up and down and doing his best to look unimpressed. “Huh.”It was Keith’s turn to bristle then, his shoulders stiffening. “Trust me, the feeling’s mutual.” “Ha! That’s funny.” Lance hefted his bag onto his shoulder, nonchalantly adjusting his robes. “Pretty sure you’re the last person here I would ever trust.”Keith’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “And why’s that?”Lance shrugged. “Well, because you’re a—”Keith had slammed his locker shut so abruptly that Lance jumped at the noise, whipping his head around to stare at him. “Yeah, I am,” Keith snapped, his fists clenched. “Is that a problem?”Lance couldn’t find anything to say all of a sudden, resorting to pressing his lips together and glaring. Keith glared back, and Lance swore that he was seconds away from baring his fangs and lunging at him until his gaze flicked down and something cold flashed across his expression. It took a moment for Lance to realize what he was looking at, his fingers clutching tighter at the pendant around his neck that he’d instinctively reached for.Any hint of emotion instantly disappeared from Keith’s face in a way that almost made Lance feel guilty, his eyes going steely. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.” Then he turned on his heel and stalked off, his robes billowing behind him.And maybe the interaction had just left Lance with a bad taste in his mouth, but he’d almost felt cheated, in a way. For all the times he’d imagined what it would be like when he finally met a vampire, he had always expected someone… different. Someone charming, and charismatic, with a voice like honey that made you want to believe every word they said. Someone who looked perfectly harmless, but could turn around and snap you in half if they really wanted to. Someone he would have to try really hard not to like, even after all the extra precautions he took.But Keith? Keith was by far the most hostile, abrasive, least charming person Lance had ever met.To be fair, Lance had kind of gone out of his way to make sure Keith knew he didn’t like him right off the bat. He supposed that if it were the other way around, he wouldn’t really appreciate the sentiment, either.It was probably karma that he’d walked into his potions class just a few minutes later to find that not only was Keith there too, but he was the only other student who had yet to find a partner. Figured.Unfortunately, having multiple classes together made it pretty difficult to avoid each other at all costs like they both would have preferred. But maybe, Lance thought eventually, getting stuck with Keith was a bit of a blessing in disguise. Who better to learn from about how to protect his magic from vampires, than from a vampire himself?And boy, did he learn a few things from Keith. Mostly because he acted like he already knew everything, which it turned out he didn’t, and Keith was always more than happy to prove it.Lance tried throwing garlic at him once, just to see what would happen. He had expected Keith to hiss or scream or recoil or something, but instead Keith had just sat there and stared at him.“Why would you do that,” he’d said, tone flat. They’d been studying together in the library, though not voluntarily. They had a potions exam coming up, and as class partners they were kind of forced to work together if they wanted to pass.It was kind of disappointing, honestly. Lance would’ve loved to see Keith run away screaming. “I’m trying to ward you off. Duh.”He had never seen anyone look so genuinely and properly tired in all his life. Coming from a family as big as his where his parents have had to keep up with at least four tiny humans at all times for years, that’s saying something. “Keep acting like your usual self and you’ll ward me off just fine,” Keith sighed, ignoring Lance’s affronted squawk. “We’re not scared of garlic, idiot. That’s a myth.”“A likely story,” Lance huffed, folding his arms. “Admit it, you hate the smell.”“Doesn’t everyone?”Lance actually had to think about that for a moment, watching while Keith brushed several pieces of garlic off his book. “Hm. Touché. I guess I thought you guys had a particular aversion to it or something.”Keith rolled his eyes, dusting his hands off. “You people think a lot of things, clearly.”“What’s that supposed to mean?”“I think you know exactly what I mean.”“No, please, go on.” Lance didn’t know why he suddenly felt so defensive, planting his hands on the table. “Share your thoughts with the class.”“Don’t play dumb,” Keith snapped. “You think I haven’t noticed all the times you’ve taken a shot at me for what I am? Do I need to remind you what you did just thirty seconds ago because you were naïve enough to believe in some stupid fairy tale?” Lance bristled, feeling insulted. “You can’t blame me for wanting to protect myself.”“From what? What on earth have I done to you?” “Now who’s playing dumb? It’s not what you’ve done, it’s what you could do! You can’t stand me, what if—”“And whose fault is that?” Keith spat, slamming his book shut. “You’ve been hostile toward me since day one. You don’t even know me.”“Yeah, well I don’t have to,” Lance retorted. “I’m just looking out for myself, and my magic.”Keith laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Don’t flatter yourself. I don’t care about your magic. None of us do, but people like you are all so selfish and self-absorbed that you’re still living back in the 1600s.”Lance felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. He gritted his teeth. “‘People like you’?” he repeated challengingly.Keith didn’t back down, not even for a second. He met Lance’s gaze head-on, his eyes cold yet fiery all at once. “Witches,” he hissed, and Lance rose to his feet on instinct. “And in case you’ve forgotten, people like you used to hunt people like me for sport.”“I never said I thought that was okay,” Lance fumed.“And I never said I thought it was okay for vampires to take witches’ magic away for the fun of it,” Keith shot back, his voice steadily rising. The only reason they weren’t being yelled at by the librarian right now was thanks to the spells that put a soundproof bubble around each table. “Yeah, what happened back then was wrong. But it was done by a bunch of terrible people who just happened to be vampires, not the other way around.”Lance opened his mouth to respond, but Keith clearly wasn’t finished because he stood from his chair to level with him. “You think you know everything about us, but the truth is you don’t know anything. You’ve made it crystal clear that you don’t trust me, so I couldn’t take your magic away even if I wanted to, which I don’t. Not that it matters to you, anyway.”And with that, Keith gathered his things and stomped off, leaving Lance standing alone and speechless at a table still half-covered in potions scrolls and chopped garlic.Most of their interactions outside of class ended with Keith storming off, Lance realized. He usually chalked it up to Keith being perpetually sullen and irritable, but this time was a little different. Sure, he was just trying to protect himself—but was it really worth it if he was hurting other people in the process? He was self-aware enough that he could acknowledge he might have been creating more conflict than he was avoiding. Maybe, he wasn’t nearly as innocent in the matter as he thought.Truth be told, after being on the receiving end of that lecture in the library, he felt a little bit like garbage. So much so that on the very same night, he used a finding spell to track Keith down and apologize for everything that had transpired between them.Even with the help of magic, Keith was impressively difficult to find. Lance spent a good fifteen minutes wandering around the river that crossed through the school grounds until he realized that Keith wasn’t by the river, but at the very top of the tower he’d been circling that whole time. One of the props of being able to transform into a tiny flying creature, he supposed. He wished he brought his broomstick.He’d been hoping that enough time had passed since their argument that Keith wouldn’t take off at the mere sight of him. Luckily that seemed to be the case, because when Lance finally managed to climb to the top, he didn’t even bother to look over his shoulder from where he stood at the edge of the tower, arms folded and propped against the stone as he looked out over the grounds. “I was wondering when you were gonna figure it out.” Lance paused for a moment to catch his breath, bending over to put his hands on his knees. “You saw me walking around down there and you didn’t say anything?”Keith just shrugged. Lance from several hours ago would have taken offense to that, but present Lance? Yeah, he probably deserved that. He moved to join Keith at the edge of the tower, though he made sure to leave plenty of space between them. If Keith was upset or annoyed that he was there at all then he was doing a pretty good job of hiding it, because he didn’t say anything. Lance looked around for a moment, listening to the quiet sounds of the river flowing by. “What are you doing up here, anyway?”“What do you want, Lance?” Keith sighed. He sounded tired, like he was doing his best to gear up for another fight despite already being sapped of all his energy. Given Lance’s track record, he understood why Keith would immediately expect more conflict.But he didn’t want to fight either. He’d kind of hoped they could ease into this conversation, but Keith clearly wasn’t in the mood for small talk, especially coming from Lance. So instead he just sighed, gripping the stone ledge with his hands and looking down into the water down below. “Look, I didn’t come here to pick another fight. I’m just here to apologize.”“… What?”Lance took a break and was about to repeat himself until he looked over and saw Keith watching him, one eyebrow raised and the very corner of his mouth twitching slightly. “Oh, come on. I’m not saying it again.”“No, seriously. I think you misspoke. I could’ve sworn I just heard you say that you wanted to—”“Would you cut it out?” Lance groaned. “I’m being serious.” Keith held his hands up in surrender, a hint of amusement shining in his eyes as he turned to better face Lance. He made a gesture as if to give him the floor and Lance sighed again, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck. “I know we didn’t get off to a great start. Most of that is my fault. Though you did still somehow run into my head despite me being the only person in the room.”“It was an accident.”“Let’s agree to disagree,” Lance sniffed, and Keith rolled his eyes. “Either way, it shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. I overreacted, and I started treating you like an enemy before I really ever gave you a chance. I get that now.”He swallowed, stuffing his hands in the folds of his robes for comfort. “I shouldn’t have been making so many hurtful assumptions about you, either. It’s just that my magic is really important to me, so it’s scary to think that someone could take it away if I let my guard down. But it’s not fair for me to take out that fear on you, so… yeah. I’m sorry.” Keith didn’t say anything at first, but Lance could feel his eyes on him, studying him as he wasn’t quite convinced that this was genuine. Lance couldn’t really blame him. He was extending the metaphorical olive branch, but that didn’t mean Keith had to accept it now, or ever for that matter. At some point he turned away again, and for a while they just stood and listened to the sounds of flowing water and crickets chirping, watching the moonlight cast tall shadows across the school grounds. Lance had pretty much accepted that the conversation was over when Keith finally broke the silence. “I get it, you know,” he said quietly. Lance had turned to look at him in surprise, but he didn’t dare say anything to interrupt. “Your magic is special. And yeah, vampires might be able to take it away, but only under certain circumstances. Turning someone takes a magic of its own, too.” “Really?” Keith nodded, offering him a wistful sort of smile. “We can’t run around turning whoever we want. To turn someone, we have to earn their trust first, the same way you can only touch a spirit if they’re the first to reach out.” He flexed his fingers, looking out at the sky. “And afterward, the two of them are bonded. The original vampire can’t survive without the other.” Lance frowned, taking a moment to process what he meant by that. He knew that most vampires feed on wild animals, but historically that wasn’t their only option. “You mean, like…” “Just a few drops of their blood,” Keith explained patiently, looking slightly amused. “Every day, as long as both of them are alive. When it comes to turning a witch, it’s supposed to be a mutual exchange of power. Sure, the witch loses their magic. But the vampire puts their entire life in the others’ hands.”“They both have to trust each other, then.” Keith smiled in a kind of way that seemed to confirm to Lance that he was finally getting it. “It’s always been that way.”“Huh. I… didn’t know that.”“I know. A lot of people don’t.” Neither of them spoke again for a moment. Lance’s mind was racing, working overtime to reorganize everything he thought he knew and put it into the right place. There was still so much he didn’t know. He was lucky that Keith seemed willing to teach him, much less give him another chance in the first place.“I’m not asking you to trust me,” Keith said eventually, speaking quietly. “Just… maybe try getting to know me before you decide. Maybe you’ll still hate me, and that’s fine. But at least you’d have a reason for it.”Lance chewed on his lip, absent-mindedly drumming his fingers along the stone wall. His chest suddenly felt heavy, guilt sinking deep into his stomach. Yeah, he was raised to be careful, and he tried really hard to be. But there’s a difference between caution and suspicion. Keith had never given him a reason not to trust him, but Lance had certainly given him plenty of reasons not to trust him. This was a chance to make things right, so he needed to make it count.His fingers closed around the silver pendant on his neck. “Well,” he started, and Keith glanced curiously over at him. “Fighting all the time was getting pretty exhausting. And if we keep it up much longer then we’re probably both going to end up failing potions. So.”He yanked and snapped the pendant clean off his neck, and Keith’s eyes widened slightly as he reeled back and threw it as far and as hard as he could. They both watched it sail through the air, falling and falling until it dropped silently into the river down below, instantly washed away by the steady current. Lance cleared his throat and straightened his robes, then turned to face Keith and held out his hand. “Truce?”Keith studied him for a long moment, his gaze flicking back and forth between Lance’s outstretched hand and his face. But just when Lance was about to lose his nerve, he smiled and reached out to grasp Lance’s hand. “Truce.”They shook, both smiling. For once, when they fell back into silence there was no tension or animosity behind it, and for a while they got to just enjoy the quiet. Lance had to admit, he definitely preferred it that way. Is this what he’d been missing out on that whole time?“So…” he propped his elbow on the wall, holding his chin in his hand. “I gotta ask. Is it true that vampires sleep upside down?” Keith shot him a deadpan look and Lance raised his hands placatingly, smiling sheepishly. “I’m kidding. Just trying to lighten the mood.”Keith pressed his lips together, but the corners of his mouth twitching up gave him away. He snorted first, and then he actually laughed, revealing the twin set of fangs in his mouth as he shook his head. “You’re an idiot.”Lance just smiled his own crooked grin, his chest already feeling five times lighter. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”Naturally, everything changed after that. Incredibly, when Lance made an effort not to constantly be on the offensive, the two of them actually got along. Quite easily, actually. The first few weeks were a bit awkward and stilted while they both got used to the new dynamic, essentially trying to get to know each other for the first time all over again. But after that, it almost felt as if they’d never started off on the wrong foot at all.They had much more in common than Lance ever realized. Before he knew it, he found that he actually kind of looked forward to seeing Keith, even if it was just during class. And the more that Lance got to know him, the more he realized that Keith was really kind of a dork—in a sweet, endearing kind of way. He had a field day when he found out that Keith read romance novels for enjoyment in his spare time. He can’t believe he ever found him intimidating. And for a while, that was the full extent of their relationship. The most that they saw each other was in class, or during the occasional library get-together when they had a potions exam to study for. Usually they would do their thing then go their separate ways, until one day they just… didn’t, for some reason. Because whether either of them were willing to admit it, they kind of enjoyed each other’s company, and suddenly they were seeing a lot more of each other than Lance ever thought they would, truce or no truce.Somewhere, somehow, they had managed to stumble their way into becoming actual, proper friends. But there was something else, too. Something that neither of them would dare name, because that would make it far more real than either of them were ready for.It scared Lance at first, when he realized exactly what he was feeling. But it kind of made sense in a way, like everything was coming full circle. At the very least, knowing that Keith felt the same way made everything feel a lot less scary. He thought that was supposed to make it easier, but Keith… well, he clearly took a different approach to his feelings. Things got a little complicated.He asked Lance to meet him at the tower one night, the very same one that they’d claimed for themselves after the night they’d decided to start over. Lance was already suspicious going in, because Keith wouldn’t say what it was about, and he’d been acting weird all day. But he went anyway, because Keith had asked him to, and lately he was finding it harder and harder to say no to anything he asked of him.Turned out he was right to be suspicious. Night had completely fallen when Lance found Keith there at the top of the tower, but even in the dark he could still see the worry and anguish written all over his face. He was pacing back and forth, fists clenched as he rubbed the sides of his forefingers with his thumbs. It was something Lance noticed he did when he was anxious or upset, and right now seemed like no exception.He elected to bypass the typical introductions and small talk this time. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Keith hadn’t even noticed he was there, which was definitely a first. He jumped at the sound of his voice and spun around, eyes wide and a little panicked. All of a sudden he seemed to be frozen in place, despite looking agitated and restless just moments before. Lance frowned, taking a step toward him. “Keith?”But then Keith took a small step back, and Lance’s heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. “Wait! Wait.” Lance stared at him, torn between hurt and confusion. Keith had never reacted to him like this before. Had he done something wrong that he didn’t know about? Whatever it was, he just wanted to help. So why did Keith look almost… afraid?He stayed where he was, because the last thing he wanted to do was scare Keith off. “What’s going on?” Keith shook his head. “It’s nothing.”“You’re not making any sense.” “I know. I know!” Keith ran his fingers through his hair, clearly frustrated. “It’s just—Lance, I don’t think I can do this anymore.” Lance was still very much in the dark, literally and figuratively. “What? What do you mean?” “I mean, I don’t think—” Keith’s voice shook and he hesitated, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “I don’t think we should… see each other anymore.” “We never were,” Lance wanted to snap, because suddenly he knew exactly what this was all about. But that wouldn’t have been fair, not when they were both equally guilty in avoiding the obvious. This thing between them—this unspoken thing that they’d been dancing around for weeks, maybe even months, this thing that neither of them had the guts to verbally address. Yet the fact that Keith was saying anything like this at all felt like a confession all on its own.“What are you talking about?” Lance asked, even though he knew very well what Keith was talking about. Keith swallowed, shrinking in on himself. He looked so small and unsure, the exact opposite of the person that Lance had known him to be. “You were right. We—I shouldn’t be around you. You need to protect yourself.”Something clicked in Lance’s brain. Now he understood. Keith looked and acted afraid because he was. “Protect myself from what?” he asked quietly.Keith didn’t say anything, only wrapped his arms around himself and looked away. Lance knew what he would say, anyway. A small part of him was angry, not at Keith but at what he was implying. The only reason they’d made it this far in the first place was because Keith had called him out for implying the exact same thing from the start. He didn’t understand what could have changed between then and now that would make him turn on himself like that. Only he did understand. But he wasn’t about to let Keith make the same mistake that he made in the beginning.He took another slow, measured step toward Keith in an attempt to close some of the distance between them. “What happened to our truce?” Keith shook his head again. “The truce is off.” “Why?” “It’s better this way. I’m too much of a risk.” Another step. “That’s not true. I thought you said I should get to know you before I decide.” “That was before,” Keith insisted, his voice hoarse.“Before what?”“Before I—” Keith cut himself off, and Lance’s heart nearly stopped when he saw tears spring into his eyes. “Just—things are different now. It was easier when you still hated me. You should hate me.”“It’s a little too late for that.” Lance took yet another step, desperate to reach out. “I don’t think I could hate you even if I wanted to.” “Lance,” Keith tried weakly, but at this point Lance had managed to close that distance between them, and there was nothing he could do to stop him.Lance felt surprisingly calm as he reached for Keith’s hand, probably because he’s never been more sure about something than he was in that moment. “Keith,” he said, forcing him to meet his gaze. “I tr—”“Don’t say it!” Keith cried, snatching his hand away. He sounded like he was on the verge of hysterics, struggling to blink back the tears in his eyes. “Please, Lance. I can’t—”“Just because I haven’t said it out loud doesn’t make it any less true,” Lance interrupted. He was determined to hold his ground here, refusing to let himself waver. “You told me to get to know you first before I made my decision, right? Well, I did, and I have.”“Please,” Keith begged. He was crying freely now, his breaths coming short and quick. “Lance, I don’t want to hurt you.” “Then don’t.” “It’s not that simple, I—”“Isn’t it?” Lance reached for Keith’s hand again, and this time he didn’t pull away. He took hold and held onto it like an anchor, his entire body trembling with the effort it was taking not to fall apart. His face was wet and streaked with tears when Lance gently tilted his chin up to meet him, brushing some of the hair out of his face. “You’re not a monster, Keith. And you’re not going to hurt me.”“But I could.” Keith’s eyes welled up again, his fingers clutching tightly at Lance’s own. “I could take your magic away.”“Yeah, you could,” Lance admitted quietly. “But you won’t.”He took Keith’s face in his other hand and Keith let him, more tears dripping onto his cheeks as he squeezed his eyes shut. “How can you know that?” he whispered.Despite everything, Lance smiled. He slowly brushed his thumb across Keith’s upper lip, grazing the tip of his fang. “Because I trust you,” he said.And just to prove it, Lance kissed him.That was almost a year ago. A lot has changed since then—and yet, a lot has stayed the same. If anything, Lance likes to think he’s changed, preferably for the better. They’re in their second year at the Academy now. Because of the nature of their magic, witches get to choose their track a year earlier than other students. Lance chose healing, surprising no one, and he’s been pleased to find that he’s already one of the best healers in their cohort. The two of them are still in several classes together, including Advanced Potions—and while they’ve already graduated from the partner system, that doesn’t stop them from being virtually attached at the hip, both in and out of the classroom.Despite everything, the two of them are closer than they ever have been. It hasn’t always been easy, but then again, nothing worth having ever is.Breaks have proven to be particularly hard for them. Unless they get lucky, they rarely get to see each other until after a break is over. And it’s not like they don’t try—their options are just very limited, given the circumstances.Lance has his own room at home, but there are always so many people in the house that privacy is never guaranteed. He’s thought about sneaking out to visit Keith instead, but even that feels like too much of a risk considering that anyone in his family is capable of using a finding spell to track him down the moment they found out he was missing. Even if he tried lying and simply telling them he was just going out to see a friend, everyone would immediately question him. Lance has never been one to be secretive about his friends, or his partners for that matter.It’s funny. A year ago, if someone had told Lance that he was about to go off to the Academy that he’d been dreaming of getting into his entire life just to end up falling in love with and dating a hot vampire in secret, he would’ve laughed in their face. Karma works in mysterious ways.He’s lying on the floor of his room and staring up at the ceiling, thinking about exactly that, when something large and black comes barreling into his window at full speed without warning. It thunks so loudly against the glass that he jumps, flying to his feet and whipping his head around to find the source of the noise. At first he sees nothing but black—that is, until a large bat appears, squeaking noisily from its perch on the windowsill.Lance’s jaw drops. “What the—” He rushes over to the window and flings it open, muttering curses the whole way. “What on earth are you doing here?” he hisses. The bat largely ignores him as it flutters and all but falls through the window, stretching and growing until it tumbles onto the floor and what sits in its place is a fully grown Keith, holding his nose and groaning. “Why was your window closed?” he complains.“Why would it be open?” Lance crouches down beside him and puts a hand on his shoulder, trying to get a better look at his face. “You’re lucky you didn’t just break your nose.” “I’m not totally sure I didn’t,” Keith grumbles.Lance sighs, exasperated. “Yeah, it’s almost like flying through windows at full speed when you’re basically blind isn’t that great of an idea. Now why—” He pauses, frowning and pulling his hand away from Keith’s shoulder. His palm suddenly feels slick, and it takes a moment for him to realize that it’s now covered in blood. “Keith, what?”Keith winces, which probably has more to do with seeing Lance’s reaction than it does with the pain he’s undoubtedly feeling. “I promise it’s not as bad as it looks.” Now that Lance is really looking at him, he realizes that Keith is badly bruised and littered with scratches. His clothes are ripped in several places, including his shirt where four matching gashes that look suspiciously like claws mar his shoulder. His arms are scraped and bleeding, and when Keith finally takes his hands away from his face Lance can see more cuts above his lip and on his brow.“Yeah, you’re right,” Lance deadpans. “It’s worse.”“I’m fine.”Lance sighs, but by now he’s learned not to bother arguing. “Don’t tell me you got into another fight with James. You know it’s a full moon.” Keith scoffs. “Please. I was hunting.”
“James?”
“No! It was just a—” Keith’s mouth snaps shut with an audible click and Lance narrows his eyes at him. “Just a what?”Keith looks away, scratching the back of his neck. “I was just—trying to catch something big enough to feed all three of us.” Lance figures that he’s referring to himself, Adam, and Shiro. They usually need a bigger haul than most to keep them satisfied for a period of time, which means Keith definitely shouldn’t be hunting for anything that big on his own. “So you decided to go one-on-one with a grizzly bear?” “I’m pretty sure it was just a brown bear,” Keith mumbles. “That’s—” Lance drags his clean hand down his face. “Who cares what kind of bear it was! Keith, what have we said about hunting animals that are three times your size?” Keith pouts, staring at the floor. “To not do that.”“And what did you do?”“… Do that.”Lance closes his eyes and rubs his temples, muttering to himself. “Okay. C’mon, get up.” He stands and holds his hand out for Keith, who takes it and allows himself to be mostly pulled to his feet by Lance. “Sit.”Keith obediently goes to sit on Lance’s bed, limping slightly on his way over. Lance steps over to his bedroom door and cracks it open, peeking into the hall. He can hear muffled conversation coming from another room and the TV on in another, but other than that it sounds like everyone is winding down for the night. Good thing, because Lance has some work to do and words to be had. He eases the door shut and goes to join Keith on the bed, distractedly waving a hand in the direction of the window to spell away some of the leftover blood. Keith is clearly struggling to get his shirt off without hurting himself, so Lance stops him and tears the fabric away instead, careful not to upset his injuries. It almost feels routine, which he doesn’t like to think about. He wishes he could say they’ve never done this before. Keith is quiet as Lance lifts his hand to hover over his shoulder, the familiar blue glow of his magic a sign that it’s already at work mending his wounds. His magic has definitely improved in recent months, but it still requires a lot of focus. He studies Keith’s shoulder intently, imagining all the blood seeping back into his skin, every gash and cut slowly knitting itself back together. The progress is slow, but that’s how he knows it’s healing properly.It doesn’t take long for the worst of the blood to clear away. That’s the easy part. The hard part is waiting for the skin to close—once that’s done, the magic can be more concentrated, which greatly speeds up the process. Lance knows this, because Keith is constantly giving him opportunities to practice, whether he wants them or not.Eventually Keith is the one to break the silence. “I didn’t mean to make you upset,” he says quietly.Lance has to force himself not to look at him just yet. A tiny part of him wants to be mad, just this once. “I’m not upset,” he lies. Keith calls him on it immediately. “Liar.” Lance huffs in annoyance. “Well, what else do you want me to say?”“I don’t know. But I’d rather you start yelling at me than sit there and pretend that everything’s fine.” “I’m not going to yell at you, Keith.” Keith grimaces slightly as Lance presses his hand against his shoulder now that the skin is closed. Even healing isn’t always the most comfortable process. “Are you mad that I came here?” Lance snorts. “I mean, it’s not ideal. My entire family is home.” Keith goes quiet again, and Lance instantly feels guilty for it. Maybe he’s being a little too harsh. He takes a lot of pride in the fact that Keith always comes to him for help, but he’s not a fan of some of the patterns that have started to emerge. Keith is just lucky that he came at a decent time when there’s not much chance they could be interrupted.He purposely keeps his gaze fixed anywhere but Keith’s face as he moves on from his shoulder, working on some of the smaller cuts scattered along his arms. Keith already heals so quickly on his own that they take hardly any time at all to disappear, but to Lance, each one still seems to take an eternity. His stomach feels queasy, but it’s not really from the blood.When he reaches for Keith’s face to fix the cut on his forehead, Keith stops him. He catches Lance’s wrist and forces him to meet his gaze, brows knit together. “Lance.” Lance almost wavers, but he manages to hold his ground. “What.” “Look, I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be here. But I didn’t know where else to go, and I… you know.” He falters, looking away as his cheeks turn pink. “I just wanted to see you.” Lance should be happy to hear that—and he is!—because of course he feels the same way. But instead he just huffs softly, mostly to himself. “Yeah, well. It’d be nice if I got to see you more often when you’re not covered in blood and dirt."Keith blinks, confused. “What?” He looks a little hurt when Lance pulls his hand away with another sigh, glancing away. “Listen, Keith—it’s not that I’m not happy to see you. I am happy to see you. But the number of times you’ve shown up to see me looking like that?” He can feel Keith watching him as he shakes his head, frowning a little as if he still doesn’t quite understand. “I’m your boyfriend, Keith, not your bodyguard. Yet the only time I seem to see you shirtless is when I’m healing an injury you got while doing something stupid.” Keith flushes slightly, looking down and shoving his hands into his lap. “Oh,” he says softly. “I didn’t know that you… I’m sorry. I don’t want you to think I’m trying to take advantage of you. You’re just the first person I think of when I get hurt because I know you can help me.” “And I always will,” Lance admits quietly. He reaches forward again to press his thumb over the cut on Keith’s forehead, and this time he forces himself not to look away for an entirely different reason. “But just because I can heal you doesn’t mean I like seeing you get hurt.”The cut shrinks and disappears underneath his thumb almost immediately, but he lets himself linger for a moment longer than necessary. Long enough for Keith to think about what he said, and for the corners of his mouth to slowly turn up into a small smile of realization. “You’re just mad because you worry about me.” Lance rolls his eyes, but his tough façade finally cracks and it’s impossible for him to hold back the fond smile of his own. “Wow, almost like I care about you and your well-being. Who would’ve thought?” “Shut up,” Keith laughs breathily, lightly smacking his arm. “I really am sorry. I don’t mean to make you worry.” “You don’t make me do anything,” Lance points out. “Still, I didn’t know it was that hard on you. I should’ve realized.” Keith finds Lance’s other hand where it lays on the bed beside them and curls his fingers underneath his palm, squeezing. “I promise I’ll try to be more careful. Thanks for taking care of me.”“Just try taking care of yourself for a change, too,” Lance says, squeezing his hand back. “Just because you’re practically indestructible doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care about being put in harm’s way.”He finally pulls away from Keith’s forehead to inspect his work and Keith smiles again, tilting his head a little. “How do I look?” His smile falters and the tips of his ears go pink as Lance lets his hand trail down to cup his cheek, warmth blooming in his chest when he gently brushes his thumb over the small cut on Keith’s upper lip. “Missed a spot,” he murmurs, before leaning in and pressing their lips together. He means for it to be short—just a quick, harmless peck—but he should’ve known better. Keith instinctively chases after him the second he pulls away, fingers gripping at his shirt to keep him from getting too far. Lance would be lying if he said he didn’t love having that kind of effect on him, so he lets the kiss linger for another moment before insisting on pulling back, smiling. “There. All better.”Keith touches the place on his lip where there’d been a scratch just moments before, still looking a little awestruck. “Why weren’t we just doing that the whole time?” he breathes, and Lance laughs as Keith drags him back in for another kiss. It still takes him by surprise sometimes, how gentle Keith can be despite how strong he is. Because he shifts to wrap an arm around Lance’s waist and lifts him as if he weighs nothing at all, just to pull him further onto the bed and carefully lay him down like he’s his most prized possession. All of that without ever having to break apart, and Lance is happy to reciprocate.He holds Keith’s face in both hands, fingers tangling in his hair and guiding him back each time, not that either of them need much guidance. At this point Lance swears he knows Keith like he knows himself, has memorized every touch and every feeling in a way that makes him feel more connected than he ever has before. They could find each other in the dark, from opposite ends of the earth if someone asked them to. Keith has both elbows propped on either side of Lance’s head, caging him in and keeping him close. They kiss each other long and slow, but there’s nothing lazy about it. More like thoughtful, intentional, appreciative of the fact that they have each other right here and right now in this moment. It’s urgent in a contradictory way that Lance doesn’t quite know how to describe, leaving him grounded and floating at the same time. Eventually Keith starts to stray, pressing small, reverent kisses to the corner of Lance’s mouth and then his cheek, toward his ear and along his jaw. Lance should be afraid, having someone like Keith so close to his neck. His breath is caught in his throat and he feels lightheaded, a kaleidoscope of butterflies bursting in his stomach. But with Keith, for one or some or every reason, he’s never felt safer. He winds his arms around Keith’s shoulders, leaning into every touch he can get, but he feels the moment that Keith hesitates. His eyes flutter open and he’s almost surprised to find himself still weighed down by gravity instead of floating toward the ceiling. Keith, on the other hand, is staring down at him with his brows knit together and eyes full of uncertainty, which Lance immediately puts a stop to.“Hey.” He goes back to cup Keith’s face in his hand, tilting his chin up to meet his gaze. “I trust you, remember?” Just saying it out loud used to scare Keith, because it changed so much about how he knew himself and what he was capable of. The fact that his trust exists means it has the potential to be broken—but to Lance that’s kind of the point. He trusts Keith, because what he happens to be capable of isn’t what makes him who he is. He trusts him because he knows his heart. And he trusts him with his life, and his magic.Instead of answering, Keith leans down and kisses him in a way that seems to say, I get it now. Because he trusts Lance, and if Lance trusts him, then maybe that means he can learn to trust himself. He picks up right where he left off, resuming his trail of kisses from Lance’s mouth, to his jaw, and finally to his neck. The butterflies in Lance’s stomach come back in full force and he buries his face in Keith’s hair, squeezing his eyes shut. He wishes they could always be this close, no matter the circumstances.Keith’s mouth is warm on his neck, and Lance’s breath hitches slightly every time one or both of his fangs graze his skin, though it’s never enough to break skin or draw blood. Because Keith is gentle like that—every single movement is careful and deliberate, putting Lance’s own comfort above all else. It makes Lance feel so cared for in a way he doesn’t think he’ll ever find anywhere else, and he doesn’t really want to.His head is starting to feel fuzzy with bliss, and he’s about to pull Keith back up so he can keep kissing him himself when the sound of a knock at the door strikes the literal fear of God in his heart. From the way Keith’s head snaps up, eyes wide and face pale, Lance is pretty sure he feels the same way. “Leandro?” A voice floats in from the hall. “Can I come in?”“Oh my god.” Lance breathes. He grips Keith’s arms, panicked. “It’s my mom.” “No.” Keith instantly rolls away and nearly falls off the bed in his haste. “Oh, no—”“Leandro?” Lance’s mom calls again, and as the doorknob starts to turn Lance swears his life flashes before his eyes. “Keith!” he whispers frantically. “Hide!” Keith’s eyes are darting around the room, searching desperately for some sort of escape. The sound of the door creaking open is enough to make him shift into a bat out of sheer panic, and really he should be going for the window, but it’s too late and the door is halfway open and she’s going to see him, so Lance does the only thing he can think of. He snatches Keith right out of the air and stuffs him under his shirt, just as his mother steps into the room.“Mamá! Hi!” He quickly folds his arms over his stomach in an attempt to hide the rather obvious lump, doing his best to appear nonchalant. “You called?” She pauses where she is in the doorway, shooting him a funny sort of smile that tells him he isn’t doing it very well. “I was just coming to say goodnight.” “Thanks,” Lance nods, before realizing that response doesn’t actually make any sense. “I mean—right. Goodnight!” “… And, to ask if you would be willing to babysit the twins tomorrow afternoon. Your father and I have a coven meeting, and your sisters took care of them last week.” Lance has to bite his tongue when Keith squirms slightly and scratches his stomach, but he gets the message and releases some of the pressure on him. “Yeah, no problem. You got it.” She looks confused, but he just smiles and hopes it’s enough to keep her from asking any questions. Then her gaze shifts across the room. “Why is your window open?” He freezes, swallowing as she walks over to pull it shut. “Oh! Uh, no reason. Just needed some fresh air, you know?”Alarm bells start ringing in his head as she approaches the bed. “Are you feeling alright?” She reaches out and pushes his bangs back to feel his forehead, frowning. “Is your stomach bothering you?”“Hm?” Lance looks down. “Oh—nope! I just… sit like this.” She narrows her eyes slightly, and for a split second Lance is terrified that she’s seen right through him. But after a moment she just sighs, and to his relief simply leans down to kiss him on the forehead. “Ay, mi changuito. Sometimes I worry about you.” Lance laughs nervously as she gently pats his cheek, then straightens to leave. “Yeah, I know. Lo siento, mamá.”“Go to bed soon, alright? It’s getting late.” “Okay. I will.” She squeezes his shoulder before heading for the door, and Lance is just starting to relax thinking they’ve made it out of the woods when she stops yet again to bend over and pick something off the floor. “What is this?” Lance’s eyes widen as she lifts the ragged remains of Keith’s disposed T-shirt, pinching it between her thumb and index finger so she can inspect it. “Is this yours? Is that— blood?” “It’s not mine!” Lance blurts. He realizes too late that he isn’t exactly doing himself any favors by admitting that, because suddenly she looks even more horrified than before. “I mean—” “Mijo, are you hurt?” “No!” His mom fixes him with a steely glare, and that’s when he knows he’s in trouble. “Leandro, ¿qué estás escondiendo?”“Nothing!” Lance tries, his voice going shrill.“Ay de mí,” she groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You brought home another cat, didn’t you?” Lance feels Keith’s tiny bat body tense against his stomach and he has to resist the urge to get up and bolt out of the room. “What? No, of course not, I—” “Let me see what you’re hiding,” she demands, approaching the bed again faster than he’s ready for.He instinctively turns himself away when she reaches for him. “Mamá, stop—”Keith must have gathered from everything that they’ve been found out, because he doesn’t waste a second. He wriggles his way out of Lance’s grasp, scrabbles up his chest and dives out from the collar of his shirt before Lance can stop him. They’re lucky that his mom doesn’t start screaming at the sight of him and wake up the entire house, though from her reaction she’s clearly not particularly thrilled, either. “You let in a bat?” she shrieks, ducking and throwing her arms over her head as Keith swoops through the room, bumping into walls and knocking things off shelves as he searches for an exit. “It’s not what you think!” Lance cries, leaping to his feet on the bed so he can try to grab Keith back out of the air. Right now he’s blind, and panicked, probably on track to get himself hurt. He thumps into the window several times, losing altitude before fluttering back toward the ceiling and squeaking in alarm.Lance’s mom snatches his broomstick from where it sits in the corner of his room. “Catch it! Get it out!” Keith flies just a little too close in her direction and she swings, but luckily she misses.“Mom, don’t! Keith—”Keith accidentally hits one of the books on Lance’s hanging shelves and a few of them topple onto the floor, but Lance is much more concerned about his broom-wielding mother at the front of the room. She shrieks again as Keith flaps wildly, making one more desperate attempt for the window as if it’ll magically open. This time when she swings, she makes contact—not very hard, but hard enough to send Keith careening into the floor.She raises the broomstick yet again, and Lance knows she’s probably operating out of pure instinct at this point rather than malicious intent, so he throws himself in front of her with his arms spread wide. “No!” Thank goodness she stops. She immediately freezes, arms still raised and broomstick held in midair, though she looks incredulous as to why he’s being so protective over something that she probably thinks could have rabies. “What are you doing? At least grab it, don’t—” Suddenly she gasps, dropping the broomstick as her hands fly to her mouth. When Lance turns, he finds that Keith has changed again and is now lying on the floor, still looking a little dazed and disoriented. “Oh god,” Lance breathes, hurrying over to his side and kneeling down to help him sit up. “Are you okay?”Keith gratefully grasps his hand and allows himself to be pulled up, blinking several times as he adjusts. “I’m okay.” “Oh, pobrecito,” Lance’s mom steps forward, hands still pressed to her mouth. “I’m so sorry, did I hurt you?”Lance puts his hands on Keith’s shoulders without really thinking, leaning over him protectively as he looks up at her. Keith’s gaze flits back and forth between them, clearly terrified and unsure exactly how he should respond. “I—um.” “Mom,” Lance starts, voice wavering slightly, but he doesn’t get to finish. “Leandro, why didn’t you tell me we had a guest?”Lance stares at her. “I… what?” he asks weakly. His mom just discovered that he’s been hiding a shirtless boy in his room, and a vampire no less. He expected her to be mortified. None of the partial scripts he’d come up with in his head about what would happen if someone found out about Keith went anything like this.She takes one look at them sitting there on the floor, both clearly shaken and scared, and her entire demeanor changes. Her face softens and she slowly steps back to give them a bit more space. “It’s alright,” she says gently. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m sorry about before, I didn’t know.” Keith lets Lance help him to his feet and then backs away, inching toward the window. “I—I’m really sorry,” he stammers. “I should go.” “No, please. Stay.” She speaks just as softly as before, but with enough urgency to make him stop in his tracks. “Aren’t you going to introduce me, Leo?”Lance stares at her, his palms sweating and heart caught in his chest. He doesn’t understand why she seems so calm about all this. Nothing feels right, and he’s terrified that if he makes one wrong move then the two of them are done for. His mother is looking at him so expectantly, so patiently, and he doesn’t know what in the world he’s supposed to say or do. It feels dangerous—his mind is racing and everything is happening so fast and he’s not ready. He almost jumps when he feels Keith’s hand sliding into his, and he steps close to Lance’s side when he turns to look at him. Keith looks just as scared and confused as Lance feels, but at least he’s still here. He meets Lance’s gaze and squeezes his hand, a silent indication that no matter what happens, he’s not leaving. They’ll face this together. Lance swallows, grasps his hand, and nods. The exchange doesn’t go unnoticed by his mom, but she doesn’t say anything. If anything, a look of quiet understanding crosses her face and she smiles sadly, like the pieces have all started to fall into place. Keith clears his throat, tightening his grip on Lance’s hand. “I’m Keith. And I’m really sorry for intruding, I didn’t mean—”“Please, no more apologies,” she interrupts, but coming from her it somehow still feels polite. “You don’t need to explain yourself. Eres bienvenido aquí. I’m glad you’re here.” Lance has spent so much time struggling to find his words that when they finally come, he can’t stop himself. “You’re not mad?” he blurts. She blinks at him in confusion, but then her face falls as she seems to realize exactly what he means. “Oh, mijo.” She slowly comes forward to meet them, and Lance finds himself fighting down a lump in his throat. “How could I be? Did you think I wouldn’t approve?” “I—I didn’t know what you would think,” Lance says, tears springing to his eyes. “I was scared you wouldn’t like him because—it’s not like that, he’s not dangerous, mamá, I swear, he—”“Of course not,” she gasps, taking his empty hand between her own and holding it close to her chest. “No, I would never think such a thing! Oh, cariño…” Tears drip onto Lance’s cheeks as he squeezes his eyes shut and she brushes them away. “Están a salvo. You don’t have to hide anymore.” Keith’s shoulders tense with surprise when she then gently cups his face in her other hand. “And Keith, you are always welcome here. If my son trusts you, I trust you.” Keith looks a little overwhelmed, but the sentiment isn’t lost on him. “Thank you,” he answers quietly.“Please, won’t you come meet everyone?”He stiffens slightly at that, shifting closer to Lance’s side. His mom looks so hopeful, and Lance knows that she means well, but everything about tonight has already been so abrupt and unexpected and it’s just too much. It’s not that he doesn’t want Keith to meet his family, but right now? They’re not prepared. He sniffs and wipes at his face, shaking his head. “Mom… I don’t think now is the best time.”Luckily she doesn’t press, as if she senses from their hesitance that she’s going just a little too fast. Instead she just squeezes his hand again before letting go. “I understand. Another time then, when you’re ready. Both of you.” She glances between them and smiles one more time, in that kind, knowing way of hers. “I’ll give you some time to talk.”They stand and watch as she heads back for the door, still practically clinging to each other as if they’re waiting for something to go wrong at the last second. But when she looks back, nothing seems to have changed, and she locks eyes with Lance. “You know where to find me, mijo,” she says softly. And then she leaves the room, closing the door quietly behind her.The room is so silent, the second that she’s gone. Lance is almost surprised that he doesn’t immediately burst into tears. He’s so overwhelmed, he doesn’t know how he’s supposed to feel right now, whether he should be anxious or relieved or everything all at once. He feels it when Keith glances over at him, probably searching for something comforting to say but coming up empty. Lance doesn’t blame him. He doesn’t know what to say, either.“I’m so sorry,” Keith whispers finally. “You tried to tell me this would happen.” “No.” Lance presses his palm to his temple, shaking his head as he fights back the heat building behind his eyes once again. “Keith—”“This is all my fault.” “No, it’s not.” Lance pulls himself together long enough to turn and gather Keith into his arms, burying his face in his hair as Keith’s fingers pull at his shirt. “I’m sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just… I don’t know.” He wishes he had more time to process. The feeling of Keith’s heart beating against his own is enough to keep him grounded for now, at least. “Do you think she’ll tell everyone else?” Keith asks.Lance thinks about it, but really he already knows the answer. “No,” he decides firmly. “But she’s definitely going to have a lot of questions.”Keith is quiet for a second. “Maybe I should stay.”“Nah, I can’t ask you to do that.” Lance pulls away and smiles, a little sad but genuine. “I think it’ll be better this way. Besides, Shiro and Adam are probably wondering where you are. You’ve already caused enough worry for your well-being tonight.” He just means it as a light-hearted joke, but when Keith still looks uncertain he takes his hand and twines their fingers together. “I promise, I’ll be fine. And who knows, maybe… after tonight, maybe you can come back. When things are different.” Keith studies him for a long moment, but eventually he lets out a breath and tilts forward to kiss him, Lance’s eyes fluttering closed as he does. When he opens them there’s still a small crease of worry on Keith’s brow, but a small part of him looks hopeful, too. “Okay,” he murmurs, and Lance smiles. “I’d like that.”He leaves the same way he came, out the window and into the dark after kissing Lance one more time and wishing him luck. Lance knows he shouldn’t keep his mom waiting, because they really need to talk, but he doesn’t go to her immediately. For a short while he sits alone in his room, using what little time he has to emotionally prepare himself for their conversation. His chest feels tight with anxiety, and no matter how hard he tries he can’t seem to get enough air in his lungs. It was inevitable that someone would find out about Keith eventually. Lance had just hoped that it would be on their own terms, when he knew exactly what to say and how to say it. He always thought he would have to defend himself and his choice. He was ready to defend Keith with his entire being if he thought it was necessary.But when he finally gathers the courage to go out to the living room and face his fears, all he sees is his mother who loves him, and who clearly just wants to share in his life with him.At some point she must sense his presence somehow because she looks up from the book she’s been reading to find Lance standing there at the end of the room. Her face immediately melts into a smile and she sets the book aside, wordlessly patting the couch beside her. Lance quickly walks across the room and accepts the invitation to fall into her open arms as he sits down, falling into her side and letting himself be held by her the same way he would when he was just a kid.It’s like the invisible weights holding him down decided to suddenly float away, releasing all of the pressure that had been building up over the past few months. He curls up against her and relaxes, and she runs her fingers through his hair in that soothing way of hers. They don’t speak for a while, which Lance is grateful for. It gives him another kind of assurance he didn’t know he needed, making him feel like it really is okay to be taking things slow right now.Eventually she clicks her tongue, and Lance’s nerves are settled enough that he chances to look at her. “You know, Leandro… if you wanted to have a boy over, all you had to do was ask.” “Mamá,” Lance groans, cheeks burning as he buries his face against her side and she laughs. “Please, it wasn’t like that.” “I’m just teasing, mijo.” She leans down to press a kiss in his hair when he lifts his head again, pouting. “Did I read the situation wrong?”Lance bites his lip and looks away. “I didn’t say that,” he mumbles.They fall back into silence for a moment, and she resumes running her fingers through his hair like she knows he’ll start overthinking otherwise.“I can tell you care about him,” she hums.Lance swallows, curling his fingers in her shirt as if it’ll make him smaller. “I do,” he admits quietly.“Tell me about him.” Lance looks up at her, and from the easy smile on her face he realizes that it’s a question, not an order; an unspoken will you? that tells him she really does want him to tell her. So he takes a deep breath, and he does.