Chapter Text
Like clockwork, Keith found himself becoming slightly overwhelmed despite the way he was enjoying himself. He planned an escape route, as he was quite good this by now, after years of avoiding social interaction, and managed to sneak outside for some fresh air. It was chilly but the fresh air felt pleasant on his skin, and awoke his senses. It was not cold enough to be jarring, and so Keith relished in it.
“The sky looks really pretty.” He heard someone say suddenly, as he gasped and turned to see who it was. Lance, smiling, sat down beside him.
“Mm, yeah.” Keith replied. He hadn’t expected Lance to come out and find him, and he couldn’t yet tell if he was happy or not that he did. He had wanted some solitude, just briefly, so he could keep himself from getting too worked up. Yet he felt calm, which surprised him. Calm enough to make him forget someone was sitting so close to him.
“I don’t know, though,” Lance began, sounding cheeky. “I can think of a few things that are prettier.” As if he had forgotten Keith could hear him, he startled when Keith turned to look at him.
“Like what?” Keith asked.
“Like an A on a math test you studied really hard for, or my mom’s smile...” And then very quietly, he finished the sentence. “You.”
“‘You’ as in like...me? Like the me right here?”
“Yeah.” A deep breath. “Yeah, you.”
“Oh. Well, thank you. I don’t get that often from people who aren’t Mrs. Shirogane.” Lance laughed, some of the tension in his shoulders dissipating. Keith wasn’t quite sure what had caused him to look so stressed in the first place, but he thought it wasn’t a look that suited him. People like Lance should always have a smile on their face, he thought, or else something was quite wrong with the world.
“She seems like a sweet lady.” Lance said.
“She’s like my mom. Sometimes I don’t even care that I don’t have one because I have her.”
“You don’t have a mom?” He asked it as nonchalantly as he could, his voice soft. Inside a million thoughts flew through his head, but he tried to play it cool, to sound neutral. Sometimes when people asked Keith this question, it felt like a punch, like cold water splashed on his face. But this time it felt like a gentle knock on a door, hoping for a response.
“Nope,” He said dismissively. “Don’t really know the circumstances myself but...I'm here now, right? Somehow I'm here.”
“That’s right,” Lance said, expression brighter. “You’re here, and you have us now. It’s funny...I always loved shows and movies like that.”
“Like what?”
“A bunch of people, unlikely friends, coming together. I was just always drawn to that dynamic. I have it now.”
“It feels nice,” Keith agreed. “I always think of us as friends in my head but hearing someone else say it is so much better. Sometimes I- I know this is pathetic, but i think I'm hoping for a little too much.”
“Not pathetic at all.” Lance said, certainty in his tone that Keith had not expected. “It’s not like people have these huge signs on their chest saying exactly how they feel. It’s tricky. Trust is a gamble. We do our best not to get hurt but...you know your best isn’t always good enough.” He looked far away suddenly, his mind occupied. Keith nudged him.
“You thinking about something specific?”
“No,” He said, dismissive, unlike himself.
“Sure seems like it.” A beat. “Something happen?”
“Yeah.” he said, breathlessly. He nodded quickly. “Chau happened. I came over to make things right between us. We had a bit of a fight that day I brought you food. and he’s- he’s not a nice person, Chau isn’t. I didn’t realize. I don’t know how I didn’t. it seems so obvious now, but anyways...He was mad about me texting other guys. Not even flirting, just texting at all, and then I found out he cheated on me. I don’t know when, but the fact that it happened at all...and the thing is I don’t even like him anymore, so I shouldn’t care, but the fact that he was willing to hurt me, that he did hurt me, well. That’s just a little harder to stomach, and I'm rambling. And I'm sorry.”
“It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong. You know, I should’ve said something. I feel partially responsible.” Lance remembered how Keith’s name had come up, if he somehow knew about it.
“Shiro told me he was suspicious of Chau. Apparently he and Allura don’t get along well, and I'll tell you right now, that is not because of Allura. I should’ve said something. I just didn’t want to make you upset. It seemed so presumptuous. and now you’re hurt. I should’ve been a better friend. I'm sorry, Lance.” The new information knocked back and forth in his head. So there had been signs. So people had picked up on it. and yet he hadn’t. He had always thought of himself as someone who was good at reading others, but he must have been mistaken. He felt like a fool. and now Keith felt responsible for something he wasn’t even involved in.
“I guess the truth is it’s neither of our faults. But you’re sweet, Keith. you’re really sweet.” Keith couldn’t help it; he smiled.
“Wanna get back to the sleepover now?” Keith suggested. Nyma is gonna take all the pillows and we’ll have to sleep on just the mattress. She’s got a glint in her eye. I think she’s a pickpocket.”
“Oh,” Lance laughed. “I know she’s a pickpocket. But like, a harmless one. She steals things you don’t need. She knows how to do that thing with the bobby pin where you unlock the door. I tried to do that once when I got locked out and guess what I got. A fucked up bobby pin with all the paint scratched off. Looked like a paper clip that got run over by a truck. There were no winners that day.” He sighed. Keith laughed.
“Well,” He nudged Lance. “Did anyone ever let you in?”
“ No,” He replied, sounding bitter. “But my brother Guillermo is irresponsible as shit and he always leaves his bedroom window open. It’s like he wants to get bitten by mosquitos. So I climbed the side of my house with a ladder that was there for some reason...I think my dad tried to fix our roof at some point and gave up - truly a McClain thing to do - and let myself in. I also almost got stuck in the window. Please don’t try this at home.”
“But that’s where you tried it, asshole.” Keith laughed.
“I know. that’s why I'm telling you not to try it. It sucks.”
“Lance?”
“Yeah?”
“I think Shay is vaping in your room. I also think your mom would kick our asses if she knew that. Let’s hurry back.”
“I thought Shay had asthma.”
“Don’t ask me.”
“Oh. I hear coughing. She does have asthma.”
When they walked into the room, they saw Shay having a terrible coughing fit while Hunk patted her back sympathetically. Nyma cackled into a pillow to muffle the sound and Shay glared at her.
“Fuck you, Nyma.”
“Right back atcha, baby lungs. I told you not to breathe in like that.”
“I told you she has asthma.” Lance said to Keith.
“We’ve established that.”
“Oh, hey guys.” Hunk said sheepishly. “Sorry. Nyma was...insistent.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Lance waved his hand. “Just cut it out so my mom doesn’t kick you guys out.” Hunk gasped.
“Your mom would kick me out? We baked together, dude. We have a sacred bond.”
“Well maybe not over a vape, but that’s as much as you can get away with. She has an incredibly good nose. One time I ate salsa with cilantro in it and you know how that is. The smell of cilantro seeps into everything. I washed that shirt twice and then wore it to our house and she hugged me. I’m chilling, enjoying the hug, and then all of a sudden she pulled back and asked me if I just had salsa. That shirt didn’t smell like cilantro anymore, man. Just the fresh clean scent of Gain,” He paused, and then suddenly horrified he said: “I think she can smell my thoughts. I really, really hope I'm wrong about that.”
“I hope Shiro doesn’t see my Google searches.” Keith said suddenly. “There’s nothing sexual in there. I just clicked on SafarI and I have three tabs open; all Google searches.” He held his phone, reading the searches out loud. “The first one says “Why do I feel so alone?” I don’t even remember searching that. The second one says “How many pretzels can a human fit in their mouth?”. and the last one is “Zak Bagans’ wife”. He’s not married by the way. That’s important to me.”
“Zak Bagans is old enough to be your dad.”
“A fact I am painfully aware of…”
“Keith.”
“Look. If Zak Bagans actually asked me out I’d call the fucking police. That’s over a 20 year age gap, but let a man dream.”
“Fair enough...But if he ever hits you up I'll fight him myself.”
“Don’t think you’d win, but the sentiment is appreciated.” Keith said, laughing, but got hit in the head unexpectedly by a rather large pillow, thrown by Hunk with no prior warning. Lance narrowed his eyes.
“A pillow fight? You want to have a pillow fight?” Lance asked. He smirked. “It’s
on,”