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There was a slow trickle of belongings moving residence over the next weeks. Keith’s books on astronomy and alien biology being left behind after quiet evenings of reading and tea. His map of the universe, complete with his own chicken scrawl notes, finding its way up on the living room wall during one of his retellings, never to be taken down again. His t-shirts piling up in the dryer and eventually getting their own corner of a drawer in Lance’s dresser. Not that he needed them – he’d started borrowing shirts as his own got washed; a habit he never grew out of and that neither of them commented on. Keith liked the feel of them on his body. And going by the look on Lance’s face whenever he stepped out of the bedroom in the morning – a smile hidden behind a cup of coffee – he was pretty sure he approved.
At first it was all a flurry of relearning each other and finding ways to fit into each other’s lives – Lance was finishing up assignments with his class and Keith was figuring out how to best do his job; not from the center of an exploding building across the universe, but from an office on Earth. It wasn’t always a smooth, easy road, but it was winding and snaking in the right direction.
They spent a lot of their time touching. It was innocent, tender in a chaste way that spoke of old love, but unfamiliar sensations. They held on to each other with a lingering fear that this was all an elaborate dream, that would soon start fading at the edges. He knew Lance felt it too, from the way he reached out for him sometimes, just to touch his cheek or mess up his bangs, smiled faintly; as if to himself, and then returned to his earlier activity. He felt it himself whenever he woke during the night and didn’t immediately feel Lance’s warmth against his body. He’d reach out, heart hammering, fearing to find the bed cold and the dream over.
But they kept reaching each other. And nothing faded.
They talked. A lot. About their shared past, laughing over wine over stupidities they’d done together as teenagers until Lance had tears in his eyes and Keith had sunk onto the floor in embarrassment. About their years apart, filling each other in on their lives until they knew every nook and cranny of the other’s sorrows, successes, humiliations, and proudest moments. It stung every time, learning of yet another time Lance had needed his support. Needed his congratulations. Needed to be loved, and made to believe it. He’d apologize and tell Lance how much he wished he’d been there, how he should never have left. But then Lance would start talking about all the times when Keith would’ve needed a right-hand man, an ally, a friend up there in cold space; lightyears away from his loved ones – and Keith would realize the pointlessness of regret. He’d lean in to press a light kiss on Lance’s mouth, stopping his ramblings of what could have been.
“We’re here now,” he’d say. “And I like being here. Don’t you?”
It always made Lance smile; first softly, then blooming into a full smile. He’d pull Keith closer, onto his lap and into his arms.
“Yeah, I do.”
And they talked of the future. They didn’t make any big plans – it wasn’t necessary. But they’d mention offhand the places they wanted to visit, holidays they’d go on together. Lance’s favorite spots to hang out. Galaxies Keith wanted to bring him to. He went to sleep each night with a sore throat and cheeks tired from smiling, but the ache was nothing compared to the lightness in his chest. The pure joy that was bubbling there, constant and safe, as he pulled the covers over himself. It reminded him of being five and trying to sleep the night before his birthday party, shivering with excitement. And he would get to feel this way every night from now on?
How he’d deserved to be this lucky, he didn’t know.
And soon it all slowed down, as fall break gave Lance some breathing room and Keith had established his new role as mission coordinator and advisor.
He had always thought giving up his life in space for a partner would make him feel weak, like he was running away from his responsibilities to indulge in a fantasy of love on Earth. Instead, he was now starting to realize that it was in space he had been running away. Responsibilities were everywhere. But love? That had been waiting for him back home all this time. His body didn’t complain about the change of pace, either – he was strong and healthy, but god, was he exhausted.
Finally, they had time to spend with each other, and not just the moments in between, the morning coffee and the rushed dinners and the hushed conversations before bed, but the stretched-out hours of the day, and the timeless minutes of long nights.
Keith arrived home – he couldn’t believe how two months were enough to make Lance’s apartment feel like home – from his last day at work before his week off, to find Lance flushed and sparkly eyed in the entrance hall, immediately herding him into the bathroom with oven mittens still on his hands.
“No peeking! Shower, dress, then yell for me, okay?”
Keith was trying hard not to smile at the seriousness in his tone.
“What’s this?”
“Shush! No questions!” Lance snapped his mittens at him like a crab. Okay, he couldn’t not smile at that.
“Did you make me a surprise dinner or something?”
“No guessing!!”
Keith put on a pout.
“What about a kiss, then? Or is that not allowed, either?”
Lance looked positively conflicted for a second, before clamping the mittens around his face and giving his pout a quick, hard smooch.
“That’s all you get for now, bad-boy. Go clean off!”
And he was gone, jogging down the hall to where something had begun beeping.
Keith was so in love it hurt.
After showering, he put some effort into his appearance – something that for some reason was fun now, instead of a bother. He kept humming to himself as he dressed in the simple outfit Lance had found for him, put on cologne and a little bit of eyeliner; just enough to make his eyes pop. Humming. Like some kind of lovesick fool.
Well—
He was about to go for the door when he remembered a little something. His cheeks felt warm as he quickly pulled his hair up into a high ponytail, making sure to leave some locks out. So what if he wanted Lance to smile at the sight of him. So what if he hoped to get hair tucked behind his ear again. He was a battle-hardened space soldier, okay?
Just… not today.
Lance allowed him into the living room after a few minutes of hurried footsteps and clanging of cutlery. With an extravagant gesture of his arms, of course.
“Ta-daa,” he sung, slightly out of breath. Keith took in the dimmed lights of the living room, the decorations and the steaming pots.
“Candlelit dinner? Really?”
The ridicule would’ve worked better if he wasn’t smiling like a dork.
“I thought it’d be nice with a little quality time, just the two of us,” Lance smiled, putting his hands proudly on his hips. “And you’re looking high quality tonight, babe.” Then he winked.
“....I...you...thank you, but please never do that again,” Keith huffed.
Lance was looking pretty cute himself, though clearly not styled – but Keith honestly enjoyed the look of I-just-ran-around-making-a-fancy-dinner-in-a-questionably-short-amount-of-time very much.
As if noticing his gaze, Lance glanced down and cringed.
“Sorry I’m not dressed for the occasion, ah, it got a little rushed there at the end...”
He scratched his cheek in embarrassment and the sound of his scruff seemed to alarm him.
“Oh god no, I didn’t even shave-“
“That’s fine,” Keith said a little too quickly. “I don’t, uh, mind. That.”
“Yeah?”
Lance grinned slowly, letting his hand fall.
“You think it’s hoooot, dontcha?”
“I didn’t say that. In fact, I have no idea why you’d even think–“
“You like your men a little rough along the edges, Kogane?”
Lance was sauntering closer, a particular shine in his blue eyes. And oh no. He had not signed up for being flirted with by Lance McClain when he accepted that first kiss. Well – maybe he had, technically – but that didn’t mean he was ready.
He was never gonna be ready for the sight of Lance bringing his chin up with a finger before leaning down to press their lips softly together.
He definitely wasn’t ready for the bite that Lance pressed into his lower lip.
Keith gasped embarrassingly loud as his lip was tugged a little before it was released. Lance wore a pleased expression when he leant back, and Keith assumed the burn in his face was visible.
“Like that?” Lance asked, smugly.
“You absolute beast, McClain,” Keith grumbled, lifting a hand to his mouth.
“Only for you,” he grinned. Then: “You’re not wearing your gloves.”
“I don’t wear them on dates,” he said sweetly.
“Tease.”
“Beast.”
Lance bowed with a flourish.
“Well then, my lovely tease, may I welcome you to an evening with this rugged beast?”
This fucking guy–
He wasn’t gonna make it through the night if he kept talking like that.
Still, Keith allowed him to take his hand and press a chaste kiss to the back of it. Of course he did. It sent a questionable spark zipping down his arm, but otherwise he survived the ordeal.
He ignored Lance’s smirk – that smirk was dangerous – and sat down by the table. It really was candlelit; sweet and homey and awfully romantic.
“It’s...nice,” Keith said, feeling surprisingly genuine. He wasn’t one for classic romance – or at least, that’s what he’d always thought. With others, the moonlit walks and roses had felt like a parody. A fraud. He’d tried to get into it, he really had – he’d gone through with the smiles and nods, the kisses and the slow sex afterwards. And it was nice, sure – but it wasn’t him.
With Lance, he felt himself buying into all the clichés. Because in all his clumsy sincerity, it was clear that it wasn’t about the stage they were playing on; but about them. They’d had some of the best times Keith could remember while eating microwaved leftovers from the same bowl, sitting on the counter in the kitchen late at night, or while waiting for the bus to the Garrison during bleak early mornings, or while grabbing lunch together in the cantina to eat at the rooftop. So an extra effort like this didn’t come across as a way to cheat romance into their lives. It felt earnest.
“I like it.”
“Yeah? There’s lamb, rice and root vegetables on the menu. Want some wine?”
He could hear happiness and a hint of surprise in Lance’s voice, and he made a mental note to drop his grumpy act around these things in the future. Maybe Lance would start buying him flowers.
“...Did you buy a wine called Red Lion on purpose?”
“Maybe?”
Keith shook his head, smiling.
“Yes, please. A glass would be nice.”
Lance poured with exaggerated elegance before sitting down opposite of him. They brought their glasses together with a little clink.
“To our future,” Lance smiled.
“And to our stupid past,” Keith added, and Lance nodded with a cringe.
“May our stupidity not carry on.”
“May it be left in the dust.”
“May it be erased from history.”
“It probably won’t, though,” Keith sighed, “Not all of it.”
“Oh, I’m sure a fair part of it will stick around. But it’ll be the kind of stupidity we’ll laugh about after. Not the kind that breaks hearts.”
“Does that mean I’m not allowed to dip your cookies into my milkshakes?”
Lance stabbed his fork into a vegetable and waved it in a circle at him, accusatory.
“Spot on. I still haven’t recovered from that nightmare, to be honest. They’re supposed to be crunchy, for god’s sake. Getting the right texture is an art.”
“You know I like them soft... But fine, I’ll leave your cookies alone. Only for you, babe.”
He sighed dramatically and dove into his meal.
Their talk drifted to the other paladins as they ate. Lance had met up with Allura and Hunk a few years back: “She’s grown so much into the role of queen, you wouldn’t believe – well, you would. You know her.” and “I’m so proud of Hunk, you have no idea… Imagine, an intergalactic Diplomat! My buddy Hunk!” He called all of them regularly – always the social glue of the group. Pidge had apparently been back on Earth on a visit recently and had hung out with Lance for an entire week. They’d shown her newest weird tech to his class, gone to an amusement park, partied, and talked about the old days.
Keith felt a sting of guilt as he heard of all the reunions he’d missed out on. He’d blamed his heartbreak as he avoided them all, but he’d forgotten how much he appreciated all those friendships on their own.
“I miss them,” he found himself saying, something that shouldn’t have felt like such a surprising realization.
“You’ll see them again.”
Lance’s hand had landed on top of his on the table. Reassuring.
“We’ll all meet up, and awe them all when we tell them we finally got our heads out our asses and fell in love.”
He sighed dramatically.
“I can’t wait to show you off.”
Keith smiled into his wine.
“Show me off, huh?”
“You’ll be my hot, grumpy, space soldier arm candy.”
“Oh yeah? Well, I can’t promise to laugh at all your jokes.”
“Aw, babe... You already do.”
“No... I don’t...” he scoffed.
“You laughed at my shitty dragon ball joke the other day.”
“I did not! That was an awful pun!”
“Filthy lies, you totally laughed!”
“I exhaled... heavily... through my nose. Okay?”
“Aw, whatever. You think I’m funny~”
“Yeah, yeah, your humor is my daily bread. How could I ever survive without your presence.”
“And I’d never get by without your eyerolls and scoffs. But really though...”
His eyes went softer, more serious.
“I’m so glad you’re here with me,” Lance whispered. “You wanna know why, love?”
Keith’s heart skipped a beat.
“Yeah?”
Their hands laced together on the table, warm and soft and tight.
“That way,” Lance murmured, “I don’t have to do all these damn dishes myself.”
“You monster,” Keith hissed, yanking his hand back. Lance giggled.
“What? It’s only fair.”
“You’re awful,” he sniffed, “An awful, awful man.”
“Aww, babe... Did I hurt the brave warrior?”
“You crossed the line this time, McClain. Playing me like that? I dunno if I can forgive you.”
“Not even if I let you control the music while we clean?”
Lance leant his chin on his hand, giving him a full dose of ocean blue doe-eyes.
“As loud as you want, baby.”
He huffed.
“...Fine.”
In the end they shared the dishes, Lance washing while Keith did the drying; all the while blasting his favorite electropop tunes at a questionable volume. Lance pretended to hate it, as was obligatory, but he saw those hip swings when the beat was extra catchy.
It was already late when they finished. They got ready for bed in an easy rhythm of familiarity, something Keith had settled into surprisingly easily. Lance made fun of Keith for the dainty way he held his toothbrush; with his little finger out. Keith responded by flashing a gross foamy grin at him.
While he rinsed out his mouth he saw Lance change from the corner of his eye, catching a glimpse of warm brown skin as he tugged his shirt over his head; so much of it he got dizzy with the thought of feeling it against his own. He flushed, stupidly enough. When Lance started taking his pants off he decided he might as well wash his face in the cold water. He hid his expression in a towel after, scolding himself for getting worked up. But how couldn’t he? The entire evening he’d been looking for signs of...well.
Hints?
...Had there been hints?
They’d grown so comfortable around each other in their little domestic bliss – being close and at ease in their shared space, but still with a sense of innocence. They shared a bed and an apartment and an abundance of kisses, but the touches never strayed. Like they were both waiting for the right moment.
Which would be..?
He sighed and lifted his face, catching Lance doing a little jump as he tugged his pajama pants over his butt.
“You ready?” he grinned and threw Keith the matching pajama top. He huffed and changed quickly, almost tripping when he tugged his jeans off. Why did he feel so bare in his boxers this night, this was how he always slept. Lance watched him with a small smile.
“Let’s head to bed, yeah?” he said, looping his arms around his neck and pressing their lips softly together. Keith sighed shakily against him.
“Yeah...”
They settled into the sheets, having their regular little tug-of-war of the covers before making peace with their positions. Then there was dim darkness and silence, and Keith’s still remaining silly, silly blush.
They still hadn’t said goodnight.
Keith drew in a breath before deciding to just go for it.
“Did you have any, uh… plans for tonight?”
Lance rolled over to rest his head on Keith’s chest, smiling innocently.
“Yup. I had.”
And if that didn’t jumpstart Keith’s pulse—
Am I clean enough? Did I bring lube? Will he think pineapple flavor is strange? Do I smell? Aaaaaaaah—
“I love you.”
Keith stopped breathing. Lance just smiled wider.
“I just wanted to tell you that.”
“Lance, baby...”
He breathed a little laugh, disbelieving and hopelessly charmed.
“You didn’t actually plan this entire evening just to tell me that?”
“Hmm, maybe I did...”
Keith’s voice went soft as he ruffled though the other’s hair.
“You realize you could’ve just told me, right? I wouldn’t have run.”
Lance leant into his touch, humming.
“This was more romantic.”
And how could he not smile at that, letting Lance kiss his fingers before pulling him close.
“So what now?” he murmured against a warm, bare chest.
“Gonna cuddle you to sleep.”
Arms tightened around him until he coughed.
“More like to death,” he wheezed.
“Aww, sorry babe.”
Lance loosened his hold until he was comfortably locked in his favorite embrace.
They fell into silence again, just the faint hush of cars and crickets filling the nightly quiet. Lance had grown still, his chest rising and falling slow and his arm sleep-heavy around his waist.
Keith let out a slow breath against the warmth of his collarbone.
“...I love you too. You know that,” he whispered into the silence.
Lance fake snored loudly. Keith punched his shoulder, blushing hard in the dark.
“Go to sleep, idiot.”
“Love you, too, babe.”
“Shut up,” he grumbled, trying to pull away but being pulled back tight against Lance’s chest and rocked back and forth.
“Love you... I looove you. I love you, love you, loooove youu...”
“Oh my god...” Keith groaned, giving his limp body over to Lance’s ministrations. He was wriggle-hugged for a little while longer, to the sound of his boyfriend’s snickering. Then finally, Lance kissed him quick before letting him settle into a peaceful embrace again. A few seconds went by, then a different tone appeared in Lance’s voice. It was almost... hesitant.
“You’re not, uh... disappointed, right? Like, I mean... Did you, um. Was there something–“
Even in the dim bedroom, Keith could easily see the look in Lance’s eyes; flustered and kind and a little nervous.
Disappointed? No way. He’d never be with Lance.
“It was perfect, baby.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm... okay then. Night, babe.”
“Goodnight.”
And a little addition, this time:
“Love you.”
“Love you too, babe.”
***
When he woke up it was a late Saturday morning, they had nowhere to be for days and days, and he was surrounded by warm boyfriend on every side. He hummed happily, almost a purr, and nestled deeper into the crook of Lance’s neck. A responding sleepy groan sent vibrations through the other’s chest.
“You awake?” Keith mumbled.
“Uh-huh.”
Lance yawned loudly, leaning down to kiss his cheek and nuzzle into his neck.
“That tickles...”
He tried to push away the scruffy head invading his sensitive neck, but Lance kept going, pressing wet kisses in between the roughness of his stubble.
“Isn’t this what you wanted, huh? Enjoying the beard massage? The beard-sage?”
“That doesn’t even make sense-“
He yelped when the rubbing intensified, tearing him away by his hair with a scowl. Lance was laughing.
“Apology kiss?” he pleaded, trying to lean down despite Keith’s solid grip on his curls. And how could he say no to that face. Those words, spoken in a sleep-rough voice. His fingers slipped, Lance’s beam of victory came closer, and then he was too busy being suffocated in lazy morning kisses to care. They had a hint of morning breath and chapped lips, but they were slow and sweet; the kind where one kiss blended into the next until he got dizzy trying to keep track of time. He gasped as Lance leisurely sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, feeling warm all of a sudden.
“Apology accepted,” he breathed, making the corners of Lance’s eyes crinkle.
“Yeah? Good morning then, love.”
The pet name had his heart skipping a beat, and he leant up against Lance eagerly. They ended up flopping over, Keith being pulled tightly to his chest as he returned the kisses, deepening them slowly and loving the heat it sent to his core whenever he felt Lance’s tongue in his mouth. He hadn’t made out like this in forever, and he missed it. It felt warm and soft and wet, and the whole time Lance’s hands kept wandering up his back and down his hips, constantly moving with light caresses.
It felt nice, and his body was agreeing.
He flushed, lifting his hips in a way he hoped was subtle. Apparently it wasn’t, for Lance’s mouth hesitated against his.
And...
Why not now?
There was nothing stopping them.
“Hey,” Lance said, puffing warm breath against him, “You good?”
Keith nodded, a tiny movement. Lance’s eyes were on him, silently asking as his hands trailed down his back once more, this time settling loosely over his boxers to draw featherlight circles there with his fingertips. It felt like they were both holding their breath for a second.
Lance swallowed and went, “Can I?” Keith breathed out a hoarse “Yes” and then those warm hands were cupping him, leading him down and grinding them gently together. Even that slow drag sent a pulse of heat through his body, and oh god. Oh god he was embarrassingly horny all of a sudden. He muffled a sound into Lance’s chest, but the next rolls of hips up against him had him unable to keep quiet. Lance was still palming and kneading his ass in a lazy tempo, humming appreciatively. Keith squirmed under the attention and ended up panting into Lance’s neck from the way he could feel Lance, all over him and under him and rubbing up against him.
“Hey. Heey. Stop hiding.”
Lance’s nose was nudging into his cheek, trying to coax him out from his cover. When he just burrowed deeper, Lance was quick to flip them over in a smooth move, and he was on his back again. Framed by Lance’s tattooed arms, right beneath his smiling face. He made a small whine, knowing how red he had to be. Lance only chuckled, cupping his cheek with one hand.
“I’ve been waiting forever to see you like this.”
He rolled his hips again, and oh–
With the way Keith’s legs were hooked around his waist, the angle, and the help of gravity – it had his lips slipping out a raw sound, a little shocked moan at how they were lining up just right. It felt... too fucking good.
And Lance was seeing it all, dammit. He shut his eyes in embarrassment as another grind tore a needy sound from him. Lance would know, now. See how much he craved being touched by him, how he’d fallen weak to the thought for years.
“Baby...”
He squinted out between his eyelashes, before hesitatingly glancing up to meet Lance’s eyes. He saw heat there, the gentle fervor of admiration, love and want.
Keith let out a breath, trying to ground himself. Brave space warrior. Over ten years in the field. Lance had called him samurai, once. He could do this.
“Kiss me,” he breathed, and Lance obliged happily. The gentle rhythm of their hips continued, became a steady rocking as their lips found each other again and again. His moans were swallowed by the swooping tongue of his boyfriend now; and Keith eagerly muffled Lance’s own needy groans with his mouth.
It was all so much, making him feel overheated and tingly and way too close, already. He gasped and dug his fingers into Lance’s warm back, but he wasn’t stopping. In fact, his grinds had become deeper, harder, sending wave after wave of pleasure up his body. His voice was so breathy when he finally managed to speak.
“Lance, Lance, you’re gonna make me--“
“Yeah? Gonna come?”
“Fuck...”
He couldn’t take this side of Lance, the way his voice sounded when it was rough with sex and the way his eyes lit up at the thought of Keith coming in his boxers like a teenager. And the words he was saying–
“Come on, baby... Keith, come on, it’s okay. Let me see you let go, honey...”
It hit him like a wave dragging him under, making his back arch and his eyes fall shut as pleasure shook though him. He wasn’t sure what sounds he made, but as he came down, trembling slightly, he saw Lance’s grin grow pleased.
“Good?”
Keith tried to catch his breath, mind still reeling from the fact that Lance McClain just made you cum in your underwear, oh god.
“Very.”
He wet his lips, trying to gather his thought. Priorities. Number one, getting those pajama pants gone.
“Can I get you off?” he asked, and he could swear he saw Lance’s blush deepening, before he shook his head.
“You don’t have to.”
Their noses brushed together, and Keith pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
“I wanna... I wanna, Lance.”
“...Yeah?”
And Lance was smiling again, like a kid on Christmas. Keith wiped off that stupid grin easily enough.
“I’ve been told I’m good with my mouth.”
Lance swore breathily.
“Y-yeah, go for it.”
He made way for Keith to change positions, and parted his legs so he could settle in between them. Keith stared down at the clear bulge in those star patterned pajama pants and felt a sudden wave of nervousness. But no. He was good at this. He’d done a lot of scary things in his life – fought in zero gravity, crawled into a weblum’s mouth, battled space monsters – sucking dick was not one of them. It was just...
Lance. This was Lance, the one and only; his Lance. And this was their first time.
He really wanted to make a good impression.
A small sound made him glance up from his probably suspiciously long session of spacing out in between his boyfriend’s parted legs. He looked down at Lance. He had a blush high in his cheeks, face partly hidden behind his arms, chest already rising and falling a little quick. When Keith’s hands settled lightly on his inner thighs, his body gave a little twitch.
He was nervous, too.
Of course he was – Keith felt stupid for... well, for feeling stupid. No matter the experience Lance had, his first time being touched intimately by a new person – a new and important person, no less – would be nerve wracking. Keith would know, he was experienced himself. He had to stop questioning himself. It didn’t matter if it ended up clumsy – they were stupidly in love, for fuck’s sake. They would get over it.
With that philosophy in mind, Keith tugged off Lance’s pants and settled on his stomach.
“You ready?”
“Yes,” Lance said loudly, “Um, yeah. Yes I am. Ohhh–“
He gasped as Keith breathed warmly over the tent in his boxers, mouthing at it lightly.
“Keith!”
He loved hearing his name like that. Wanting to hear it over and over, he teased at the waistband with a finger for a while before tugging the boxers down in one go, leaning back to throw them aside to join the pajamas. And finally Lance laid naked beneath him, panting and flushed. He settled down again, finding a comfortable position before dragging a knuckle lightly up his length.
Lance’s dick was gorgeous, and it was right in front of his face.
Oh yeah.
He was in the motherfucking zone now.
Lances breath hitched when he put his hand around him. He made a whiny sound as he begun stroking, and groaned when Keith leant in to tease at the tip with his tongue. So vocal. He quickly decided he loved it.
He got down to business though, too impatient to tease for long. Next time, he promised himself. He felt confident enough now to be sure there would be a next time – a thousand ones, if he’d have anything to say about it. Licking his lips to wet them, he began using his mouth the way he knew he was skilled at; pressing wet kisses along veins and swirling his tongue over the slit, constantly moving up and down and around. When Lance was moaning at sufficient levels, he took him into his mouth and began bobbing his head slow. Shallowly, at first, his hair getting in the way – but he still had Lance squirming slightly beneath him, fisting the sheets as if he had to hold on to something. Keith had a better idea.
“Hold my hair?” he said after pulling off, voice a little rough.
“Fuck yeah I can,” Lance gasped, eagerly gathering his bangs and other loose locks into a fist, holding it in place as Keith popped him back into his mouth. Time to show off his skills.
“Shit, you look so good like this, I can’t believe–“
He cut off when Keith fluttered his lashes at him before sinking down again, this time taking him all the way to the root; only stopping when his nose burrowed into pubic hair.
“Oh my god...” Lance wheezed, staring up into the ceiling, “Oh my god.”
His hips were twitching and bucking unintentionally, but Keith didn’t mind. He’d gotten rid of his gag reflex years ago. And fuck yeah, he felt good. Confident, and sexy as hell. He hummed a pleased note at Lance’s more than favorable reactions, and begun bobbing his head, letting the dick nudge against the back of his throat with every swallow.
He soon lost himself in the rhythm of it, closing his eyes and enjoying the taste and feel and the sounds of Lance babbling incoherently about his wonderful mouth. What eventually stopped him was Lance’s hand in his hair gently tugging him off. He caught his breath, wiping his mouth quickly.
“What?”
“I’m- I’m gonna come, Keith–“
“That’s fine, I’ll swallow.”
“Fuck–“ Lance groaned, “Keith, ohmygod, you’re so–“
“So...?”
He smirked, flicking the tip of his tongue out to tease, making Lance’s whole body jerk.
“Ahh, sweetheart. Honey. Love of my life. I meant I’m gonna come too quickly if we... if you wanna...”
“Oh,” Keith said. “Oh. Yeah, I wanna. Please.”
“Well, if you’re gonna... ask that nicely,” Lance panted, flashing a sudden grin. “Get over here, cowboy.”
Keith rose on unsteady legs, chucking his dirty boxers away before crawling into Lance’s lap. Their thighs brushed together, both burning to the touch and slightly sticky. Skin on skin. Keith felt greedy for it.
He grabbed the back of his pajama shirt and tugged it over his head, letting it mess up his hair in the process. Lance was looking appreciatively up at him after, his hands settling on his hips to draw light circles there.
“Damn, Kogane... Lookin’ hot.”
“Thanks,” Keith mumbled, like an idiot. He leant in to kiss Lance hard before he could say anything more. The force of it pushed them back into the mattress, bouncing off it slightly. Keith kept aggressively making out with him until the barks of laughter in between each swallow of lips and tongue turned into moans instead.
And for endless, syrup-slow minutes they were just touching; hands sliding up the back of thighs and fingers digging into shoulders, noses bumping insistently together and lips pressing into the warm dips of necks. Wordlessly making up for a decade of missed touches; or at least trying damn hard to. Keith had never felt so close to someone, and still he felt starving, needing more. He would’ve gladly stayed like this for hours and hours, until Lance’s touch was etched into his skin and his body could never possibly forget the sensations.
But Lance was making these breathy whines every so often; clearly still very worked up but not wanting to take his hands off him to make things go further. Taking mercy upon him, Keith reached down between them to wrap a hand around them both, giving a few loose strokes. Lance gasped, throwing his head back.
“Ahh—”
He was still slick from Keith’s spit and the slide felt amazing, even making Keith start to harden again. He has a feeling that this man was going to have a severe effect on the length of his refractory periods.
“Well, whaddaya say, loverboy?” he murmured, teasing their lengths slowly. “I wanna feel you inside me.”
Lance’s answer was a loud, dragged-out groan. Then he seemed to gather himself, drawing a deep breath before rolling them over, reaching over Keith to grab supplies from a drawer in the nightstand. He lifted a condom, silently asking.
“I’m clean,” Keith said. “Took some weird alien shot a year ago that’s supposed to keep you safe from any STD in existence – it seemed like a good idea, considering the amount of…”
He suddenly trailed off, smirk fading in realization.
“Sorry, uh–“
Lance kissed him quick.
“Don’t apologize, baby. It’s hot that you’re experienced.”
“You think so?”
“Mhm. And it’d be hot if you weren’t. Cause you a hottie.”
Keith rolled his eyes, lips twitching.
“Flawless argumentation.”
“I know, right. So we’re going bare?”
He let out a slow breath.
“Yeah. Yeah, I wanna feel you.”
“Me too,” Lance smiled, lifting Keith’s leg over his shoulder and leaning down, bending him apart in the process. Then there was the click of a bottle cap and the sensation of a slick finger tracing in between his cheeks. He jolted, breath catching.
“Oh—”
“Yeah? Feels nice?”
The finger kept teasing back and forth, rubbing small circles over his muscle and spreading the lube around.
“Mhm-mm…” Keith sighed, grinding into the touch. He still felt all slack and relaxed after his first climax, and his legs were pliant in Lance’s grip, falling further apart by the second. A moan caught in his throat when the first finger slid into him. He busied himself by caressing up Lance’s strong upper arms, tracing the swirls of his tattoos with his fingertips and squeezing into the muscle whenever a small shock of pleasure travelled up his spine.
Soon fingers were curling into him easily, twisting in and out with wet sounds that felt loud in the quiet bedroom. Lance began humming a tune, bending down to sing half-audible phrases into his ear in a voice that was all sunlight and sex. Keith grinned and rocked down on those slowly pumping fingers. “Come on, Lance… come on, baby…” he whispered.
“You sure?”
Keith kissed his cheek, his nose, his temple, and ruffled up his curls.
“I’m sure.”
Lance shifted, and then he could feel him; pressing up against his entrance. Warm and hard, skin on skin. He would never get enough of it.
“Ready?”
Keith swallowed heavily and nodded.
“I love you so much,” Lance breathed, sinking into him. Keith’s mouth fell open. “I love you,” he was bottoming out, reaching deep, deep, deeper. Lance McClain, finally inside him and all over him, finally his. “Baby – love you—“ hips were rolling, warmth dragging through his insides, slow and delicious and absolutely dizzying.
Their faces were so close, mouths sharing quiet pants, gazes locked. He just couldn’t stop staring. Drinking in how each shaky hitch in Lance’s breath had his bottom lip shaking, how his lashes moved when he blinked. He knew the sight of him like this was being branded onto Lance’s eyelids, the same way Lance was being on his. Those blue eyes never left him for a second.
Lance kept grinding into him, unhurriedly, and Keith curled fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck and told him he was beautiful. It made him smile, had him lift Keith’s leg higher up so that he could lean in and take his hand with his free one; intertwining their fingers.
“You feeling good yet, Keith?”
He leant down to press kisses along his jawline and whisper in his ear.
“Want you to feel good…”
“Always— with you— feel so good, Lance” he gasped. He hadn’t felt this overwhelmed in years. No, strike that – even his first time couldn’t beat having the love of his life op top of him, making love to him while holding his hand. This was a decade of longing being satiated, so sweet it hurt. His starving soul was feeling drunk on how thousands of late-night fantasy images were blending together and becoming one – becoming real.
“Love you—so fucking much,” he had to force out through the haze.
“Me too, honey,” Lance breathed, and then he started building up his rhythm. Keith wailed as each thrust pushed in deep and threw him away from Lance with the force of it – though he was always dragged back in close by those strong arms; keeping him secure. It tore punched-out gasps from him, had him saying his name brokenly, over and over. His eyes fell closed, but he could still feel Lance’s touch all over him, their skin slapping together and a hand slipping down to wrap around his length. Feeling Lance’s hand tight around his cock; moving in rhythm with the thrusts, was what did him in. His breath caught as he felt the wave build in his core, violent and sudden in its force.
“Lance, I’m coming, ah, I’m right there—”
“Me too baby, mclose- Keith! I’m gonna—"
The rest of Lance’s words were drowned out by the roar in his head. Keith’s mouth fell open, but no words came out – his body was locking up and moving on its own accord as it all washed over him, heavy and intense. He was hit by a full body shudder, his nails digging into Lance’s back and scratching needy little stripes there as he came all over Lance’s hand and chest. And when his muscles unclenched and he sank down into the sheets as a heap of warm goo, Lance was still fucking into him, pulling harsh gasps of overstimulation from him. Though soon the pace fell apart, bordering on desperate as he clumsily thrust three, four more times—and then came with a dragged-out groan from low in his throat that echoed in Keith’s mind for long after it had died out.
“Was that okay?” Lance said after they had caught their breath. He’d pulled out but was still lying halfway on top of him, hand pulling locks of sweaty hair out of Keith’s eyes.
“Okay?” he breathed, leaning into Lance’s palm. “Understatement of the year…”
Lance chuckled, leaning down to press a peck on his mouth.
“I hope you’re as happy as I am,” he smiled. Keith melted.
“I’m the happiest man in the world…”
“Nuh-uh, that’s me, baby,” Lance said, nudging their noses together.
“Me!”
“Me.”
“I said it first!”
“But I said it last.”
“No, I—”
Keith didn’t have time to finish refuting him before he felt two fingers slipping back into him, making him jolt and choke on a squeaky moan.
“Lance!”
“Hmm?”
That’s cheating, he wanted to say, but his body was too busy shuddering to let him answer. He was still so sensitive, but he was also loose and open, still slick with a mess of lube and Lance’s come. As those fingers kept gently prodding and rubbing his insides, he couldn’t stop his squirming, nor the embarrassing sounds escaping him. Lance watched him intently, laughing a little.
“You’re so responsive. It’s cute.”
“Fu– ah– Don’t you dare call me cute in bed–”
“Ooh, scary. But you really are sensitive,” he circled his fingers slow, making Keith bite his lip hard to not straight up sob, “Even earlier. Has it been a while for the brave warrior?”
The fingers pulled back a little to let him catch his breath. Keith snorted, starting to roll his hips down, trying to get Lance to reach deeper. The stimulation was bordering on too much after two orgasms, but he just couldn’t stop. They kept the pace slow, though, feeling it out.
“Not really,” he panted, trying his best to string words together as Lance fingered him slow and gentle, “It’s just… different. When it’s with you, you know? Everything feels so new and… ah, scary, let’s be honest, but like, in a good way? Do you know what I mean?”
A slow grin that held way too much mischief spread on Lance’s face.
“Oh, I know exactly what you mean.”
Keith narrowed his eyes as his boyfriend broke out in a low song, still smiling.
“I made it through the wilderness, somehow I made it through. Didn't know how lost I was until I found you.”
“What – ah – the hell are you singing?” Keith asked suspiciously. This couldn’t be good. But Lance was still moving his fingers inside him and it was very distracting.
“I was beat, incomplete, I'd been had. I was sad and blue, but you made me feel, yeah, you made me feel shiny and new…”
His eyes widened.
“Wait, no, don’t you dare –“
“Like a virgin… touched for the very first time. Like a vi-i-i-ir-gin! When your heart beats, next to mine.”
Despite Keith’s angry flush he kept going, serenading him with a shit-eating grin and cutting off his protests with twists of his hand. He quickly saw that any rougher thrusts of his fingers were too much for Keith’s poor, sore opening, so he stuck to a gentle massage of his insides, two fingers circling his prostate and his thumb rubbing soothing patterns on his ass cheek.
“Gonna give you all my love, boy! My fear is fading fast. Been saving it all for you, 'cause only love can last.”
Keith groaned loudly, hiding his face in his hands to hide his embarrassment and the fact that his body was already wiring up, tightening with the last embers of heat. Okay, and maybe a little smile, too.
“You're so fine, and you're mine! Make me strong, yeah, you make me bold! Oh, your love thawed out… Yeah, your love thawed out what was scared and cold.”
He gasped, the orgasm hitting him sudden and hard in the middle of the next refrain, sending electricity up his spine and making him squirm away from Lance’s hand as it kept massaging him through it. Finally, it slipped out, only to be wiped off and made to join the other in pulling Keith’s arms away from his face. Keith scowled up at his idiot, not sure how dangerous he looked with a dazed post-orgasm look on his face.
“Ohmygod, are you gonna sing the whole thing?” he huffed as Lance only kept going. “I’m reconsidering this relationship.” Lance didn’t look worried in the least – his smile only widening.
“You're so fine, and you're mine! I'll be yours 'til the end of time. Cause you made me feel, yeah, you made me feel I've nothing to hide...”
Somehow the lines lost some of their joking tone as Lance’s voice softened. Keith had given up, now listening silently from where he was cuddled in his boyfriend’s arms, sweaty and flushed and wondering how the universe had made him fall in love with a man who would sing Madonna to him after their first time. Then Lance’s grin returned, as he launched into the final refrain.
“Ooh..ooh… Like a virgin…Like a virgin, feels so good inside.”
He knew he had Keith’s undivided attention now, so he added a little eyebrow wiggle and a wink.
“When you hold me, and your heart beats, and you love me!”
He was acting out the lines now – holding Keith’s hands in his and moving them around.
“Ooh, oooh…” he wriggled his hips, “Baby yeah... Can't you hear my heart beat for the very first time?”
And finally, blissful silence. Keith’s hand was still held against Lance’s chest, feeling the thumping pulse beneath. He let out a slow breath, trying hard not to let his lips curl up.
“You done?”
“I’m done.”
“You gonna apologize?”
“Nope.”
“Right…”
“Love you.”
“Do you now.”
“Oh, come on… it was a little funny.”
“Hmph.”
“Babe. Honey. I’m sorry. Can I be forgiven? Pretty please?”
Lance leaned down, nudging his face into Keith’s pout.
“Pwetty pweaaase?”
“Ohmygod, stop! You’re forgiven! Go get something to clean me up with or something!”
Keith pushed until Lance rolled of the bed, laughing.
“Fine, fine…”
He spent the time until Lance returned burying his face in the pillows, trying to get his numb toes to move. Oh, well, he’d just have to nap it out. Smiling at the thought, he started to pull the covers over his naked, sticky body.
“Oh no you don’t!”
The covers were snatched away and he made a loud noise of protest, muffled into the pillow.
“C’mon Keithy-boy, the tub’s running, let’s get you soaking!”
Arms started to drag him upright, Lance’s cheerful voice interrupting his groans with encouragements.
“Up you go, pumpkin. There, good boy, wasn’t so hard, was it? Now it’s time to leave the bed!”
“I wanna nap,” Keith growled, only halfway resisting as Lance ducked under his arm and tried to get him up on his knees.
“No way, bae, gotta go for a dip!”
“Nap…”
“Nope!”
They were off the bed, Keith’s legs were beneath him, and oh – he immediately wobbled, Lance catching him easily. His legs felt like warm jelly, still shaking. Maybe they should’ve stopped at two.
“Laaance. I can’t feel my legs,” he complained, clinging to his boyfriend, who suddenly seemed a little too concerned.
“Wait, really?”
He grunted.
“No… But almost.”
“But you’re okay, right?”
He groaned as Lance bent down to sweep him up into a bridal hold. The bastard didn’t even seem strained.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine… But you’ve worn me out and the day hasn’t even started, you heathen.”
Lance hummed as he carried him to the bathroom.
“Oh, is that so? I feel great, actually!”
“Do you now? Three to one… Now that’s not exactly a fair climax ratio, loverboy,” Keith mumbled. Then lowered his voice further; “Next time I’ll get you to four as a punishment.”
Lance heard, of course.
“Then I’ll give you five,” he promised.
“Nah… cause you’ll be tied up.”
“Whoah, Kogane! Kinky!”
The drop into the warm water was a little unsteady.
“You have no idea.”
Keith let himself sink deep down into the water, only stopping when the bubbles tickled against his chin. Glancing up at Lance, he put on a sultry look.
“I’ll tie you up and ride you for as long as I’d like… won’t even get off you when you come, I’ll just sit on your cock and enjoy the feeling until you get hard again. Over and over, until I’m stuffed pleasantly full and you can’t feel your legs. How’s that for a plan, love?”
He blew a burst of bubbles into Lance’s red, spluttering face.
“Oh, that’s– Wow… Uhh.” He drew a breath. “Should I be scared of getting in this tub with you, baby?”
Keith reached a dripping arm out for him, dragging him in.
“Nah… You’re safe. For now.”
“Nothing like a little overhanging danger,” Lance mumbled as he sat down in the water.
“That’s me.” Keith smiled sweetly, “Now will you wash my hair?”
As he should have expected, Lance was good with his hands in all areas. His fingers rubbed gentle but firm circles into his scalp, ran fingers through his wet hair carefully to untangle it, and kept a hand by his forehead to keep soap out of his eyes. Keith hummed through it all, feeling drowsy all over again.
He did Lance’s hair after, and though he tried his best, he had a feeling his touch was a little rougher – an old habit of washing hair quick and dirty. He made up for it with kisses afterwards; wet lips on wet skin and grimaces at the taste of soap.
When they were both clean, Keith cuddled into his boyfriend’s chest, laying his head on his shoulder. The tub was too small for two, but they made do. It felt domestic, anyway, the two of them shoved into the small bathtub in a tangle of wet limbs, soaking in the atmosphere as Lance slowly traced his scars. It was nice.
“Hey Keith?” he heard, and lifted his head from his resting place.
“Yeah?”
Lance was fiddling with his phone.
“Why don’t we take a selfie of us and send to the others?”
Keith blinked, looking down at their bare, wet bodies. Even a shoulder-up pic would be… well, obvious.
“What, right now? But they don’t know we’re…”
The glint of mischief in Lance’s eyes finally keyed him in, confirmed by his next words.
“Exactly. Let’s just give them all a real surprise.”
Keith had to grin at the thought.
“Yeah, okay,” he said, “Let’s do it.”
They ended up taking a full series of pics, each stupider than the last. Lance almost dropped his phone in the water three times from laughter. Eventually he flipped through them all, looking for the best one.
“This one?” he asked, already smiling at whatever he saw. “Aw, it’s my favorite.”
Keith looked at the picture and had to chuckle.
In it, Lance was kissing Keith’s cheek, Keith’s hair was up in a big spike, while Lance had a bob of foam hair. They were both smiling like dorks, dripping wet and flushed.
“Sure,” he said, snickering, “Shiro’s gonna go into shock.”
“Can’t wait.”
He swiped open a chat on his phone, typing away. Keith leaned in curiously to see.
“Oh, you have a group chat with them?”
“Dude, you’re in it too! Or, well, I sent you a request years ago, anyway. Don’t you use your phone?”
“Uh, not much.”
“Well you’ve missed out on a ton of selfies, that’s for sure.” Lance pressed a peck to Keith’s suddenly sad mouth. “Aw, don’t worry, I have them all saved. Now let’s see what they say.”
Keith glanced down at the screen, where new messages were already being typed.
Lance: [image file sent]
Lance: ew look what I found in my bathtub, gross right??
several people are typing….
Hunk: OH MY GOD
Shiro: oh wow that’s my brother. in your bathtub. wow.
Pidge: ha ha HA HAA
Allura: !!!! boys!!
Pidge: now that’s what I call SUCCESS
Hunk: congrats!! you finally did it!
Shiro: wow
Pidge: you should have told me sooner so I could’ve gloated
Hunk: I’m so happy for you!
Allura: you two are so cute together ♡♡♡
Lance: wh. Pidge
Lance: what do u mean
Pidge: ….you didn’t rly think you guys matched by accident, do you
Shiro: that’s keith. wow. he’s smiling. look at him
Lance: r u telling me u hacked the app????
Allura: omg?? (is that the right use? whoops) did you really?
Lance: Pidge
Lance: Pidgy
Lance: my child
Lance: did u set us up
Pidge: (⌐▨_▨)✧✧
Shiro: look at that smile
Lance: PIDGEEFF
Pidge: heh heh
Pidge: shiro tipped me off
Pidge: and I delivered
Hunk: wow that’s impressive!
Lance: AAAAAHHHHH whYYY
Allura: oh wow Pidge, you really came through! kudos for helping those boys see reason!
Hunk: shouldn’t you be thanking her, Lance? ….and I think we all know *why* let’s be honest
Pidge: thank you dear hunk
Pidge: you are so right
Shiro: his hair is in a spike
Lance: omg
Lance: was this after I told u all my deepest darkest secret feelings when u were visiting
Pidge: you mean when you moped about your undying love for Keith an entire night?
Pidge: yea
Allura: oh… he did that with you, too, Pidge?
Lance: HES READING OVER MY SHOULDER SHUTTUP
Pidge: hi Keith
Pidge: he compared you to the moon and complimented your hands (??) and said his biggest regret in life was starting the mullet hate thing and thus never getting to play w your hair
Lance: PIIIIDGEEE
Allura: hello Keith!
Pidge: he said something abt the smell of leather giving him flashbacks to your gloves that one time you touched his face to give him a band aid?? he was really specific about it
Hunk: hi Keith! congrats!
Shiro: keith. I am crying
Lance: pidge mercyyyy
Hunk: you better be nice to my best friend :D or else
Pidge: he loves you a lot keith
Pidge: cmon hunk you can do the >:D I know you want to
Lance: keith says hi hunk he will
Lance: YOU MADE HIM CRYLAUGH PIDGE U MONSTER
Hunk: <3<3
Hunk: I physically cannot pidge
Lance: keith said he wants to know all the dirt you have on me and I said no way I’ll tell her that
Lance: and hunk its way scarier ur way actually
Pidge: oh believe me, I can provide!
Lance: u wouldn’t dare….
Allura: shiro, are you alright??
Pidge: (｀∀´)Ψ
Hunk: oh I can help you out there buddy! I have the craziest stories
Lance: TRAITOR
Pidge: hunk is secretly the gossip master ngl
Lance: I KNOW that’s why I’m worried!!!
Shiro: look at how happy he looks. that’s my brother. that’s my brother everyone
Pidge: we’re aware <3
Hunk: aww shiro’s so touched now I’m touched now I’m crying too!!!
Pidge: we’re all proud of these dumbasses
Allura: I love you all ♡♡♡
Hunk: :’D
Shiro: that’s a swear pidge!
Pidge: dammit
Allura: :o
Shiro: !!
Hunk: aww, why don’t we give her a pass shiro, we’re all a little emotional right now
Allura: wise like always hunk!
Pidge: does that mean I can say I’m so fucking happy these two finally found each other
Hunk: O.o
Hunk: I wanna say yes…. but then again
Allura: what does fuck mean? :)
Shiro: you are not.
Pidge: ಠ╭╮ಠ
Hunk: :(
Hunk: how do you do those cool ones
Shiro: ……but I agree.
Pidge: skillz
Pidge: heck yeah!!
Hunk: :D
Hunk: pidge tell me your secret!!
Allura: same goes for me!
Shiro: I am very happy for them
Hunk: <3 <3
Allura: ♡
Pidge: never!
Pidge: ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡
Shiro: <p>♥ <p>
Allura: ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
Hunk and Shiro are typing…
Keith looked up from where their friends were still chatting away, message after message of support popping up. Soon the screen was full of hearts; rows upon rows of them. Then pictures of people with blurry hearts all over them. Then people shooting hearts out of guns…?
Despite the slight confusion he felt warm all over. The overwhelming positivity and easy acceptance made him feel like a part of the group, in a way he hadn’t felt in a decade. Maybe never; not like this. But sitting here in the tub with Lance, both of them blushing and laughing down at the spam of love (Pidge and Hunk were competing on who had the most heart images, apparently, while Shiro was telling them to calm it and Allura was cheering them on) – he felt like he was right where he belonged.
“I love them,” he smiled, shaking his head. “I love you all so damn much.”