Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Order up!” Cal voice yelled out from the kitchen, bell dinging twice as Keith made his way to the counter, stacking three plates on his arm before making his way back to his section. The evening had been relatively slow, most of the town busy attending the high school football game, dinner rush had hit early and petered out closer to game time. 3 years into this job and Keith had learned how things flowed during sport seasons.

Dropping off the plates, he checked in on his other two tables, topping off waters and coffees, before going back behind the counter, brushing pass Becky as she chatted with the older woman waiting at the bar for her meal.

The bell over the door rings, Keith looking over to see Dawn greet a flock of students and put them in a booth in his section. Keith cursed quietly, knowing this was payback for him giving Dawn the bachelor party the other night. At least she’d gotten good tips from the drunk schucks, Keith doubted he would be so lucky with a table of younger patrons.

He’d glared at Dawn as they passed, her smile pleased as she moved back to her section of the diner.

“Hey, welcome to Joe’s. What can I start you off with today?” Keith forced his friendly-customer service voice, a long shift already leaving him with a short temper, but he tried not to let it show.

Keith vaguely remembered some of his classmates before dropping out of school, student came into the diner from time to time for cheap food and coffee. But these three weren't sticking out anywhere in his vague memories. They seemed quiet though, which was promising.

“Can I get a tall glass of you?” One of the boys asked, chin resting on a propped hand while he grinned.

Keith took back that promising thought. “No, but we have a special bat in the back for people at hit on the staff.” Keith smiled back, pleasant as he could be as he watched the boys face drop in disappointment.

“Lance, cut the flirting. Sorry about him.” One of his friends, the taller, broader one cut in, apology sounding genuine. “We’ll just take three waters with lemon please” Keith never really carried his pad anymore, a small menu and repeat customers made it easier to just yell orders out and not waste time. Keith nodded and left them them to browse the menu, feeling slightly better when he heard the third, a shorter girl scolding the flirt as well.

He brought their drinks over, taking their order along with a quiet apology from the one named Lance. When he tried to walk away to put the order in, Lance’s voice stopped him again. “Are you the Kogane kid that got kicked out?” Both of his friends groaned his name, but the question didn’t sound malicious. Lance’s face was more one of concern than ill intent.

“I dropped out. But yes. Now can I get you guys anything else?” He tried not to snip, really unwilling to deal with getting scolded for poor customer service again. The three shook their heads, Lance’s eyes wide as they watched him walk away to put the orders in.

“Old friends?” Becky asked when he joined her behind the counter, eyes moving from Keith to the table while she wiped down the bar.

“I don’t have friends, you know that. They just remember me from school.” He was quiet, slightly annoyed they were still dead and Keith didn’t have any other tables to use as a distraction. He ended up wiping down tables and checking on his one other booth that was eating between dropping food off at Lance’s group.

The boy didn’t ask any more questions, all three politely thanking him and eating, talking amongst themselves between bites. Keith heard snippets of conversations as he passed, something about practices or projects or something school related. As much as he missed being in the classroom, he certainly did not miss the stress of the assignments and the homework.

He watching carefully, waiting for Lance to take a bit of his food before walking back over to check in and make sure everything was okay. Luckily all three of them were mid bite, so he took their thumbs up with a smile and walked away again.

He was restocking napkins, glancing around periodically to make sure no one needed anything from him before he got both tables checks ready. A voice broke him out his own thoughts, unaware his attention had even slipped away.

“He keeps looking at you” Becky’s voice was sing songy in his ear as she walked up behind him. Apparently, Keith had been taking his time ringing up the checks in his hand, blocking the register without realizing it.

“They’re waiting for their checks.” He clipped, ripping the paper as it printed and clipping it on one of the mini clipboards. He dropped it by the table, asking the group if they needed anything else one last time before thanking them and moving onto the next table. He heard them briefly bicker about who paying before hearing the click of the clipboard and heard them shuffle out.

What he hadn’t expected was a nearly 100% cash tip and another apology quickly scrawled with a frowny face at the bottom of the receipt. He looked up from collecting their plates just in time to catch the troop driving away in a pick up truck, laughing about something he’d never hear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith assumed it had been a fluke, the group hadn’t been usual customers and he didn’t think he’d have to worry about them again.
It would appear he was wrong as he walked in Saturday morning and noticed Lance sitting in a booth alone, coffee mug and a half empty plate in front of him as he scrolled through his phone. They made eye contact briefly, Keith skirting away towards the back and missing the smile that Lance sent his way.

Luckily the other boy was gone when Keith’s shift started, booth empty and cleared already. Becky gave him a knowing look but said nothing as they went to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again, Keith assumed it was the end of whatever this weird string of happenings were. And once again he was wrong. Lance began coming nearly twice a week, sometimes before school for breakfast, sometimes in the evening with friends, every time sitting in a booth. Keith wondered if it was a comfort thing or if he was purposefully sitting in the Keith’s section.

The mornings were the worst, mostly because Keith was too tired to deal with the sheer amount of energy Lance had every morning, cheery and flirty in a way that left Keith both exhausted and… flustered? Keith didn’t have time to process that thought or open that door. He made it a point to keep their interactions to a minimum, smiling when he had to and scurrying away.

Three weeks into this new routine, Keith realized Lance wasn’t as obnoxious as their first interaction had led him to believe. The comments now were friendly, asking about Keith’s day, seemingly trying to get to know him. Keith wouldn’t admit it, especially not to the other wait staff, but he was beginning to not mind having Lance as a regular.

At some point Lance had started leaving cheesy lines on the merchants copy of his checks, little one liners Keith would roll his eyes as at he moved the receipts into the register. Keith chose not to comment on them, refusing to admit his found them endearing in a way.

Dawn had to be the one to pop his bubble, noticing him smiling as he made his way to put in Lance’s order one Wednesday morning. She took it upon herself to trap him behind the counter.

“Whats with the smile?” She asked, eyes skeptical.

“Wha- nothing?” He sputtered “Im not allowed to smile?” Keith knew he sounded defensive, praying maybe she wouldn’t pick up in it.

“Not like that” She glanced over at Lance’s table, catching him watching them from his booth and quickly averting his gaze. Dawn gasped at her own realization. “You like him. I knew it!” It wasn’t a question, stated so matter of factly it almost hurt as she whipped her head back to grin at him.

“Incorrect” He tried, and failed, to get past her.

“And he likes you! Why else would he suddenly start coming all the time and sitting in your section?” Her volume was increasing, Keith prayed Becky would come to save him from across the diner. Instead, she came over and stood behind Dawn, hands on her hips as his escaped was further blocked.

“Also incorrect.” He hissed “He’s a regular and he’s friendly.”

“Is that why he’s all googley eyes over you every time you walk away from his table and leaves you tips larger than his bills?” Becky asked, smiling knowingly. Thankfully she hadn’t caught up on the notes he also left on the receipts.

“His bill is like $4, its not that impressive. Please let me go.” He knew muscling past them wasn’t an option, so guilt would have to do. “I have tables waiting.” His tone shifted, pointed now. At this point, he’s take Cal yelling at them from the kitchen if it meant he could move.

“We’ll leave you alone about it when you give him a shot.” Dawn says, eyes alight. Ever since she and Ogie became a thing, she’d been trying to set him up. Keith had very openly opposed the idea, for various reasons but mostly because he didn’t care about dating. “What’s the worst that could happen? Just give him a shot."

“And if he hurts you, you have three mommas here to whoops his ass. Well, technically two until Jenna gets back.” Becky added before leaving them, heading to a table that was trying to flag her over.

Taking a deep breath, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “Okay. If I ask him, will you please let me do my job and drop this?” Both women beamed as they stepped aside, watching as Keith stops first at the other 3 tables he’s handling right now before returning to Lance’s table, nerves already a wreck. He never liked feeling cornered, even if it was by the two people he trusted most in this town.

Handing his the bill, Keith leans against the booth seat, accustomed now to this routine as he watched Lance pull a 10 dollar bill out of his wallet and hand the bill back to him. Lance stood, throwing his hoodie back on, stopping only when he noticed Keith wasn’t making his usual attempt to escape.

“Whats up?” He asked, eyeing Keith slowly.

Keith fought every logical fiber of his being, starting to talk before Lance can open his mouth again. “Okay so.” He got out before needing a moment to figure out how to word it, Lance pausing to look at him questioningly. “My coworkers seem obsessed with the idea that you’re coming here because you like me or something. If you could set them straight so they get off my back, I’d appreciate it.”

Lance looked behind him at the two woman, who jumped from where they were perched behind the bar and tried to look busy. He let out a small breathe, almost a laugh but not quite before his eyes moved back to look at Keith again and his face went serious. “Well they’re right, so there’s only so straight I can set them.”

“Okay then-“ He started before stopping again, his brain trying to process what he’d just heard. “Wait what?”

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to ask you without coming off as a creep who embarrasses people at their job, but… yeah.” Lance shrugged, timid smile creeping onto his face as his hand moved to scratch the back on his head. “Would you like to go out with me this weekend?”

Keith opened his mouth to respond, but instead heard two female voiced answer “YES HE DOES” from where they were at nearby tables. The cook in the kitchen stuck his head out of the kitchen to yell at them to go back to work.

Keith sighed, starting to question a lot of life choices that led him to working at the diner. “I guess you have my answer.” A small smile fought its way through the nerves clouding his brain, finding it’s way onto his lips as Lance let out a triumphant whoop.

“Does Friday night work for you? I can text you?” Lance pulled his phone out of his pocket, fingers already dialing their area code.

Keith blinked, processing for a moment before Lance’s expectant gaze reminded him he’d been asked a question. “Uh. No, I don’t have a phone. But we can meet here at 5? I open so I’ll get off around 4 and be ready in time.” That way he’d had an hour to prepare for… really whatever could possibly happen.

“Okay! I can do that!” Lance cheesed, a momentary flash of confusion crossing his face at Keith’s admission about the phone before bouncing back to cheer.

“Oh wait” He grabbed his bill back from Keith, pulling pen out and jotting something down and folding the paper before handing it back. “I’ll see you Friday” He flashed Keith one last smile before heading out the door and towards the old pickup truck.

“What did you just get me into?” He asked the others, who were trying to act innocent as they went about their tasks behind the counter. Keith unfolded the bill, snorting as he read Lance’s hastily written pick up line.

“Remember to wear sock Friday, because I’m planning something that’ll blow them off!”

Chapter Text

Lance doesn’t come by Thursday or Friday morning and while Keith refuses to acknowledge whatever feelings the boy’s absence brings up, Becky and Dawn are happy to vocalize their opinions.
“Don’t worry sugar, you’ll get to see him tonight.” Becky comments as she passes him behind the counter, plates in hand as she heads to a table. The lunch rush is slower than usual, Keith refilling condiment containers and cleaning the counters while Becky took over the two occupied tables. Dawn isn’t due until later, thankfully so because he’d be getting an earful all shift about what to do tonight.

“What if I don’t want to see him though?” Keith asks he watches customers leave, Becky rejoining him on the other side of the counter after wiping down the table. “I mean, what if it’s a joke? What if he thinks I’m boring or strange or or or…disappointing.” Keith went about busying himself rolling silverware, refusing to acknowledge the look on Becky’s face.

“Keith, I’ve known you for how long? You’re not boring sweetheart. A little tense at times,” Keith interjects a ‘hey’ but she doesn’t stop. “But I’m sure you’ll find something to talk about.”

“I don’t want to get my hopes up. He could also be a weirdo. He could only talk about sports or dinosaurs.” Keith shuddered at the idea. “Or he could eat KitKats by biting the whole bar! Or worse what if he’s a stalker!”

“Keith.” She deadpanned, refusing to even entertain the idea. “You’re looking for excuses.”

“I am not! I have enough stress to deal with, I can’t just recklessly date and risk it. What if…” Keith sighed, shoulders dropping. “What if he’s great? And listens and doesn’t judge me and we can talk for hours without tiring?” He stops again, ducking down behind the counter in hopes of finding another menial task to keep his hands busy.

“No, its not worth the risk. He gets one date then I’m going back to normal, dateless Keith. And you and Dawn will drop it.” Becky threw her hands, accepting his conditions without a fuss, watching him go to see the couple that walked in, grabbing a high chair for the toddler they were carrying with them.
-
The rest of Friday went smoothly, Keith using the shower in the back to rinse the grime that comes with working 10 hours before changing into his one nice black long sleeve top, the Arizona fall evenings calling for some protection from the chill, along with a pair of dark jeans and his boots. He spent ten minutes fussing with his hair in the mirror before calling it quits and heading back out to sit at the bar.
“Well don’t you look nice!” Dawn cooed, Becky off in her section helping her last few tables before her shift ended at 5. Dawn pulled out her phone and took a photo of him before he even realized what happened. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything other than a work t shirt and those black bus pants. You shine up like a new penny!”

She slid a glass of ice water in front of him, wiping the counter down as she went. They only had a few tables filled, a family with a little girl in one of the booths, an older man at a table with a paper, working on the crossword. Two girls, sat together in a booth, pouring over a textbook while they picked at the double order of fries they got almost an hour ago.

A slow Friday night wasn’t unusual, they were mostly a breakfast and lunch spot with your occasional sweet tooth coming in for some end of the night pie around 7:30. Cal made it a point to lock the doors at 8, making sure everyone was on their way out in time to catch the bus or whatever ride they got home in. Keith watched the hands on the wall clock tick on, long hand swinging up just past the 10.

“Honey, if you need anything, you know where I live. I know you’re leaving your bike chained up out back, but if this boy tries anything, I’ll knock him right out for you.” Becky said she get grabbed her belongings and clocked out.

“Thank you, Becky. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” He smiled, no matter how much he bemoaned their smothering, he was happy the others took care of him like they did. Cal often sent him home with food at the end of the day, Jenna would give him a piece or two of whatever pies were left from the day when he closed with her. When his bike broke down a few months back, Dawn went out of her way to get him for his shifts.
And Becky, who felt like the biggest mother hen in the place, made sure he was okay. Made sure he was safe and warm and felt loved, even when he felt like he didn’t deserve it.

Lance walked in at 4:58, bell chiming above the door, Keith ignoring it until he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned to see his date for the evening, smile nervous as he stood in front of where Keith sat on his bar stool, dressed in jeans and a dark green button up, sleeves cuffed at the elbow.

“You look nice” He observed, hoping Lance was at least somewhat as nervous as he was. The coloring that came to Lance’s face at the compliment gave him hope.

“You do too.” Lance smiled at Dawn as she passed them behind the counter, coffee mugs for her only table in hand. “Ready to go?” Keith hummed, hopping down and following Lance out to truck.
It only takes about five minutes to get to the highway, neither of them talking as something poppy and quiet plays on the radio.

“So” Lance starts, eyes darting from the road over to Keith, currently sitting on one leg on the passenger side of the bench, watching Lance drive. “How are you with small talk?”

Keith snorts at that, smiling for the first time since they hit the road. “Honestly? I hate it. Cal made me work on it enough that customers don’t complain anymore.” Lance hummed thoughtfully, about to speak when Keith spoke up again “How are things at the Garrison?”

They spent most of the drive to Tempe talking, Lance doing most of the work since Keith didn’t seem to want to talk much about his personal life. Lance gave Keith a brief overview of the current drama at the high school, when Keith asked about Lance, he shrugged. Told him about how he tore his ACL last season playing soccer, and after a lot of fighting between him and his parents and his doctor, he stopped playing and took over as assistant coach when the previous retired. “I get to enjoy the victories without having to do the foot work” He jokes.

“Can I asked why you left?” Lance finally asked, eyes on the road as they entered the city limits and he followed his GPS to their mystery destination.

“Didn’t want to go anymore” Keith shrugged. “Decided it was easier to drop out and get my GED.”

“The rumor was you were expelled after punching Iverson in the face.”

“I mean, that probably didn’t help. But I was fighting another student, he…” He paused, streetlights playing across his face as he tried to figure out how he wanted to phrase it. “he was running his mouth and Iverson got in the way.” He finished, his eyebrows wrinkled slightly as he looked at the exit signs. “Where exactly are we going?”

Lance decided the surprise would be ruined sooner or later, whether it be by road signs or the giant billboard they’d pass in a few minutes. “Well, I figured dinner and a movie would be lame and cliche so I did some research. Did you know the zoo does extended hours until 10 this month?”

Keith’s eyebrows shot up, surprise evident on his face. “We’re going to the zoo?” It was hard to tell from his tone which reaction that response was meant to convey.

Lance’s mind started to race, trying to remember what his backup plan was. There was an art exhibit he’d seen, live music at one of the all ages bars. “I mean, if that’s cool? I didn’t want it to be a boring first date. There’s other st-“

“Absolutely not. We’re going to the zoo.” Keith was smiling now, small on his face as he started to bounce a leg excitedly. “I actually haven’t been to the zoo in years.”

Counting that as a success, Lance beamed and attempted to keep the conversation until they park and got to the entrance, Lance letting the girl at the gate scan the tickets on his phone.

Thankfully because it was a later evening event, the park had considerably less people that usual, meaning a lot less screaming children. Not that Lance minded the kids, but it wouldn’t have made great date background noise. The sun was still bright by the time they got inside, Lance grabbing a map and taking the lead.

“I’m still bitter they don’t have any hippos here yet.” Keith said out loud as they looked over the map together, heading towards the wild walk entry.

“Really? Hippos? You struck me as more of a tiger kind of dude” Lance joked, purposely brushing the bad of his hand against Keith’s, waiting for a reaction. There wasn’t one, mostly because Keith has launched into what sounded like a prepared speech about how great the majestic hippopotamus was.

“They are the Most Dangerous predator.” He was using his hands to emphasize his words, Lance watching bemusedly as they started passing by the first enclosure. “Have you seen a hippo attack? They’ll kill lions and crocodiles and really anything that comes into their territory. They’ll fuck you up in the water AND on land.” He appeared to catch himself, color finding its way onto his cheeks. “Sorry”

“Don’t apologize, I think it’s cool you respect them some much.” Lance sounded genuine, Keith giving him a side eye before attempted to move the attention off his and his mild obsession with hippos.

“You have a favorite?” Keith asked, as they stopped to get a better look at the giraffes, who were still grazing around their area.

“Sharks. Great whites and hammerheads if you wanna get specific. But sharks over all are just… awesome.” Lance took his turn to get on his soapbox, fighting for the collective moral character of sharks and that calling any part of the ocean ‘Shark Infested’ is stupid. “I mean it’s their home. That’s like calling any piece of land ‘Human Infested’.” Keith listened, agreeing when he could see Lance was looking for a response.

The conversation continued as they walked the Savannah loop, both wanting to stop and watch the lions prowl around their enclosure before the male collapsed on one of the overhangs. It took Lance actually asking to take Keith’s hand, the other boy going wide eyed in surprise before holding it out, Lance immediately taking it and interlacing their fingers as he went back to his commentary drawing similarities between teenagers and zoo animals.

They stopped for snacks at one of the food kiosks, Lance immediately denying Keith’s offer to pay.

“I’m the one with a job?” He offered, squinting as he took the soft pretzel that was handed to him. “Thank you” He muttered once he’d accepted his defeat.

“I have one too! And I asked you out, so I get to pay for things. You can pay for the next date.” Lance winked, taking a bite of his corndog as they continued walking the path.

“Oh so you just assume you’re getting a second date?” Keith fought back his nerves to tease the other boy.

“Well duh. With such an awesome first date, I’m sure you want to see what I could possibly plan for the next one.”

“Uh huh.” Keith smiled though, easily retaking Lance’s free hand as they walked and snacked. Keith asked about Lance’s job, giving Lance the opportunity to talk about he helped at his dad’s shop as a part time mechanic.

“It was that or help the women with the cooking when I was growing up. My mama is terrifying in the kitchen so it was an easy choice.” Lance laughed before realizing Keith hasn’t mentioned his own family all night. “What about your parents?” The question had barely come out before he regretted asking, seeing Keith immediately tense up. He didn’t say anything as Keith withdrew his hand to toss his trash and didn’t take it back.

“It’s just me and my dad. My mom got sick when I was little, didn’t get better.” He shrugged, eyes wondering over the monkey exhibit, refusing to look at Lance because he knew what happened next. What happened whenever he told people his mom died. He always hated to see the pity and sadness that crossed everyone’s faces.

“Sorry if it’s a sore subject. Bet your mom was amazing though?” Keith blinked, looking over at Lance finally. ‘Huh, that’s new.’ He thought. Usually people dropped it after he told them she was gone, too awkward and afraid to discuss someone who wasn’t there anymore.

“She was. She went to high school with Jenna, one of the other waitress at the diner. Mom was a few years older, but they got along great, and Jenna taught her how to bake pies.” That started a whole new topic of conversation, Lance curious as to if that meant Keith could bake (barely) and what his favorite pie was (Jenna’s Chocolate Oasis, Keith promised to get Lance a slice next time Jenna made it. Along with a slice of her Key Lime after hearing it was his favorite).

They took their time, walking around the park, pointing out the animals and discussing whatever topics came to mind as the sun started to set around them and the lights flickering on. At some point they started holding hands again, fingers intertwined and squeezed whenever one wanted the other’s attention. They started heading towards the exit when the overhead speakers gave a thirty-minute warning that the park would be closing soon.

They got to the front with a few minutes to spare, Lance ducked into the gift shop under the guise of having to use the restroom, only to return with a small hippo plush. “They don’t have the real thing, but they have a much cuter version” Lance joked as he tucked it into Keith’s pocket. “To commemorate our first date.”

“I think I have plenty to remember this date by.” Keith joked, pleased at the little trinket that took up all of the space in his left pocket. “Thank you though. I enjoyed this.”

“I’m glad! I figured we could stop for burgers on the way back?”

Keith let out a small groan. “A burger sounds so good right now.”

They got take out on the way home, Keith feeding Lance fries over the bench after Lance had nearly run them off the road trying to eat his burger and drive at the same time. Lance swore he was a good driver, but Keith retorted that he wanted to survive his first real date.

“Wait wait wait” Lance choked slightly as he chewed the contents in his mouth. “This was your first date? Ever?”

Keith shrugged, popping his own fries into his mouth, buying himself some time before having to explain himself. “No one really want to date the anti-social loser?”

Lance made a noise not dissimilar to a sputtering engine. “That is a damn lie. Not only because I want to date the anti-social loser” Keith opened his mouth to object but Lance didn’t pause. “I know for a fact Heather Moore was super into you freshman year. Along with half her damn friend group, they never shut up in Math 1 about how ‘dark and mysterious’ you were.”

“We were 14, I’m not sure how dark and mysterious you can be as a freshman.” There was a beat before Keith realized something. “Wait you knew who I was?”

“Small school, I knew a lot of people.” Lance lied coolly, taking his fry container out of Keith’s hand and tipped the rest of its contents into his mouth. Keith fussed at him to keep his eyes on the road, ripping the container back to toss in the bag.

-

It was late by the time they got back into town, roads dead as Lance pulled off to drop Keith off at his motorcycle, still locked up behind the dinner.

“Tonight was… fun.” Keith leaned against his bike, fiddling with his helmet as he watched Lance.

“Fun enough for a second date?” Lance’s tone hopeful as he cocked an eyebrow, still an arm’s length away from Keith.

“I don’t know, I’m pretty busy with my many other suitors.” Keith slipped his helmet on, enjoying the frown that formed on Lance’s face when he could see him through the eye shield. “Kidding! I’m kidding” He let out a small chuckle. “Sure, I’d like to go on a second date with you, Lance McClain.” The frown morphed into a grin as Lance whooped, punching a fist into the air at the muffled response.

“I’ll see you soon?” He asked as Keith kickstarted the bike and revved the engine.

“Whenever you come by for breakfast next.” Keith winked before giving a final wave and driving off, careful to aim his dust cloud away from his… whatever he and Lance were now. Not boyfriends, no definitely not, although Keith’s heart raced a little at the idea. Well a little more than it’d been racing most of the night. He couldn’t help but smile to himself as he made his way home in the darkness, promising he’d thank the girls tomorrow for pushing him into this.

Chapter Text

They were laying in the bed of Lance’s truck, pillows and sleeping bag making it a more comfortable experience than Keith had assumed when Lance explained the “date” to him. Keith had mentioned the meteor shower that was happening tonight during their first date, knowing it being on a Thursday night meant if he wanted to watch it, he’d have to do it alone. So when Lance was parked outside the dinner when Keith walked out at 9:15, shock was the first emotion to register.

“Lance, what are you doing here?” He’s asked, nervously adjusting the strap of his backpack.

Said boy waltz over, hand slipping between the backpack and the shirt on Keith’s lower back, guiding him gently towards the truck. “It’s a surprise!”

Keith squinted at him, glancing back and front from the truck to where his motorcycle was parked behind the diner. “It’s a school night. I don’t want you to get in trouble or something with your mom.” By now he’d heard enough stories to respectively fear Maria McClain.

Lance chuckled before withdrawing his hand to open up the truck door. “I won’t tell anyone if you won’t” He winked. “Come on, be spontaneous. I promise it won’t kill you.”

“Yeah but who’s to promise you won’t kill me?” Keith felt his self preservation crumble, hearing the girls in the back of his head telling him to give Lance a shot. Not that Keith hadn’t come back all smiles after the first date, Becky looking almost smug when Dawn asked for details, cooing at every sweet detail he shared.

“It’ll be fun! Cross my heart!” Lance closed the door behind Keith before trotting over to the drivers side, turning on some heat as the desert fall started to chill them both.

“Now that you’ve kidnapped me, are you going to tell me where you plan on taking me?” Keith mused as Lance got on the highway, popping a mix CD into the old radio and letting some kind of old school pop music fill the silence.

“And ruin the surprise? Absolutely not. You threatened to cut my arm off if I spoiled the Last Jedi, that means I’m not spoiling anything for you, ever!” Lance reached out his right hand, waggling his fingers until Keith got his gist and interlaced their hands, thankful the darkness of the car would hid the color that mottled his cheeks. “So how was work?”

“Fine, normal day. Though Becky kept giving me the side eye because Something kept vibrating in my pocket” He glanced over at Lance, who was beaming with absolutely no shame.

Lance had given Keith one of his old cell phones, explaining it was old but still worked and he wanted some way to talk to Keith when he was at school or practice or work. It’d taken some persuading, but Keith had accepted it and gotten a cheapo phone card that would allow him to call and text.

The only numbers currently in his phone were Lance’s and the girls from the diner, so Keith knew that whenever it was buzzing, it had to be a certain brunet with a tendency to send whatever random thought popped into his head. Dawn showed him how to stop the vibrations, getting far too excited for Keith’s liking when she saw the selfie Lance has already set as the wallpaper on the phone before giving it to Keith.
He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t mildly entertaining to step into the back and scroll through whatever wonderings Lance had decided to send him, although most of the time Keith just responded telling him to focus in class. Lance has also taken to calling Keith when he knew he’d be home, asking Keith how his day was, diving into the latest gossip at the school or whatever project he was helping Hunk and Pidge with, asking for smarter sounded synonyms to work into college essay. Lance had found out on their second “date” (Lance arguing dates totally count, even if its eating pie and talking in the pick up after Keith got out of work) that Keith was surprisingly good with words, Keith using the excuse of helping older customers with crosswords and lots of time lost in books as child.

And in turn, Keith had learned Lance came from a big family, lots of siblings and big family gatherings. Sometimes he’d hear people in the background during their calls, questioning Lance when he’s heard him hiss something in Spanish. Lance never explained, but Keith was pretty sure he heard the word ‘novio’.

Lance hadn’t brought up Keith’s family again, figuring Keith would bring it up when he wanted to. For now, they were learning. Small things he didn’t realize he could like about a person, like how excited they sound when they remember something they think is important or the way a sleepy goodbye made his heart jump.

-----------------------------------

Keith had guessed the surprise, but didn’t want to get his hopes up in case Lance had something else in store. When they pulled out into one of the lookout points around the Superstition Mountains, Lance explained being tired in class tomorrow would be worth seeing what Keith had advertised as a “once in a lifetime event”.

Lance pulled two sleeping bags, blankets and pillows under the bench, arranging them in the bed of the truck so they would sit comfortably while they wanted. Lance also had the forethought to bring bottled waters and a various of snacks, including white chedder popcorn and Reese’s pieces.

“You eat like a child.” Keith commented as he hoarded the popcorn in his lap, getting into a comfortable position that allowed him to rest his head on Lance’s shoulder as they sat there, staring out at the dark horizon, waiting.

“Says the popcorn thief!” He snarked playfully back, reaching into the bag to pull out a few kernels as Keith attempted to keep it out of his reach. “Any cryptids we should be on the lookout for? Werewolves, Chupacabra, Jackalope?” Lance’s joke got him a light elbow to the ribs, along with a playful glare. They’d talked about Keith’s interest in cryptozoology at the zoo after Lance called the platypus an abomination.
“Nah, werewolves usually stay in forests for the coverage, Chupas almost exclusively live in Mexico, and everyone knows Jackalopes aren’t a real thing.”

“Wait wait wait” Lance looked at him, mouth slightly agape as he tried to gather his thoughts. “You believe in a goat eating monster but not rabbits with horns?”

“Technically it would be a hare. But yeah. There’s no need for them to evolve horns to protect themselves from predators” Keith was almost nonchalant in his explanation, as if he were explaining moon cycles, not talking about the evolutionary process of mythical creatures.

“Okay, anything else you believe in that I should know about?”

Keith was quiet for a moment, lost in thought before something finally clicked into place. “You know about alternative universes?”

“Like… the Marvel Universe?” Lance asked, watching as Keith fought the urge to groan.

“No, like… we live on one of a million timelines. And anything you can possible think of exists or happened in another universe.” Keith moved so he could better look at Lance, sweeping a piece of hair behind his ear. “My mom and I used to say that in one of ours, we owned our own pie shop in Alabama. Or maybe I’d become a flight attendant in another universe, so I could travel the world and get out of Arizona.”

“Okay I get it… like in some universe where mermaids exist?”

“Yes but mermaids definitely exists in our universe.” Keith retorted, a chilly breeze in the wind making him go back to cuddling besides Lance in attempts to steal his body heat.

“Ever wonder how many universes we’ve met in?” Lance prompted, arm snaking around Keith’s waist to keep him close, pulling a blanket over both of them.

“Oh hundreds I’m sure. Maybe in some universe we met in college, maybe we were friends but you lied to your parents and needed me to be your fake boyfriend for winter break.” Keith smiled at the thought, every ridiculous rom-com scenario playing in his head. He’d always been a fan of the “Oh no we’re in a fake relationship and have to share a bed suddenly” routine show and movie writer used, as if that sort of thing actually happened.

“Hmmm” Lance mused “What if we were adults and I needed a second job to pay my bills and ended up applying for the strip club you work at?”

Keith choked on the water he was drinking. “I would never be a stripper.”

“Ah ah, you said anything I could think of. In my Alternative Universe, you’d totally be a stripper.”

“I feel objectified” Keith joked, handing the bottle of the Lance to take a swig himself. “Ooo what if we were in some kind of space exploration academy and ended up finding proof of aliens. And ended up getting launched into some kind of intergalactic war!”

“Yeah, and you being a stripper is unrealistic.” Lance scoffed, quietly when he saw Keith’s gaze lock up above them.

“It’s starting!” Excitement leaked into Keith’s word, body vibrating as the first of the meteors flew across the sky. It took a few minutes before multiple shots of light made their way across the sky. Lance glanced over at Keith intermittently, the boy looking more like a child seeing rain or the ocean for the first time, face alight with joy and wonder.

“Think these count as shooting stars? Like if I make a wish it’ll come true?” Lance nudged Keith gently, enjoying the smile that rests on Keith’s face as the frequency of the lights slowed. Keith hummed in affirmation, the hand holding Lance’s tightening ever so slightly.

They watched the rest of the shower in silence, comfortable in the back of the truck, snuggled together against the desert chill.

“That was awesome.” Keith said finally, once the light has disappeared from the sky, leaving him in the low light of the lantern Lance had brought with them.

“Did you make a wish?” Lance asked, watching as Keith started to crumble the empty popcorn bag.

“Hmm?” Keith looked at him, eyebrow lifted until he realized what Lance had asked. “Oh. No… I guess I forgot.” He shrugged, Lance frowning as Keith crawled out of the sleeping bag and throwing the snack trash into the convenience store bag. “We should probably head back, yeah? Maybe you can get a nap in before you have to go to school?” Keith smiled when Lance groaned, flopping over at the mention of tomorrow.

The drive back was quiet, Keith’s hand instantly finding Lance’s as he drove them back into town. The conversation stayed away from the supernatural this time, more focused on what the weekend held and throwing new pie ideas around for Keith to pitch to Jenna.

When they parked back at the diner, Lance walked Keith to his bike, hand in hand, teasing about Keith showing Lance where he lived so he could drop him off properly after a date. Keith dismissed the notion, saying he didn’t need anyone finding his fortress of solitude.

There was an awkward pause when they got to the bike, Keith pulling his hand back and kicking the gravel under his boots.

“Thank you Lance” He broke the short silence, smiling up at the slightly taller boy. “Tonight was… really great. I’m glad I got to see the shower with you.”

Lance smiled back, the some other emotions behind his eyes not completely reaching the rest of his face. “Absolutely. Whenever you wanna go cryptid hunting, just let me know.” He gave a small wave before turning and heading back to the truck.

A million thoughts played in Keith’s mind, damn alternative realities where he wasn’t a chicken, wasn’t afraid of what he was feeling in that moment. And if anyone ever asked, that definitely was not the reason he called out to Lance, watching as the other boy turned back to look at him.

“I lied!” Keith said, pushing his fears and doubts aside as he walked back to meet Lance halfway between the vehicles.

“About?” Lance asked once they were standing in front of each other again.

“I did make a wish.” Keith prayed his voice wasn’t shaking the way he thought it was, wanting to seem sure in this moment. “I… I wished…” Lance watched him struggle to form the words, eyes widening when Keith finally said “Fuck it” and pulled Lance down by the collar of his shirt to connect their lips.

Once the shock had passed, Lance found himself kissing back, arms wrapped around Keith to pull him closer. When Keith pulled back from the kiss, the security lighting providing no protection from the red that covered his face. He tried to hide his face in the shoulder of Lance’s hoodie until he heard what could only have been a giggle from above him, feeling Lance press his face into Keith’s hair before asking the smaller boy to look up at him.

When he did, Keith was met with the softest smile he’d seen on Lance to date.

“It looks like we wished for the same thing.” He said quietly before leaning down to kiss Keith again, slow this time, pouring emotions he wasn’t even aware he’d felt until this moment into it. They broke apart again, somehow finding themselves pressed together with his arms looped over Lance’s shoulders as they looked at each other for a moment, enjoying the quiet before Keith spoke up.

“I guess Jenna and my mom were right” He muttered, shrugging before backing out of the embrace, but making sure his hands were still holding Lance’s. “They’d sing “Its only takes a taste, when you know it’s good. Sometimes one taste is more than enough,” Keith’s voice floating between the two of them, eyes connected as he finished “To know you want more of the thing you just got a taste of.”

“You should sing more, it suits you.” Lance said, leaning forward to peck Keith’s lips one more time before letting go of his hands, smile never leaving either of their faces. “Until next time. Goodnight Keith.”

“Goodnight Lance” Keith mounted his bike, slipping on his helmet on as Lance’s truck pulled away. He realized once on the road, that he was thankfully that they’d met in this reality, that things were happening the way they were. He found himself humming his mom’s song as he drove into the night.

Chapter Text

When Lance had pitched the idea of going to his friends house for game night, to say Keith was cautious would be putting it lightly. It’d taken multiple attempts, and several times of dealing with Lance’s so called “puppy dog eyes” before Keith finally caved. He’d opened the diner that morning, letting Lance pick him up when he got off. At this point, Keith learned to keep a change of clothes handy in his worker locker, so he’d be at least some what presentable when meeting new people.

After the night of the meteor shower, Keith was honestly afraid Lance would come crashing through the diner doors, two dozen roses in hand asking for his hand in marriage. Dawn noticed the air around him, asking what was wrong, and seemed to imply the thought was ridiculous when he explained the fear. And when Dawn, Queen of Overanalyzing Everything, thinks you’re being ridiculous, it opens your eyes a little.

In reality, Lance came by the diner after school, in between the lunch and dinner rushes, just before the early birds would start arriving. He’d asked Shawna is he could steal Keith away for a few minutes, smiling sweetly at her until she sighed and told them to be back in 5 minutes. Keith had loudly objected them talking around him like he wasn’t there, but followed Lance when the other boy took his hand and headed towards the door. They walked in silent to the side of the building, away from where his very nosey coworkers would be able to see them, Keith staring at the back of Lance’s head as he wished to suddenly gain the ability to read minds. Lance looked around, like he was making sure the coast was clear, before a smile broke out across his face.

“So. I wanted to ask you something.” He said, confident voice not quite matching the small nervous movements of his foot bouncing on the gravel beneath it.

“And you brought me outside behind the building because?”

“Because I didn’t want to ask you in front of your customers or coworkers. People who hit on people when they’re working are the worst.” Keith bit back the retort that technically Lance had been one of those people before he agreed to go out with him.

“Okay, we’re here. Alone. What did you want to ask?”

Lance cleared his throat dramatically before sweeping his free arm out in some kind of grand gesture. “Would you, Keith Kogane, like to be my boyfriend?”

Keith blinked, once then twice, before cocking his head slightly to the side.

“I thought the multiple dates and kissing implied we were?”

Lance seemed to deflate just a smidge. “Well yeah, but I wanted to ask your permission before putting a label on it.” The façade left him, the Lance that sat with Keith in the middle of the desert, staring up at the sky, coming out again. He stepped closer, hand holding Keith’s squeezing gently, reminding him there was a question involved with all of this.

Keith felt a surge of courage zip through him, pushing past the harsh heart beating that threatened to jump out of his chest. “And what does putting a label on it change?”

“Well, it means I get to say “my boyfriend” instead of “this guy I like”. And…” Keith looked at him, waiting to hear what was gonna come out next before outright agreeing to the term. Really, it was a relief to see the usually confident and suave Lance McClain stumble over his words trying to explain himself. “And it means that I get to take you to meet my friends and maybe my family if you want, and plan more dates, and kiss you again.”

Keith smiled as pink blossomed under the freckles on Lance’s cheeks. “I think I like the sound of that.” Lance perked up again, now taking both of Keith’s hands in his own.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Keith leaned up slightly to kiss Lance, enjoying the feeling of Lance relaxing into kissing him back. He hummed, pulling back just enough to rest their foreheads together. “I didn’t even think I wanted a boyfriend.”

“I mean, honestly same.” Lance chuckled out a small laugh. “But I really like you. And this.” He squeezed their hands before moving to kiss Keith again.

“Yeah, you’re pretty cool I guess” Keith teased, smirking as he took a step back, still holding one hand as he dropped the other. “Becky is gonna come hunt us down in a minute and I really don’t think I could live down her walking up on us making out.” Lance had agreed, worrying that she’s start threatening to bake him into a pie if he hurt her favorite waiter.

Keith assured him he’d be safe, with a vague warning about Becky’s gangster cousins in Phoenix. They’d walked back to the front of the building, smiling as Keith watched him head to his truck and blow him a kiss before hopping in. And somehow Becky had already known exactly what had happened when he came back in to take over his tables.
~~~

That was how he found himself in his current situation, wearing Lance’s baseball team hoodie because the long sleeve shirt he was wearing hadn’t been enough protection from the chill in the air, pulling up to an unknown house in the middle of some cookie cutter neighborhood just outside town.

“What if they don’t like me?” He asked Lance, who started digging around under the bench of the truck just after parking.

“They will! I promise!” He came back with two game boxes and a 6 pack of sodas, setting them down next to him to look Keith dead in the eyes. “Really. They’re my best friends and I’ve done nothing but sing your praises the last few weeks. This will be fun. And if you get uncomfortable, we’ll use a code word.” He thought for a moment. “Oh, say something like “I think I forgot to feed my cat!”

“That’s a phrase, not a word, and I don’t have a cat.”

“They don’t know that” Lance shrugged, leaning over to kiss Keith on the nose. “Come on, this is gonna be fun.”

Keith watched as Lance bypassed knocking on to door to just walking in, as if it were his own home, yelling for a pigeon. A voice yelled back, summoning them to the kitchen.

There they found Lance’s friends, the two that had been with Lance in the diner that faithful evening, and who had been the subject of Lance’s rants about their scientific meddling. Hunk was mixing something together in a bowl as Pidge was rummaging in the fridge, a task quickly forgotten when she laid eyes on Keith.

Closing the door, she marched over to stand in front of Keith.

“Hi I’m Pidge, we’ve met before. What are your intentions with Lance?” She asked curtly, terrifying in a way no one that short had the right to be. Keith responded with a confused “huh?” before Lance cut in.

“Hey now” He scolded “Manners. I told you no harassing the boyfriend!” There was still a strange joy that came with Lance saying the word out loud. He’d complained a few days after being a granted the title, very loudly one morning at the dinner before he went to school, that he hadn’t gotten the boyfriend discount on his bill. Keith rolled his eyes and refused to give him his change, keeping it as what he claimed was an “annoyance fee”.

Pidge waved Lance off, eyeing Keith carefully. “Is it true that you killed someone and that’s why you left school?”

“PIDGE!” Lance looked ready to strangle her before Keith put a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention back.

“No, I didn’t kill anyone. I just didn’t have the time since I’ve been working to support myself. I just finished my GED program though.” Keith explained, watching Pidge squint at him before shrugging, apparently finding his answer acceptable and went back to collecting supplies for “game night”. Lance told Keith to go to the living room, smiling when he promised to be there in a minute.

Keith wandered out into the living room, which was incredibly….comfortable. The word overwhelming came to mind, between furniture, the entertainment system, and the photos littering the walls and fire place mantel. It was artfully arranged though, so it felt more homey than suffocating.

Keith stopped while passing the mantel, drawn into the family photos in their bright gold and silver frames. There were group shots of everyone outside, one of a man he assumed to be Pidge’s father holding an infant in on arm and a framed Ph.D in the other, shots of two young partially dressed children, absolutely covered in some kind of goo as their mother stood in the background, face stern but fond. He picked up a photo of a boy in graduation regalia, same brown hair as Pidge with his arm wrapped around a much taller friend, black and white hair peeking out from where he was trying to keep his graduation cap on his head.
“That’s my brother Matt, and his best friend Shiro” Pidge’s voice caused Keith to tense, feeling as though he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. Pidge seemed nonchalant though, depositing various bowls on the coffee table. “They graduated college last fall and ended up joining the military together.”

Keith hummed thoughtfully in response, putting the frame back on the shelf where it belonged.

“Oh man, Lance had the biggest crush on Shiro growing up, he’d always ask if Shiro was gonna be here when we’d come over!” Hunk emerged from the kitchen, carrying his own load of foods as he left a mortified Lance in the kitchen.

“I did NOT!”

“You totally did” Pidge’s retort was muffled by the cheezits she had just shoved in her mouth. “Did you forget the ‘Lance + Shiro 4ever’ I found in your planner in 8th grade?” Keith fought, and lost to, the urge to laugh, imagining a younger, love struck Lance.

“You know,” Lance said, face suddenly more serious than Keith was used to. “Maybe inviting Keith to game night was a bad idea. I didn’t think it would turn into a game of ‘Humiliate Lance’.”

“Don’t be dramatic, you did the same thing when Hunk started dating Shay. Fair is fair.” Lance deflated, appearing to accept his fate as he huffed and moved to slump on the couch. He was muttering something about ‘you loan your notes one time…’ when Keith moved to join him. He watched curiously as Pidge turned on the television and fiddled with various consoles in the entertainment center.

“So you guys just… play video games every week?” He prompted, changing the subject to save Lance’s ego, although he stored that knowledge of the crush away for future conversations.

“Nah, usually it’s Monsters and Mana, but 3 of our 6 are either sick or called out” Hunk explained as he sat on the floor in front of the love seat, using it as back support as he poured various snacks on a paper plate.

“What and what?” Keith had never heard of the game before, genuinely curious how a game could be so entertaining that 6 people schedule to play it once a week.

“Monsters and Mana!” Lance seemed back to his usual perky self, eyes lighting up at the opportunity to explain the game. “It’s a table top roleplaying game. You make a character, go on adventures made by the DM, and use dice to determine how successful you are.” Keith watched Lance’s very animated explanation, still slightly confused as to how that would be fun but decided it wasn’t worth judging. He hummed lowly, able to see Lance had more to say. “My character is a half wolf ninja hybrid; he’s a smooth talker that gets whatever he wants.”

“You are a thief, don’t lie to the man.” Pidge corrected from her position. Lance looked like he was going to argue before he was cut off. “Keith, since you’re the guest you get to pick what we play.”
“I don’t really play videogames, so I wouldn’t know what to suggest?” Keith suddenly felt all eyes on him, Lance looking particularly scandalized.

“No videogames? Ever?!” Keith shook his head. “No Pokemon? Mario? PacMan?”

“Okay I used to play Pacman at the arcade as a kid, but we never had the money for game systems so it just wasn’t a thing. Why do you think I read so much?” Lance looked slightly embarrassed at Keith’s admission, though it didn’t seem to bother Keith at all.

“I vote Mario Kart then. We can give Keith a few rounds to get the hang of it then do a tournament or something.” Pidge suggested, tossing two controllers towards Keith and Lance, handing on to Hunk before moving to hunker down on the loveseat.

Lance showed him the basic controls, helping him create his vehicle after they’d picked characters. Keith had gone for Toad before Lance cut him off, warning him that was Pidge’s character. Hunk took Link, Lance picked Peach and Keith ended up choosing Rosalina.

“Of course you picked the space queen” Lance teased, nudging Keith with his elbow playfully. Keith had found himself sitting cross legged on the couch, while Lance was lounging with his legs extended to rest on the ottoman in front of them.

“Space queen?”

“Mhmm, she came from Super Mario Galaxy. She’s queen of the stars. I’ll show you later.” Keith nodded, unwilling to admit he picked her because she looked like the better version of Lance’s choice.

It did take a few rounds for Keith to get the hang of it, spending an almost embarrassing time skidding across grass before Lance explained the drifting mechanisms and speed boosts. When Keith felt he could at least mildly keep up, Pidge started the tournament mode.

The first two races had been mostly uneventful, a few insults thrown at Pidge when she took a shortcut that moved her from 5th to 2nd on the second track. Lance let slip a few curse words here and there, mostly muttering under his breath next to Keith as if it would help him advance. Hunk was mostly quiet, more methodical compared to the chaos that radiated from the other two, mostly he just growled or groans when someone passed him or he got a less favorable item.

It wasn’t until the second lap of the third race when things appeared to have boiled over. Lance had gotten excited about getting a blue shell, whooping as he sped around other racers.
“Lance I swear to god, I will stab you” Pidge warned, keeping her lead slightly ahead of the game playing Mario.

“Pidgeon, I would never!” Lance totally did, hitting the button that sent the blue shell careening towards Pidge’s cart, the girl screaming in rage as 6 carts flew past her as Toad struggled to recover from the hit. Keith was torn between entertainment and fear as she cursed, trying and failing to regain her lead before the checkered flag.

“Piece of shit” Pidge threw across the living room, glaring daggers as the final race loaded. Lance smiled innocently, pointing out their tie for 1st nonchalantly. Hunk was in 2nd behind the pair and Keith was holding up 4th behind one of the computers.

Shit hit the metaphorical fan in the last lap as Lance and Pidge battled for 1st place.

“I’ll kill you. I’ll bury you in the middle of the desert and nO ONE WILL FIND YOUR BODY” Pidge screeched as she slipped on a banana peel. Lance laughed manically as he took the lead, holding a music box defensively behind him incase Pidge caught up.

Keith could feel Lance tense beside him, uncharacteristically quiet as Pidge continued to hurl threats of death and dismemberment his way, screaming again when his music box protected him from a red shell.
“Come on come on come on COME O- FUCK YES” Lance jumped off the couch, whooping as Peach crossed the finish line first. Keith watched as he celebrated, finishing in 3rd behind Pidge while Hunk pulled up the rear. Pidge threw various snacks at Lance as he did a little victory dance around the living room.

“How’s it feel to be dating a WINNER?” He grinned, leaning down and kissing Keith soundly before remembering they were in front of his friends. They both froze, faces still close as their eyes slid over to Hunk and Pidge, triumphant trumpets still playing on the television.

Hunk let out a snorted laugh, breaking the tension in the room. “Bet it feels the same as dating a loser.” He joked, eyes soft as Pidge rolled her eyes.

“We could care less about you two being affectionate, just don’t be gross.” She shrugged, moving her focus to the television to move them into a different game type. “This is the first time Lance has dated a boy, but definitely not the first time he’s macked on someone in front of us.”

“Pidge!” Lance hissed, blush matching the one that was growing on Keith face. Lance took his seat on the couch again, cuddled up next to Keith and throwing his arm around the other man as Pidge and Hunk bickered about some aspect of the game Keith wasn’t fully cognizant of.

“She can be a little… blunt” Lance confided, voice low to keep the conversation private. “You okay?”

Keith smiled, leaning in to kiss Lance’s cheek as he hummed an affirmation. “Yup. Just peachy. I like them.”

“Knew you would.” Lance muttered, retracting his arm as Pidge called their attention back to the television to vote on what they would play next.
~~~

Over the course of the evening, Lance and Pidge would battle for first in multiple games while Hunk and Keith just tried to stay out of their way. Once most of the snacks were gone and Lance was complaining of a headache, they called it a night. Keith had learned a surprising amount from these friends, including never playing Uno with Lance ever because he cheats (Lance objected but was outnumbered) and that they didn’t play monopoly after Pidge flipped the board midgame one too many times.

Keith had already agreed to come home with Lance afterwards, not knowing how long they would be out and not wanting him to have to drive back into town to drop him off. In the back of his mind, this should be a bigger deal, sneaking into his boyfriends house without introducing himself to anyone.

They snuck back into the McClain residence, Keith not really getting the chance to look around as he followed Lance up the stairs and into his bedroom. Lamp light illuminated the room, showing a plethora of band and movie posters littering the walls, various clothes, textbooks, and knick knacks thrown around the floor, desk and drawers.

“Sorry, I meant to tidy up a little bit more.” Lance admitted, dropping his backpack by the door as Keith shrugged, knowing his room probably didn’t look much better. They took turns in the bathroom to changed into sleepwear and brushing their teeth before crawled into Lance’s queen sized bed tucked against the wall, Keith feeling only slightly worried about being caught before exhaustion took him over and unconscious took him into blissful slumber.

The next morning they’d woken up to Lance’s school alarm, groaning softly until Lance managed to silence the device. At some point in the night, Lance had ended up on his back, arm slung out with Keith taking his bicep as a pillow. He’d realized the dead arm was worth getting to sleep Keith’s sleep ridden brain try to process where he was, laughing when Keith realized their position and abruptly sat up.

Lance stuck him out before his mother could see, apologizing profusely and promising to introduce them at some point, just not when he’d snuck the guy he’d already identified as his boyfriend into the house at night. Apparently his mother had an open door policy they’d violated and Lance didn’t want to get grounded or beheaded for the deed.

They’d parted ways at the diner, building lit but empty as they could see Jenna shuffling around inside, moving from the kitchen to behind the counter, preparing for the day. The smell of fresh pies filled the air outside the door as the boys said their goodbyes, Lance saying he’d text him between classes before heading to school.

Jenna called him out when he got inside, Keith trying to skirt past her to get to the back before he got interrogated. “Have a good night?” She mused, eyes teasing as she refilled ketchup bottles. Keith felt his face heat as he nodded and made his escape until they got busy.