Just One Kiss
(I've always had this image of Lance and Keith getting together after sharing one kiss. That if they could just kiss- their passions would run their inevitable course to something deeper beneath. This fic is based in that idea...)
Lance had been turned off to this stupid idea from the start...
What idea? Truth or dare, which naturally- Pidge had suggested!
Lance had no patience for truth or dare. He didn't think the dynamic between two people could ever be that simplistic.
He wouldn't have even agreed to play this dumb game if Keith hadn't agreed.
Anything Keith would agree to- Lance would not back down from...
Mostly because Keith was his worthy adversary in every way. Keith understood things that Lance understood.
Keith would know that truth or dare is way too childish of an approach to relationship dynamics between people...
Why had Keith agreed to play then?
Lance decided as he usually did to rise to Keith's challenge and find out...
Pidge smirked and folded her arms.
"I'll go first," she stated. "Keith- truth or dare?"
Keith folded his arms defiantly.
"I don't care," he said with exaggerated indifference. "Dare...I guess..."
Pidge grinned, but decided not to play her Ace just yet.
"Alright Keith," she said smugly. "I dare you to hold Lance's hand for thirty seconds!"
Lance did what he thought was the cool thing. He played it off like Pidge's suggestion was dull and uninteresting...
"That's all?" he asked with a snort of sarcastic amusement. "Well if you got something to prove Pidge- I'd be glad to prove you wrong..."
Pidge smiled at what Lance was implying about her motives. It implied something about him as well...
"This is Keith's dare," she said with a wink. "Keith..."
Keith shrugged his shoulders and moved to the small sofa Lance was on.
He sat down and turned reluctantly to meet Lance's gaze.
Matt and Hunk watched with rapt attention- waiting on the two rivals to take the dare.
Keith was hesitant and Lance was unreadable. That didn't make it any easier for Keith...
How could he know Lance's feelings about this?
Lance managed to look completely indifferent, even though underneath his heart hammered wildly at the prospect of holding Keith's hand.
The two of them usually danced around this kind of acknowledgement toward one another...
Lance swallowed nervously and grabbed Keith's hand fast. His heartbeat increased slightly.
Pidge smirked.
"It has to be real hand-holding," she informed them.
Keith bit his bottom lip and threaded his fingers through Lance's own.
His heart accelerated wildly at the feeling of Lance's palm against his. It was supposed to be platonic, so- why did he feel this way?
Lance's walls went down a little in the short thirty seconds.
A mild curiosity settled into his features- like Lance suddenly longed to see into Keith.
Searching beyond. Into his soul...
Keith thought he might be looking at Lance just as intensely.
His own feelings were no longer nervous. They were chasing and leaving something unspoken.
He couldn't shut out liking this. He liked Lance holding his hand, and was hungry for more contact...
Their hands broke apart when Pidge counted off thirty.
Keith's desire lessened, but the curiosity remained.
Lance cleared his throat and looked away- the walls going back up...
"Now if that's over with," he said with a scowl in Pidge's direction. "Let's try for less juvenile dares!"
"Oh please Lance," she retorted with a snort. "Don't pretend you didn't like that. I saw your face. You were looking at Keith like you wanted to merge with him!"
Lance's eyebrow went up at her choice of wording.
Pidge looked to Hunk and Matt for support, but they shook their heads.
They refused to get between Lance and Keith by taking Pidge's side.
"It's my turn," Keith said, looking at Pidge with a playful smile. "Truth or dare?"
"How original," Pidge responded with an eyeroll. "Revenge time..."
"Truth or dare Pidge?" Lance pressed smugly, with a satisfied look. "You were all keen to tease Keith and me..."
"You call that teasing," Pidge muttered. "Fine! Truth- I guess..."
Keith smirked.
"Pidge, who do you like?"
Pidge blushed slightly.
"Excuse me!?" she ejaculated, taken aback that Keith would ever be the one to ask her that.
"Oh come on now," Keith urged with a grin. "You must like someone here..."
Pidge shot Lance a reluctant look and blushed deep red.
"Alright," she said, cutting to the point. "I like Lance. I don't think he likes me though."
"You don't know who I like," Lance quipped. "That's why I think this game is so childish. No one knows what anyone else likes..."
Pidge scowled.
"Alright mister!" she exclaimed like a woman with a mission. "You then! Truth or dare hotshot!?"
Lance wasn't about to back down after Keith had said dare.
"I can handle any dare you throw at me," he told her, though he didn't feel quite as certain.
"Think so?" Pidge asked with a wicked snicker. "You think that huh? The moment of truth..."
Lance didn't know why he suddenly felt aprehensive.
Something told him Pidge was really about to sock him one. Why did he have to run his big mouth...?
"Lance," Pidge stated flatly. "I dare you to kiss Keith ON THE LIPS- for thirty seconds!"
Lance's mouth fell open and a slight tint of pink bloomed across his cheeks.
He looked at Keith, whose look was rather shy and sheepish, for some reason...
"You ready dude?" Lance asked, wanting to get this over with and prove his point about this dumb game.
"Guess so," Keith said quietly.
The two of them locked eyes and Keith went first. He moved closer to Lance and then stopped.
Lance licked his lips with pure nerves and edged closer.
He hesitated as their foreheads touched, but he couldn't make his mouth comply so easily.
His heart hammered like crazy being so close to Keith, and it raised certain uncomfortable questions.
He willed his mouth to find Keith's, but stopped short again.
Keith closed his eyes and took the final dive- smashing his lips against Lance's own.
"One," Pidge said. "Two..."
Lance flooded with a thousand emotions. A thousand conflicts. A rush of questions...
Then he threw all reasoning out- realizing this couldn't be reasoned with.
The conflicts and questions all scattered to winds as Lance let himself submit only to whatever it was he wanted. Whatever it was he desired...
Lance seemed to finally tumble over some kind of verge and his mouth began to move.
Keith's mouth was moving too!
Lance didn't stop his arm going where he clearly wanted it to go.
He pushed an open palm against Keith's chest and opened his lips to admit Keith's seeking tongue.
He realized suddenly that Pidge was no longer counting.
Something seemed to wire his brain directly to Keith in that meeting of tongues. Something new between them rose up to meet it's other- and Lance realized it was that dynamic between lovers he had long sought.
He'd been a fool. He'd over-analyzed it...
With that Lance gently pulled back.
Keith's eyes were clouded with lust, but there was something else.
Lance was looking at Keith with a whole new look in his eyes.
The look was open, longing, and a little vulnerable.
"Finally," Pidge stated, cutting into the moment.
Lance blushed a little and smiled at Keith. How had he never seen what was between them?
Lance knew without a doubt this feeling was pure, spontaneous, unexplainable love.
How had one kiss in a silly truth or dare game shown him that?
He had been wrong. Sometimes, these things didn't need to be understood...
"Can we stop playing guys?" Lance requested. "Keith. Let's talk. Your room?"
Keith nodded, but inside he was conflicted.
What if Lance said it meant nothing?
Lance had no room for such questions in this rush of new feelings. He felt like the walk to Keith's room was in a dream.
Keith let him pass and closed the door, deciding to be the one to break the ice.
"It's okay Lance," he said quietly. "I'll understand if you want it to go back to how it was before..."
Lance couldn't believe his ears. He shot Keith a very hurt look.
"What Keith?" he asked in disbelief. "What are you saying? You mean you didn't feel what I felt?"
Keith's eyes became surprised.
"No I..." Keith stammered. "Shit Lance! I'm sorry I said that so wrong. I wasn't sure if you felt the way I did. I..."
Lance shook his head and smiled with understanding.
He hesitated just one final time...
"Keith," he said. "I love you. I didn't realize it until just now, but I think it was there. This brought it out. Ya know? Like things unspoken between us."
He paused and gave Keith that vulnerable look of longing and hope again
"I love you..." he repeated.
Keith smiled playfully clapped Lance's back.
"Alright you love-striken Nancy," he joked. "We'll figure this out, but..."
Lance urged him on with an intense, imploring look.
"I'm not sure I understand my feelings entirely yet," Keith admitted, expression and tone more serious. "You'll give me time- won't you?"
Lance squeezed his hand and nodded with a rare, genuine smile that had none of his usual bravado.
It was sincere and authentic. It spoke of things he wanted to show Keith now. So many things...
"All the time in the world," he agreed. "For you Keith."
Keith's mouth dropped open at the uncertainty and new emotions that sat heavy on him.
Then he gave into a prompting and brought he and Lance's lips together again.
This kiss was shorter and more chaste, but it spoke of things to come. Things they would figure out together...