I pushed him back against the wall, my mouth hard on his lips.

"Lance, what the hell?!" Keith exclaimed, pushing me back, voice several octaves higher than usual.

"That," I said wiping my lips on my sleeve. "Was for earlier."

He stared at me with a strange expression of confusion and shock. I could almost hear the gears turning in his brain as he tried to kick-start his thoughts and remember if he'd said or done anything to prompt this. Confused Keith was nothing short of adorable.

I shot him a smile and, turning on my heel, stalked up the corridor.

And that's how it all started: snatches of kisses and a grapple of hands just out of sight of the Castle's security feed, when the team's backs were turned… when we found ourselves unexpectedly alone. The best part in all this? I always caught Keith off guard. In all our years of trying to outdo one another, in this arena I was the outright winner by default.

Okay, so before you sue me for sexual harassment and or blackmail, let me come clean about why;

At first it was absolutely driven by passion. I liked Keith a lot and, yeah, it took me a heck of a long time to realise that I didn't just like him like I did everyone else (hats off to me because he's a difficult son of bitch so yay) – but once I knew, I couldn't get him out of my head. Every look, the way he said things, how driven he was to fight like some emo dark knight - I simultaneously loved and hated it when he dived head first into battle. There's a lot to admire in how he selflessly puts himself on the line, but he was selfish to think that his life could be so easily thrown away. In the last battle, I watched Keith literally throw himself into the line of fire 'for the good of humanity' and it scared me. Scared me silly. That's what led to our crazy first kiss.

After that it was all on me and I'm shamefully unashamed. I just wanted to kiss him, get close with him. Heck I'm kinda proud how long I've been able to surprise him and get away with it.

It's important to say though as soon as he stepped away or pushed me back or said anything, I would back off. I'm not that much of a dick. And if he told me to stop I probably would. Don't get me wrong, I was counting down the seconds to Keith going ape at me and I completely deserved it.

But that hadn't happened yet which surprised me no end.

At this point I started to wonder what his thoughts were. Did he secretly like it? Did he like me or was this just me stretching my fantasies over reality? Or was Keith so utterly rubbish at any social circumstance that he genuinely didn't know what to do and just hoped I'd get bored or something- What if he'd asked Shiro for advice?! That would be hilarious… but also so, so embarrassing-

"Earth calling Lance, come in Lance."

I blinked, pulled out of my thoughts by a very annoyed Pidge clicking her fingers in my face. She sighed, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. I readied myself for either a lecture or something suitably sarky.

"Sorry to shatter whatever strange fantasy you were playing out, but you need to concentrate on the wires. Unless you want to electrocute yourself and every living thing on this Level then, please, do carry on ignoring me."

"Were you thinking about mermaids again? You had that expression on your face when you think about mer… maids…" Hunk caught the killer glint in Pidge's eyes and fell into silence.

I humph-ed loudly in response. I-was-bored-out-of-my-mind. Especially now I could no longer enjoy watching Keith – I was helping Pidge cut and rewire while Keith held the top of the panel in place: I couldn't gawp when we were side to side.

It was Week 4 of what I call 'Operation Love Assault on Keith' – not the catchiest of titles but it was clear on the intentions. I'd ventured out of my room just at the right moment and clocked Keith helping Hunk pull power panels off the walls just outside of the hangar. Seeing that mullet head ripping apart the corridor wall was nothing short of 'wow'. Unfortunately I'd gawked in the shadows like a stalker fangirl for a little too long and Pidge caught me and signed me up to help.

My mind must have wandered again because before I knew it Pidge had stormed off with Hunk puppying along behind her, shouting about finding another wire or something, and that I was useless.

I stood and stretched-

"Hey, watch it," Keith barked.

I turned with a smirk. "Sorry, didn't you there, buddy."

He sighed angrily. "You know that I need to hold this in place for Pidge and now, thanks to you, I have to wait like this until she comes back because you couldn't concentrate for five ticks!"

"A man's gotta think about, what a man's gotta think about, Keith."

"About mermaids though?" His voice did that scratchy thing which only happened when he got riled. Hot and cute. How unfair was he?

Mullet head went on to say something lecturer-y about taking jobs seriously or something about being an adult. Meanwhile I took a moment to admire the taught muscles of his arms solidly holding up the panel. I mean, I tried not thinking letchy thoughts but… Keith. Muscles. Being extra manly.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was when I saw another golden opportunity and took it.

Keith was still going on about whatever when I moved to stand just to the side, behind him. I reached up and placed a hand over his on the panel.

"…What are you doing?"

Smirking, I turned my face slightly to reply: "Just giving you a hand."

I realised just how close we were and if I was an easy blusher, I'd be crimson. Keith on the other hand had a beautifully pale complexion and any slight pinkness had a tendency to really shine.

"It's okay! I got it!"

Inside I was beaming. It was so easy to mess with him.

Around us the castle was silent and I couldn't resist shuffling closer. I slid my hand from its place over his hand and down his toned arm to join its twin resting on his chest. My head gently rested behind his shoulder and I took a deep, long breath, pulling myself closer to him.

"What- What on earth?! Lance!"

Slowly I brought my hands down, teasing him. I changed course last minute, my hands moving back up his body beneath his shirt, skin on skin. A shiver moved through him along with a sharp intake of breath. I was probably dancing on the edge of danger but I wanted more.

While I wasn't the most experienced of people, I knew exactly how to turn up the heat. I placed my lips at the base of his neck. Gently, gradually, I made my way round his neck with kisses.

"Lance, so help me…" he hushed, a warning tinting his words.

Overly tense, I noticed his arms shaking slightly from the pressure of holding the panel in place and my antics. It was time to quit this round. The fun was over and things, one way or another, were getting serious. My hands retreated from beneath his shirt and I pulled away almost as quickly as I'd originally wrapped myself around him.

"Perhaps I will think about mermaids next time," I mused, noting the blush across his face.

With that I wandered away, leaving him to think about where my hands had been. Where they'd almost been.