"So I have exciting news."
"Oh? Do tell?" Keith requested lazily. They were on Keith's couch and Keith was lying on his side with his head in Lance's lap facing the TV. This, of course, flustered Lance, because Keith's head was RIGHT THERE, so close to a certain area that tended to get a little excited when around his new boyfriend.
"So I contacted the aquarium before I moved back and told them I planned to return here to grad school. I kept in touch with Dr. Satler when I was in San Diego. He's in charge of the sharks at the aquarium and helped me a lot in undergrad. I volunteered under him. Anyway, I asked if there were any way I could work for them in a paid job while I did grad work. You know, even anything part time because I like the place and I know they liked me and I knew they sometimes hired students to work there."
"And they responded?"
"They did! I mean, it's not a glamorous job, or anything, but it's a job. I won't be fully broke and dependent on my parents. I know that it's been hard on them to keep sending me money, and I can't rely on Hunk forever. That kind soul feeds me enough."
"You have me to feed you now," Keith reminded him.
"True. And I appreciate it a lot. But I don't want to have to rely on you, you know? I want some money for myself, if even to buy you something nice every once in a blue moon."
"I don't need anything, sweetheart. Just you."
"I am NOT in this relationship to have a sugar daddy. I want a Keith," Lance said indignantly.
"A sugar daddy is rich. I am definitely not. So I know you're not looking for that." After a pause, Lance heard Keith chuckle. "Your sweet ass could easily get one, though."
"You think so? Huh. I wonder why I never thought of trying that," Lance mused.
Keith reached above his head and poked at wherever on Lance it was his finger reached, which happened to be his upper stomach. Lance flinched with a breathy gasp, which just served to jostle Keith around with a mumbled complaint about the movement. "You're stuck with me now, so don't even think of shopping that ass around to anyone else," Keith growled.
Lance's heart flip-flopped at the possessiveness in Keith's tone. "I would never do that, Keithy," he cooed, tickling his fingers into Keith's side, even as he somehow bent his body over to plant a kiss on Keith's temple.
"Don't call me 'Keithy'," he complained as he turned his head and leaned up enough to get a real kiss, he dropped his head back onto Lance's lap, fully turning over onto his back. "So what will you be doing at the aquarium?" he asked, his gaze on Lance's face.
"Mostly manual labor, but I can do it before the aquarium opens. That shouldn't interfere with my school and research too much. I'll be cleaning the exhibit, prepping the food, things like that. Definitely nothing glamorous, but at least I'll be there. I'll have access to research too and hopefully networking."
"Do you think that you'd like to work there permanently?" Keith asked curiously.
"I-I'm not sure. I mean, yeah. It would be awesome to become the shark person there. But Dr. Satler? He's not that old, really. Late thirties, I think? And he's from here and has a wife and kids. So he'll probably be there awhile. Not sure if I can wait that long."
"Then what do you plan to do when you graduate?"
Lance paused. He had thought about it and he had an idea, but he was insecure enough to worry that it was a dumb idea. "You won't think it's stupid?"
"I wouldn't think anything you wanted to do was stupid."
"I thought about teaching," he admitted. He watched Keith's expression anxiously, hoping his boyfriend would at least not laugh at him.
Keith didn't laugh. He smiled up at Lance, a smile that boosted Lance's confidence in himself in a way he couldn't explain. "I think you'd be a great teacher."
"You do?" To hear this from Keith, who was a teacher himself, meant a great deal to him. Lance knew that he was passionate about marine biology and about his beloved sharks. He knew he was outgoing and not shy. He knew he got along with people. He knew all this about himself, but to be audacious enough to believe he could mold the minds of college students and teach them was a little out of his comfort zone.
"Of course I do. You're so outgoing and friendly. And you're unbelievably passionate about the ocean. I can't see how any student in your class wouldn't immediately fall in love with it."
"Keith!" he protested with a blush.
"Lance!" Keith said teasingly back, mimicking Lance's tone. "I'm serious. Didn't you talk for an hour straight after dinner last night about how climate change is affecting the Indian Ocean current and the marine life there?"
"Did that bore you?" Lance asked in a worried tone.
Keith laughed and reached up again to tap Lance on the nose. "No, silly. You never bore me. I like listening to you. Quit worrying about that!"
Lance chuckled a little, "I can't help it. I like you a lot and I don't want to chase you away."
"Do I look like I plan on going anywhere soon?"
Keith did look quite comfortable. "Well, we are in YOUR place, Keith," Lance pointed out. "I imagine you wouldn't go anywhere. You'd just kick me out."
"Nah, you're a pretty nice pillow," Keith said with a grin. "I mean I don't know how with as bony and skinny as you are."
Lance huffed. "Nice! I'll have you know I'm an excellent cuddler and an even better big spoon. Just ask Hunk." When Keith lifted an eyebrow, Lance amended, "Ok, Hunk is a BETTER big spoon, but still. I'm very snuggly."
"Mmm," Keith hummed, his eyelids drooping half-closed. "I can't wait to test that."
"Keith!"
"Though I do wonder about HOW you know that Hunk is a better big spoon."
"I know you already know I'm a touchy feely type and very affectionate," Lance said, the fingers of his left hand curling into Keith's hair, getting another pleased hum from the man in his lap as his eyes fully closed. "And you know Hunk and I are very close. We've bed shared before. NOTHING like that," he protested, noticing how Keith's eyebrow quirked up again. "Just, you know, on trips and stuff, we've had to share. NOTHING inappropriate. That poor boy is tragically straight."
That got a laugh from Keith. "Tragic? I don't know. I think he's found happiness in his straight relationship," Keith pointed out as he opened his eyes again.
"True. I would turn straight for Shay to be honest. But then, I think if I were straight, I'd turn gay for Hunk."
"You're such a dork," Keith said, looking up at Lance fondly.
"But I'm your dork. So what does that say about you?"
"That I have pretty damn good taste."
Lance felt giddy and like his heart was going to burst. They had not even known each other a week, but Keith was always saying these sweet little things to him. It was definitely not anything he was used to. He had dated before – had even been in a few short-lived relationships - but no one had ever complimented him so much or said things that indicated that he felt lucky to be with Lance. He could tell that Keith felt that; Keith said as much often enough.
It was Friday evening and the pair had spent every day together since Sunday, the day they actually met. Those sweet hours after Keith was done teaching his classes were precious to Lance, who grew to adore his new boyfriend by leaps and bounds. The more he learned about Keith, the more he spent time with him, the more they figured out how each other ticked, the more (and harder) they fell for each other.
It was obvious that things got more serious after Keith met Lance's best friends. Lance was honest when he had told Keith that he didn't exactly need Hunk's approval, but to get it meant the world to him. Hunk was one of the most important people in Lance's life, until now at least. Shay wasn't much further behind in importance. To know that those closest to him not only approved of Keith, but they both adored him as much as Lance did, blew his mind.
Lance had been so happy that Keith slipped into Hunk and Shay's life just as easily as he had slipped into Lance's. A late night phone call to Hunk after their dinner date at Hunk and Shay's had sent Lance over the moon. After he told Hunk about the invitation to join him and Keith on a road trip back to Keith's hometown, he was finally able to grill Hunk about his impression of Keith and it was all favorable. Lance had been fairly confident that Hunk would get along with Keith. Keith had the type of personality that Hunk admired, but it was a very different thing to hope that your best friend would like your boyfriend and to actually have your best friend like your boyfriend.
"Like honestly? How has Keith not been a part of our life since high school? Fate should have had that boy right along with us in Central High," Hunk had said in his tired voice (because Lance had woken him up, of course).
"Right?" Lance asked. Well, practically squeaked in an effort to keep his voice from screaming. Keith was right next door, after all.
"I feel like I've known him forever. Shay feels the same. We really liked him, Lance."
"I could tell. He really liked you and Shay too."
"How is this even possible? You two looked as if you'd been dating for years, not days. It was actually breathtaking and Shay and I didn't know what to think at first. Then we started getting to know him and he just fit in with us so easy. It was bizarre."
"Yeah, this whole thing is freaking me out in a way. I mean, I'm ecstatically happy, but it's scary too. I am so into him, Hunk. He seems perfect in every single way. And he's into ME. Stupid me and my stupid issues. The way he looks at me, like I'm the perfect one. And you know more than anyone that I'm not perfect. I'm not YOU, Hunk. How can this be happening?"
"No, you're not perfect, but for some reason you are to Keith. You're probably everything he's looked for his whole life. You told me he told you how many guys he's dated and how none of them have ever connected with him. You do. That's all that matters."
"True." Lance was actually quiet for a few minutes, which he knew probably worried Hunk.
"And by the way, idiot, you're NOT stupid. And your issues are NOT stupid. You have insecurities. You talk too much, but that's endearing, not stupid. You have a short attention span, but that's not stupid either. Keith is apparently charmed by all that, because you haven't driven him away. If you annoyed him, he wouldn't be planning on at least ten dates with you. He wouldn't have asked you to come meet his brother and best friend. And he sure as heck wouldn't have invited Shay and me. I really don't think you should worry about anything in regards to Keith and just go with it."
"You do? I mean, you don't think it's crazy how fast it's moving?" Lance asked, his tone unsure.
"To be honest, I did at first. I mean, I was happy you met someone that you obviously really liked, but wow. Shay and I both thought that this whole thing was crazy. WE didn't know anything about Keith, except what you told us. And I admit we were both worried. Then we met him and you were right. He's basically awesome and we could tell he was genuine."
Lance was quiet once again, thinking over what Hunk had said. It was true. Keith was a genuine guy. Lance had never met someone as honest and sincere as Hunk and Shay. He could see that even by only knowing Keith for, what was it now? Three days.
"But three days, Hunk," he said in a small voice that wasn't like him at all. "Three days and I'm already this deep. I'd go so far as to say I'm in love with him, you know?"
It was Hunk's turn for silence and it stretched out too long for Lance to bear.
"Hunky?"
"Love, Lance? That is fast."
"I know. And that's why I'm freaking out!"
"Stop freaking out. If that's what you feel, then that's what you feel. Wait, you haven't said that to him, have you?"
"NO!" Lance nearly yelled, then dropped his voice, darting his eyes to the shared wall with Keith's apartment. "No! I'm not that stupid!"
"Quit saying you're stupid, you idiot!"
"Quit calling me an idiot and I might believe it!"
"Idiot is a perfect term of endearment for you. You are insanely smart, but you ACT like an idiot sometimes."
"Nice."
"Just saying. Well, I'm glad you didn't say that. That might freak him out."
"It would definitely freak him out," Lance agreed. "And sometimes I think it's just infatuation or the newness of everything or I don't know. But it's what I feel." He took a deep breath and confessed, "I know I've said I've been in love before. I know you know that. And I know you know that I've always had my heart broken. Now? Now I know I've never been in love. THOSE were infatuations. This? I can see this as permanent. I can see this as something more than just dating. I can't describe how I feel when we're together. And it scares me, Hunk. So much. He's amazing and I'm so worried I'll chase him away, that I'm too forward or weird or clingy or lovey or talkative or goofy or I don't know what else."
When Lance finally paused for a breath, Hunk spoke up, "Alright stop. Breathe in deep and calm yourself. You're working yourself up. I won't say for nothing, because your fear is justified. Wait, let me finish," he had to say over Lance's protest. "I said breathe. I don't mean to say that you're justified to think that you'll drive Keith away. You won't. I can't see that happening – not after this evening when I saw him with you. You were forward, weird, clingy, lovey, talkative AND goofy tonight and he just kept looking at you with the most lovesick look I've ever seen. Not even Shay gives me looks like that."
"He was?"
"Yeah. Every time you weren't looking at him and he'd glance at you? Yeah, lovesick. That boy is full gone on you, and you were acting your normal self tonight. He was eating it up. I don't think you have anything to worry about." After a moment, Hunk continued. "You are amazing yourself. Yeah, I believe you think Keith is amazing, and I have to say, we think so too, but so are you. Lance, you bring so much to this relationship. You're loving, fun, and smart. You care about people, you're fiercely loyal, you're so generous with your time and love. How can Keith not fall in love with that?"
"No one has before." Lance himself winced at how bitter he sounded.
"So? Who cares that Keith is the first one to realize that you're an amazing guy who has all this love to give? You've chased after a bunch of guys who were shallow douchebags." Lance gasped at the fact that Hunk said anything harsh about anyone. Even if it was the truth. "I kept telling you to stop chasing after the type, but you still did."
"See? I am stupid."
"No, you're not. Just naïve. I think you thought that there might be substance behind whatever pretty face you saw. There's not."
"Keith…" Lance started.
"Keith does have substance behind the beauty, but you had this crazy knack of finding guys who were complete morons. And who treated you like shit. I – we – kept telling you to stop, but would you listen to us?"
"No." Lance closed his eyes. Hunk rarely spoke harshly to him. While he wasn't really saying anything untrue, and he certainly wasn't using an angry tone, Lance knew he was being as stern as Hunk could get.
"Dude," Hunk said in an even gentler tone, "I'm not trying to be mean, but maybe it was a good thing, you know? If you're fated to be with Keith – whether you're soulmates or whatever – it's good none of those guys clicked with you. You ended up being able to save yourself for the one person who mattered."
Lance immediately felt better. No, in fact, he felt elated. Hunk was right. He was happy that Keith would be THE ONE.
"What did Shay tell you after the last one?"
"Uh…." Lance hesitated. Shay had told him many things to comfort him as they ate tubs of ice cream together and watched "The Notebook". It had happened a few weeks before he and Hunk moved to San Diego for their Master's degrees.
"She said to stop trying so hard. Focus on yourself. Stop chasing guys. Until you found someone worth it."
"But you both pushed me to go after Keith! I mean, when I told you about him after I first saw him."
"It was the first guy you'd shown interest in since Brad." Lance winced at the name – his last boyfriend who had bruised his self-esteem horribly by being subtly emotionally abusive. Hunk rarely brought Brad up, because he was the only person that Hunk had ever wanted to physically hurt. "But Shay was right. You let it happen naturally. You were totally yourself when you went to Keith's apartment to beg. And you charmed the heck out of him. Obviously."
"So you think this is good? You think we have a shot?"
"Of course, doofus. You don't run into a guy like Keith every day. And Keith, I'm sure, doesn't run into a guy like you every day. You were both looking for and found each other. You said you could see this as permanent. So can we. You two seem perfect for each other."
"Thanks, Hunk," Lance said, his tone both relieved and serious. "I'm so glad I have you to calm me down."
"That's what I'm here for. Anytime you need me, buddy." After a moment, he asked, "Did you mention this to your family yet?"
"Ugh," Lance groaned. "Not yet. I've avoided even talking to any of them. I was afraid they could hear in my voice how in love I am with him."
"There's that 'love' word again," Hunk pointed out.
"We're on the subject of my family now," Lance retorted.
"Right right," Hunk said with a laugh. "You've got to tell them sometime."
"I will."
"You know they're ok with your sexuality. Why would they object to Keith?"
"Probably the same reason everyone thinks I'm crazy. It's moving too fast."
"Ok, Shay and I are literally the only ones who know about you and Keith, doofus. We don't think you're crazy. I mean, yeah we generally think you are, but I just told you not about this."
"Marian knows."
Hunk thought for a moment, trying to place the name. "Who's Marian?"
"The cashier at the grocery store, HUNK," Lance said in a tone indicating that Hunk should have known the kind old lady who listened patiently to Lance go on and on about Keith that morning.
"Uh. Ok," Hunk said, slowly drawing out the letters. "I really don't know how to respond to that. Does Marian think you're crazy?"
"Well, no," Lance admitted. "She said it was sweet, though she also said it was too bad that I was dating Keith now, because she has the nicest grandson in the world, apparently, who is too shy to put himself out there and I was such a nice boy and she would like to introduce us if things with Keith don't work out."
"Stop, you're getting off track," Hunk said. "Your family had no problem with any of those assholes you dated. At least, not a problem with you dating them. I'm sure if any of your family had actually met them, they'd have felt the same as Shay and me."
"True." Lance drew in a deep breath, then glanced at the clock and felt a little guilty for keeping Hunk up so late. "Thanks Hunky. I'll tell Mamá this weekend when I call."
"That's better."
"It just makes it more real, you know. I feel like I'm in a dream. Keith said that tonight – that that's how he feels. I understood because I can't believe this is happening."
"It is happening. And it's not a dream."
"And I'm so happy about that. Ok, I'll let you go back to bed. Sorry for keeping you up."
"Don't ever apologize, ok? That's what I'm here for."
"Night buddy."
"See you tomorrow."
Lance played with Keith's hair as he thought about that conversation with Hunk a few nights before. It had been on Tuesday, after he had left Keith at his door when they got home after dinner with Hunk and Shay. He couldn't wait to hear what Hunk and Shay thought about Keith. He felt so giddy, tinged with his normal insecurity, and was grateful that he had a friend like Hunk who could talk sense into him.
It was now Friday night - three nights after his late night phone conversation with Hunk - and things had progressively gotten better and more comfortable with Keith. He shouldn't have doubted anything. As he threaded his fingers through the black strands of Keith's hair, he smiled down at his relaxed boyfriend, whose eyes had closed again. They had discovered that having his hair played with put Keith into a nearly catatonic state, which was welcome after the stressful days of this last week of classes before finals began the following week.
Their afternoons and evenings together were simple. Keith made dinner Wednesday night at his place, Lance did dinner Thursday night at his (though it WAS a casserole that Hunk made for them). Red tried to monopolize Lance on Wednesday, much to Keith's amusement. They watched a movie off Netflix ("Netflix and Chill, Keith? What kind of boy do you take me for?" "You know exactly what kind of boy I take you for!") and Red made himself at home on Lance's lap.
"Told you cats like me," Lance bragged, scratching the purring Maine Coon under his chin.
"At least this one does," Keith responded.
"They all do. Don't you sweetheart?" Lance said, directing the question at the big ball of fluff.
Red just purred louder.
"I can't believe how well he's taken to you. I told you he doesn't even like Shiro."
"You just want me to stick around, don't you, love?" Lance asked Red, though when he said it, his heart pounded in his chest. That question WAS meant for Red, but he kind of also hoped Keith knew it was meant for him too.
"Looks like he does," Keith said quietly, as he scrolled through the offerings on Netflix. "How about this?"
Lance smiled as Keith kind of glossed over the question. He chose not to pursue it and just settled for a nod. Keith pressed play and snuggled up against his side while Lance wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Yeah, this is something he could do every night for the rest of his life.
Thursday was the same quiet day, only at Lance's apartment. Hunk had made them the delicious casserole and Lance found out that Keith had spent much of Wednesday and Thursday texting not only himself, but also Hunk and Shay.
"Are you stealing my best friends?" he demanded at the table when Keith sent a quick message to Hunk thanking him for the meal.
"What?" Keith asked, looking up from his phone where he had been smiling at Hunk's reply.
"You're texting Hunk?"
"Is that not…ok?" Keith asked, his expression confused.
Lance thought it unfair how cute Keith looked like that. "No. It's ok. Just. I don't know."
"I got his and Shay's numbers on Tuesday," Keith said. "I thought you knew? I've been texting back and forth with them since."
"Oh my god!"
"What?"
"Hunk and Shay are mine!"
Keith sat back in his chair. "Seriously? I thought you wanted me to be friends with them!"
"I do!"
"Then what's wrong with my texting them?"
"I don't know! It's just. They're mine!"
"I can stop texting them if you want," Keith offered, though he gave Lance a small frown.
Lance blinked a few times as a feeling of guilt washed over him. He should be ecstatic that Keith was comfortable enough to text his friends. He was, he realized. It just seemed strange to him. "No! No. No I don't want you to do that." He thought for a moment, before a big smile popped up and he noted that Keith's frown smoothed away. "I guess I just wasn't expecting it. It's good. Believe me, it's good."
"Ok. I just don't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable."
Lance shook his head. "No, it's not uncomfortable or weird. Just unexpected. It…" he paused, "…makes me really happy!"
Keith smiled back. "I told you, I really like both of them. It's been great getting to know them a little more."
"What do you text about?" he asked before he realized how rude that question was.
Keith didn't seem to mind as he continued eating his meal. "Oh," he said, after swallowing a bite, "mostly plans for our road trip. Sometimes about you."
Lance assumed he would be the main conversation point. "Little old me?"
Keith chuckled, "Of course, little old you."
"Getting ammunition to use against me?" he asked teasingly.
Keith shrugged, "Not exactly. More like ammunition to help me out. Things you like, that kind of thing. I want Saturday to be perfect for you, so I asked for some advice."
"Aw that's sweet. I guess I can allow it then."
"Great," Keith said wryly. "Thank you so much for your permission."
"You're awfully quiet," Keith commented, his eyes still closed.
"Just thinking," Lance responded, his thoughts brought back to the present.
His eyes opened, their gazes met, and Lance was struck again at how beautiful Keith's eyes were, especially in a dim room that just made his eyes a deeper violet color. "With how quiet you've been, it must be pretty deep thoughts."
"They were. Plus I didn't want to disturb you."
Keith smiled dreamily up at him. "Sweet. What were you thinking about?"
"You. Us. How happy I am. How lucky I am. Things like that." One hand was still carding Keith's hair, and Lance rested the other on Keith's chest, and Keith immediately lifted his own hand to place on top of Lance's.
"Funny, I was thinking the same thing."
Lance's heart burst again in his chest. It had done that a lot the past few days and he was a little surprised that he hadn't yet had to go the emergency room. "You're not lucky. I'M lucky, Keith."
"How about we're both lucky?"
"I'll go with that," Lance said easily. "So….." he drawled, trying to be nonchalant and asked the same question he'd been asking since Wednesday morning. "Are you gonna tell me what the plan is tomorrow?"
"Nope," Keith answered, giving Lance a mischievous look.
"Keeeeeeeeiiiiiiiith," Lance whined, a method he had found Keith adored, then shot his best puppy dog pout downwards at his smug boyfriend.
Keith did not yield, however. "No sir. I want this to be a surprise. I can't really wow you if you know what we're going to be doing."
"I really don't mind spoilers, Keithy. Please? Pretty please? With sugar on top?"
"Stop calling me that," Keith said, but in a tone indicating he knew he was losing that battle, "and stop asking, I'm not going to tell you."
"Not even a teeny tiny hint?" Lance begged. "I mean, just so I know how to dress? I want to look right for this."
Keith pressed his lips together in thought. "You do make a good point," he conceded. "Alright. I'll give you something. Dinner and a show. I'll 'pick' you up at three, so be ready at that time. I want to make sure we have enough time to eat before the show, which is at six."
Lance wondered what sort of show was starting that early. Usually things of that nature started at seven or eight. The thought did excite him though. Keith was taking him on a grown up date? "What should I wear?"
"Something nice. Something to knock me out."
"If I do that, Keith, you won't be able to take me anywhere. I'll have to go all on my own."
"Mmm. Ok. Dress to stun, not to kill."
Lance felt like dancing around Keith's apartment. Which, he thought with a frown, they had still yet to do. Dance together. He would have dragged Keith upright and danced right then if Keith didn't look tired and comfortable where he was.
He had to dress nice! Keith was taking him to a fancy restaurant! And to a show! He itched to grab his phone and look up what sort of concerts and shows were playing in Altea that weekend so he could maybe guess what Keith might have planned. There was an opera house in Altea. He had never been to an opera. Or Altea had its' own symphony! Maybe they had a performance on Saturday night? Or Lance knew sometimes Broadway shows came through on tour. Oh the possibilities were ENDLESS. He couldn't wait for tomorrow! He now felt perfectly justified that he had convinced poor Hunk to go shopping with him that morning to spend the last of his money on a brand new dress shirt. At least his Mamá had bought him a nice suit when he graduated with his Masters degree. Keith was sure to be stunned.
"Why are ties so difficult?" Lance asked as he grunted in frustration at his reflection.
"I personally think they're ridiculous. I mean they make no sense. Why put something around your neck that someone else can use to strangle you with?"
Lance's hands dropped and he gave Hunk a shocked look. The tie hung in a tangled mess from around his neck. "I never even THOUGHT of that, Hunk! Great, now I'm gonna be scared all NIGHT that Keith is gonna hate me or something and just strangle me and leave me in a dark alley."
"Ok, that escalated quickly," Hunk said, eyeing Lance. "Why would you think that sweet soul would do something like that?"
"He wouldn't," Lance declared, facing the mirror again. "Just ignore anything I say under duress, Hunk. You know that."
Hunk hauled himself to his feet from his spot at the foot of Lance's bed. "Here, let me take care of that for you. Only I have to do it from behind like I was tying it on myself."
Hunk wrapped his arms around him as Lance dropped his arms to his sides. "You're amazing," Lance praised his friend. "You never wear ties, yet you tie this like you're the Tie Expert."
"Mom made me practice over and over when I was a kid and in my cousin's wedding. She thought that I'd probably be in suits a lot more than I am. Or at least wear ties."
"Was that the wedding where the groom tripped by the table and knocked the cake to the floor?"
"Nah that was my other cousin. This one was the one where my Aunt got so drunk she tried to sing 'You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman' while doing a lap dance on the DJ."
"Ah. I remember that one. That was classic."
Hunk finished tying the tie and stepped away. Lance smoothed it over his chest and considered himself in the full length mirror.
"What do you think, Hunk?" he asked in an unsure voice.
"Put the jacket on and let's see the whole outfit," Hunk requested as he returned to his seat on the bed.
Lance shrugged on the jacket. His mother tried her hardest to get him into a classic black suit, but he didn't feel like it suited him, pun intended. The black suit made his darker skin look even darker. Not that he minded his skin tone. He modestly thought it was nice. However, the black didn't do it for him. He found a dark blue suit on the rack and showed it to his Mamá, who wasn't thrilled at first. However, it was dark enough to please her, but had the color that Lance wanted. When he put it on, his Mamá was won over completely.
"Mijo, te ves guapo!" she breathed out in an excited whisper.
It did highlight his eyes – made them look even deeper blue. The tailor had done a good job fitting it to him and in spite of his general insecurities he did think it made him look good. Hunk had found a dress shirt that was a maroon red in the same color tone as the blue, so they looked good together, especially with the dark blue tie.
"What do you think, Hunk?" Lance asked again as he turned in a slow circle, holding out his arms. He had already done his hair, taming the wild locks into a semi-controlled order. His cheeks were a darker tone from his excited flush and his eyes were shining.
"Dude, I'd go gay for you. You look amazing."
Lance beamed. "You think so? Really?"
"Honestly," Hunk said, grinning. "I don't think I've ever seen you look this good. Love looks good on you."
"Huuuuuuuuuuuunk," Lance drawled out, embarrassed. "I should never have told you that."
Hunk chuckled, "No, you shouldn't have. You're just lucky Shay isn't here. She's dying to pick on you about it."
Lance locked eyes with Hunk in the mirror and pouted. "I don't know why I love you two so much. All this torture you put me through."
"It is a mystery," Hunk said in what was an attempt at a serious tone. "You're just such an easy target."
"Gee, thanks." He looked at himself in the mirror again, turning first to one side, then the other, to make sure the suit fit. "Are you sure I look ok?"
"Stop asking me. You look great. Keith is gonna have his socks knocked off."
"That's ok. He's got nice feet, actually."
"Huh, didn't need to know that. And," he said, holding up his hand, "I don't want to know how you know."
"He came over in flip flops the other night," Lance shrugged. "I gave him a foot rub." He finally turned away from the mirror. The more he looked at himself, the more nervous he got. He'd never been on a quote/unquote fancy date before. He'd taken guys to nice restaurants, but something told him that Keith would go all out. He suspected Keith was a romantic at heart. He was an artist after all. "So I understand that both YOU and SHAY know where Keith is taking me?"
Hunk just smiled and nodded as he pressed his lips tighter together, obviously holding back a laugh.
"And I suppose there's no way I can get you to tell me?"
"I'd love to, buddy. But yeah, no. Keith told us in complete confidence. He wanted to know if it's something you'd like. I assured him a million times over you'd love it."
"I looked up stuff going on in Altea this weekend," Lance said, ignoring the disappointed look Hunk gave him. "There was a symphony performance, but that starts at eight, not six. There's something called a chamber music thing at the university, but that's at seven. I'm pretty sure Keith doesn't plan on taking me to see Taylor down in Santa Clara." Lance was now pacing his room. "I just can't figure out what kind of 'show' he's taking me to."
"You'll see," Hunk said easily.
"Huuuuuuuuuuunk!" Lance whined out again.
"Lance, I'm NOT going to spoil this for Keith, so stop! You'll find out soon enough. I will say that you will find this whole evening insanely romantic. So relax and enjoy!"
Lance opened his mouth to say something, but a knock on the door interrupted him. KEITH. He sucked in a breath and turned back to the mirror. "He's here, Hunky!" he hissed, patting at his hair and leaning close to check his face.
"You're beautiful, baby," Hunk teased, then rose gracefully to his feet. "I'll get the door and play the 'dad' act with Keith. You know, threats and that kind of thing."
Lance laughed. "Hunk…no."
"Hunk…yes," Hunk replied and slipped out of the room.
Lance heard the muffled noises and murmurs as Hunk answered Keith's knock. He also heard the laughter of the two together and felt his heart warm up. He straightened his non-crooked tie once more, smoothed out his clothing, then shot himself finger guns with his brightest smile.
"Laaaaaa-aaaance," Hunk sang into his bedroom. "Your date is hereeeee-eeeere!"
Lance shot him a slight glare at the off-key singing. Then he took a deep breath and returned Hunk's thumbs up. "How does Keith look?" Lance asked in a whisper.
"I have a defibrillator standing by," Hunk replied.
"Shit."
He pushed past Hunk, ignoring the chuckles from his best friend and went into the main part of the apartment where Keith was waiting patiently, a bouquet of flowers in his hands. Lance thought briefly that he might need that defibrillator after all. He couldn't feel his heart beating. Keith looked so adorably handsome in a black suit and blue shirt and black tie that Lance felt his mouth go dry. His hair was in a ponytail that did things to jump-start Lance's heart again. And flowers? Keith brought him flowers? No one had EVER done that before. Lance, ever the hopeless romantic, had, but no one had for him. He felt like crying and laughing or SOMETHING to get this warm weight off his chest.
"Hey," Keith said in a soft voice, his eyes trailing over Lance in an appreciative glance. Lance almost died at the expression on Keith's face as his boyfriend deliberately checked him out.
"Hi!" Lance squeaked out, trying to suppress both the excitement and nervousness coursing through him.
Keith smiled and apparently opted not to tease Lance, of which Lance was eternally grateful. "You look amazing," he said, then held out the bouquet of red and white flowers. "These are for you."
Lance was so overwhelmed that he covered his emotional upheaval with a joke. "Well, I would HOPE they were, Keith. I wouldn't have been happy if you had given them to Hunk!"
"Actually," Hunk interjected from beside Lance and Lance turned his eyes to his friend. Hunk held up a small bunch of flowers himself.
"You got Hunk flowers too?" Lance asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. Well, for him and Shay. I figured he would be here to help you get ready."
Keith really was too much. Too thoughtful and kind and generous. Lance did NOT deserve this. He gingerly took the bunch Keith was still holding out to him. "Thanks," he said, in a subdued tone, but a tone in which even he could hear how touched he was.
"You should put them in water, buddy," Hunk said with a nudge that broke Lance out of his thoughts.
"Right. Yes. Water." He hastened into the kitchen area and dug through his cupboard. Hunk had followed, put his own small bunch of flowers on the counter, and took Lance's from him. Lance uncovered an old white vase he had picked up free somewhere and handed it to Hunk. Hunk gave him back the bouquet and he sniffed at the flowers as he watched his friend fill the vase. Lance couldn't look at Keith for a few minutes, so he concentrated on the easy movements of Hunk.
Once Hunk had arranged the bouquet in the cheap vase, he handed it silently to Lance, who looked around the room and decided to put it on the counter between the kitchen and the living area, where he could clearly see it from anywhere. He finally met Keith's eyes – Keith who had moved to the opposite side of the island to watch him – and smiled, getting a big grin back.
"Thanks," he repeated.
"My pleasure," Keith said and Lance heard hidden meanings behind the simple statement. "Are you ready?"
"I am."
"We should get going. I have a reservation in half an hour."
"So we are staying in Altea?" Lance asked. "We're not going to Santa Clara?"
"Santa Clara?" Keith asked, clearly confused.
"Don't mind him. He tried to figure out what you planned by scoping out everything going on within a hundred mile radius of Altea. Apparently Taylor Swift is performing in Santa Clara tonight."
"Oh," Keith said, then laughed. "No. We're not driving four hours to go see Taylor. Sorry, babe," he told Lance. "And I thought I told you not to search out stuff."
"Did you honestly think I wouldn't?" Lance asked.
"Of course not."
Hunk cleared his throat. "So, Keith. Before you take my boy out, I do have a few rules."
Keith looked at Hunk with amusement.
"DAAAAAAAAAAD!" Lance whined.
"First. Make sure you don't stay out past curfew."
"What time is curfew?"
"Tomorrow morning."
Keith sent Lance a suggestive leer, "I'll try my best."
"Second." Hunk thought for a moment. "Ok, I got nothing. Just have fun and drive safe. If you need anything, we're a call away."
"Thanks Hunky," Lance said, shaking his head. "Your own kids are going to be terrified having such a hardass as a parent." Keith laughed as Lance hugged Hunk, then he put his hand on Lance's back to guide him out of the apartment.
In the parking lot, Keith finally gave Lance a small kiss. "Sorry I didn't give you one when I got to your place."
"It's ok," Lance responded, stealing another little one. "You look really good, by the way. I got all flustered when I saw you."
"I could tell," Keith said, smiling at Lance as they continued to Keith's car, hands entwined. "That's kind of what I was going for."
"Consider your plan successful. The flowers knocked me out."
"Then I'm glad I got them. I thought it appropriate for such a big night as our first going out date."
Lance's heart quick-started again. They had reached Keith's modest little red Hyundai and Keith led him to the passenger side in order to open the door for him. Lance slid into the seat, cheeks red, and Keith waited for him to settle before he shut the door. In a moment, Keith was in the drivers' seat and buckling his seatbelt.
"Ready?"
"Ready for everything you got!"
Lance was UTTERLY charmed. Hunk had said NOTHING.
University Diner.
Freaking University Diner.
And Hunk was in the back cooking something alongside the regular cook. Shay was playing waitress.
How did Hunk even get there so fast?
To be sure, Keith DID drive around a little before heading to the diner. Lance supposed that gave Hunk plenty of time to arrive and get things prepped. He had thought it a little suspicious that Shay hadn't come to his place as he got ready, like Hunk had. The reason was apparent, as his favorite spot in the diner, the corner booth, was decorated all romantic with candles and white tablecloth and shiny silverware – specifically NOT the diner silverware. Shay greeted them at the door and led them to the table, smiling mischievously at them. Other regular diners watched with amusement as the two young men, dressed much fancier than diner attire required, made their way through the tables.
"Thank you for the flowers, Keith," Shay said as Keith and Lance slid into the booth and tucked themselves into the corner. "I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty to use them as decoration for you," she added, gesturing to the little vase in the center of the tabletop. "No menu tonight, gentlemen. There's a chef special just for you two, and wine chosen by your little wine expert."
Keith turned his head to smile at Lance and Lance melted. "I'm sure it will be perfect," Lance said, taking Keith's hand in his.
"And I will go and get it. It's chilling in the back," she said and disappeared.
"How did you do this?" Lance asked.
"A lot of help. I did plan to take you to some snooty fancy place at first, but something about that idea didn't sit well with me. I didn't think it fit YOU," Keith answered. "Not," he assured Lance, "that I don't think you deserve it. Believe me, if I could, I'd treat you to the best every night. But you're a down-to-earth kind of person, and picturing you in that kind of place didn't seem right. Hunk agreed."
Lance glanced over to the counter where they could see through the opening into the kitchen. Hunk was in an apron and had found a professional chef's hat. He stood at the grill working on something that Lance couldn't see, but he shot Lance a smile that Lance returned with his dazzling hundred-watt grin.
"Hunk said this was your favorite place, but I wanted something a little fancier. Hunk said we could make it really nice and Shay got in on it and here we are."
"You told me you'd think a diner was romantic with the right person," Lance reminded him.
"And I meant it. Once we started talking about it, I thought it was romantic to do this. I hope you like it?" Keith said in a questioning tone, his expression a little anxious.
Lance realized that while Keith seemed to have his whole life and act together, he was probably just as insecure and worried as Lance was. After all, this was a first relationship for Keith.
"I don't like it," Lance declared. "I LOVE it! Keith, this is perfect!"
Shay returned with wine glasses and a newly opened bottle of wine – a deep purple red wine. Lance recognized the glasses as Keith's. She set the glasses in front of the young men and poured a small amount in Keith's glass. He took it and swirled the contents, sniffed, then drank. "This will do," he said a little formally.
"Very good, sir," Shay answered and proceeded to pour the wine into both glasses. "I will be back with your appetizer in a moment. Enjoy!"
Keith lifted his glass and looked Lance in the eyes. "To another important first," he said softly.
Lance couldn't find it in himself to reply. He blushingly clinked his own glass with Keith's and took a sip. The wine was delicious. He definitely could get used to having a boyfriend with good taste in wine.
They chatted for a few minutes as they waited, mostly about how Hunk and Shay helped Keith with his plans. Lance was touched not only at what Keith had planned, but also how much his friends had contributed to making this a special date. He truly did love this little diner – he had many great memories with Hunk and Shay here – and to know that he could now add this first special going-out date with Keith as a memory did things to his heart.
Shay returned with a small tray and smiled at the pair. "Your first course, gentlemen," she said as she placed two small plates in front of each of them, "are homemade empanadas with a chimichurri sauce." Shay placed a small plate with four empanadas on it on the table, then settled a small, shallow bowl of the sauce next to it. "Enjoy!"
Lance gaped down at the plate then looked at Keith with wide eyes. "Empanadas?" he gasped.
The smile Keith gave him as he squeezed Lance's hand nearly killed him. "It's your Abuela's recipe. I asked Hunk if he could make something that would make you think of home, so he called your Mamá and talked to her. Your Abuela then got on the phone with him and spent about an hour explaining to poor Hunk how to make them."
"Oh my god, Keith. That's amazing," he breathed, his eyes filling with tears. "Did…did Hunk tell them why he wanted the recipe?"
Keith shook his head. "No. I asked him not to say why. I know you haven't told them about us yet, so I didn't want to be the one. And neither did Hunk. He just said it was for a special occasion. Though," Keith said, grinning wickedly, "Hunk said it sounded like your Mamá and Abuela were suspicious. They asked a dozen questions and tried to pry it out of him."
"I'm calling Mamá tomorrow," Lance told him. "Don't think I was trying to hide this from them," Lance said anxiously.
"I don't. I haven't told Shiro yet either. I will soon. Hunk isn't sure how close he got, and he's pretty sure it's not going to taste as good as your Abuela makes them, but I'm sure he did fine."
"It's Hunk," Lance said. "Of course they're good."
They let go of each other's hands in order to eat. The empanadas were so close to Abuela's that Lance felt his eyes sting with tears again. They were delicious and reminded him so much of home. They weren't exactly the same; he could taste the distinct flavor that indicated Hunk made them. He didn't know what it was, but he could always tell Hunk's cooking. Keith also enjoyed them and agreed that he couldn't wait to taste Abuela's.
"Abuela is going to stuff you so full of food that you'll hardly be able to walk," Lance declared, poking at the last of his appetizer. "You'll probably gain about twenty pounds when we go to Miami."
Keith laughed. "I look forward to it. Though," he paused to take another bite of the empanada, "I'm going to make you run with me every day when we're there."
"Keeeeeith," Lance whined. "It's too hot to run in Miami."
His boyfriend shrugged, "We'll run on the beach, so if it gets too hot we can run into the water." He looked Lance up and down, "How you stay so skinny with all you eat and never exercising…"
"I exercise," Lance huffed. "Sometimes," he amended when Keith's eyebrow raised.
"You mean you get a burst of energy once in a blue moon and go to the gym?"
"Exactly!"
Shay returned to retrieve their empty plates and take them away, assuring them that the main course was almost ready. Keith thanked her as he joined hands with Lance once again and Lance scooted closer. "Did you like the appetizer?" he asked when Shay had returned to the kitchen.
"Loved them. That was really sweet of you and Hunk to do this."
"Only the best for you, baby. I figured nothing could top Hunk's cooking, no matter how fancy the restaurant we went to was."
"That's the truth. The only thing that would top it would be YOUR cooking. But then, you wouldn't be able to focus on me if you were in the kitchen."
"And I do want to focus completely on you tonight."
Lance wished for a brief moment that he and Keith were alone in either of their apartments. He had an overwhelming urge to kiss the sly little smile Keith was giving him. He settled for a little peck on Keith's cheek. "What did Hunk make for dinner?"
"You'll see. It's not, unfortunately your Abuela's Ropa Vieja. Or anything of your Abuela's. But it is something I think we'll both like. Hunk said it's a favorite of yours."
"Oh my god," Lance hissed. "It's not…?"
"Not what?"
"Oh if it is, I'll DIE. I haven't had it in forever!"
"I hope you won't die," Keith said wryly. "That would kind of ruin the date, you know."
Lance made a face at him, then perked up as he saw Shay returning from the kitchen, dodging the regular waitress, who was carrying plates of burgers to a group of teens on the other side of the diner. Shay carried two shallow bowls and Lance felt his mouth start to water. If it was what he thought it was…
"Your Seafood Paella," she announced, setting a bowl in front of each of the young men.
"YES!" Lance cried. "My favorite!"
Keith and Shay laughed, then Shay handed out fresh tableware to them. "Enjoy boys."
"Hunk is truly a god among men," Lance breathed, letting go of Keith's hand. He enjoyed holding hands, of course, but food – especially paella – took precedence at the moment.
"I was really excited to find out you liked paella," Keith said. "I love making it myself, but Hunk said he knew exactly how you liked it."
"I don't like paella, KEITH. I LOVE it. This is the greatest thing ever!"
"Ever?" Keith asked amused.
"Well, as far as a dinner date. This is perfect!"
"I'll have to make mine for you sometime. See how it compares."
"That's one of the things I like about paella. Everyone makes it different. I can't wait to try yours!"
Keith merely nodded, not saying anything in order for Lance to feel free to dig into the dish. Lance couldn't help but hum in appreciation with each bite. Hunk's paella was so spicy and fresh, just enough seafood in it to make it a hearty dish, but not too much to make it heavy. Hunk had put mussels, clams and shrimp in this one.
"Have you ever had it with octopus?" Keith asked.
"No-ooo," Lance said. "I have with squid and Hunk has said that he'd like to try octopus at some point, but I haven't had a chance yet."
"I had some at a wedding once. It was pretty good. I've used it a couple of times when I've cooked paella for Shiro. He likes octopus."
"I'd like to try that too. Honestly, any seafood is good in paella. I'm NOT picky." He unashamedly scraped the bottom of his bowl to get any last bit of the delicious broth. "You know," he said, giving Keith a sly sideways look, "seafood is considered an aphrodisiac. Makes me wonder if you have not-so-savory intentions."
Keith just returned his look with a smirk, which made Lance feel giddier than the wine had. "Maybe I do," Keith answered, licking his spoon as he stared at Lance.
'Oh shit, I am so fucked,' was Lance's thought. He was too flustered to reply, which got a little chuckle from Keith.
Shay returned once again to clear away their bowls. "How was dinner, gentlemen?" she asked somewhat formally.
"Very delicious," Keith said. "Our compliments to the chef."
"Tell the chef he is the most awesome human being in the WHOLE world!" Lance added.
Shay laughed. "I think he's heard that from you often enough, but I will let him know. Dessert should be out shortly."
"I get dessert too?"
"Everything for you, tonight, baby."
"So what show are we going to?" Lance asked, his cheeks flushed.
"You know," Keith said, leaning back against the seat and taking Lance's hand in his again. He raised it to his lips and kissed his knuckles. "I was going to tell you while we ate, but because I know you tried to spoil it for yourself when I told you not to, I think I'll wait until we're there."
Lance's emotions battled inside. He was annoyed that he wasn't getting satisfaction about the show, but the distracting brush of Keith's lips on his hand was breaking down any counterargument he could make. Shit, this boy knew exactly how to play him and they weren't even to their week anniversary.
Keith flipped his hand over and pressed a kiss to the inside of his wrist and Lance definitely felt all annoyance fade away. "No fair," he grumbled in a pleased purr.
Keith laughed, then leaned over to kiss Lance's pouty lips. "All's fair, loverboy."
Lance finished the phrase in his head as his almost full stomach seemed to drop. 'In love and war'. They certainly weren't at war, but was this love already? He knew he felt like it, to be sure, but it was way too soon to say it.
Shay returned with the dessert before they could say anything else. The thought of love wouldn't leave Lance's head, even though he expressed his happiness at the treat sat in front of them. Tiramisu, a perfect ending to a perfect dinner. The wine, already long gone, was replaced by coffees. "Can I do something silly that I've, like, ALWAYS wanted to do?"
"What?"
Lance poked his fork into his tiramisu and brought a piece up into the air. "I've always wanted to do that cheesy feeding-my-boyfriend thing."
"That is incredibly cheesy," Keith agreed.
"I am full of cheese, and not just the parmesan on the paella. I'm going to be the cheesiest boyfriend you ever have."
"Hopefully you'll be the only boyfriend I ever have."
Lance nearly dropped his fork, which would have been unfortunate as the dessert would have ended up in Keith's lap. Only? Did he say 'only'? He did say 'only'. Holy shit,
Keith wanted only him. Ever. He kept his grip fairly steady and decided NOT to comment on Keith's comment. "Open up, Keithy, pleeeeeeease!"
Keith opened his mouth as requested and Lance gently put the forkful of dessert in his mouth. Keith kept his eyes locked on Lance as Lance slowly pulled out. Lance had fantasized about doing this, but it was much more erotic than he imagined it could be. He couldn't help but picture other things in Keith's mouth and he realized that this was probably the worst idea he had.
Flustered, he looked away from Keith's satisfied smirk and down to his dessert.
"Want me to feed you?"
Lance glanced up, irritated because he knew how red his face was. Still, he loved the way Keith was looking at him, his own fork hovering between them full of a tiramisu bite.
Just as Lance had never had a chance to feed anyone a bite to eat, no one had ever done that to him and it WAS on his bucket list of "Romantic Things to Do with a Boyfriend" ™.
"No?" Keith asked, pulling his fork toward his own mouth and taking a nibble.
"I didn't say NO Keith!"
"Oh ok, then," Keith said, turning the fork back around and aiming it toward Lance. "Open up."
Feeling only slightly foolish, but overwhelmed at the romantic-ness of it all, Lance dropped his mouth open and waited for Keith to feed him. Keith put the fork near his mouth and he tried to bite down, but Keith pulled away. "Hey!"
"Eager, aren't you?" Keith purred, then finally gave him the bite. It was delicious.
"You bet I'm eager…" he mumbled through the mouthful. "At least I can cross this off my romance bucket list."
"You have a romance bucket list?" Keith asked curiously, his tone returning to his more normal voice. He dug into the dessert for his own bite.
"Of course! Don't you?"
Keith shook his head. "Can't say I do. I mean, I guess there's things I want to do with someone special, but I've never thought of it as a list."
"Mine's written down and hidden somewhere in my room."
"I'll have to look for it then, so I can do all the things on it for you."
"Maybe it's stuff I want to do for you."
"Hmm," Keith hummed, taking the last bite of his dessert. "That could be nice too."
"Maybe I want to romance the pants off you, you know. You're not the only one in this relationship that gets to be romantic."
Keith finally laughed. "Ok, ok. I will gladly let you romance me. That would actually be awesome."
"It's a deal. Next week. I am going to romance you like crazy. Do something I've always wanted to do."
"Alright. I'll concede all date plans for next week to you. Remember that I'll be done with finals and ready to relax and not think about school at all."
"Don't you worry. You'll be so relaxed, you'll be putty in my hands."
"Now that's an interesting date idea," Keith said, wiggling his eyebrows at him.
Lance blushed. "I don't mean like THAT, Keith. Not yet anyway. You're making me wait for eight more dates."
"You agreed," Keith pointed out.
Hunk appeared at the table, smiling at the couple. "Did everything meet your expectations, gentlemen?" he asked in the same formal tone that Shay had used earlier.
"You know it did, Hunky. You outdid yourself!" Lance said.
"Thank you so much for everything, Hunk," Keith added, smiling.
"It was my pleasure, buddy. This was fun and I'd do anything for this doofus," Hunk said, getting Lance to voice a mild protest. "If there's nothing else I can get for you, I'd suggest heading out to the show. Don't want to be late."
"What show?" Lance immediately asked.
"You'll see," Hunk answered.
Lance grumbled a little, but allowed Keith to pull him out of the booth. "Don't worry, sweetheart," Keith said. "I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it."
"Oh he'll enjoy it alright," Hunk agreed, with a mysterious smile.
"Ugh, I should refuse to talk to both of you ever again."
"I could take Hunk and Shay instead," Keith suggested.
"NO KEITH!" Lance cried, grabbing his hand. "You're MINE."
Hunk held up his hands. "No worries. I ain't trying to steal your man," Hunk assured him. "Unless you treat him bad."
"Never!"
"Come on, Lance, let's get going," Keith said, amused. "Hunk, Shay," he added, noticing the girl had joined them. "I can't thank you enough."
"Have fun tonight!" Shay said, hugging Keith, then moved to Lance as Hunk hugged Keith too.
"Don't stay out too late," Hunk reminded them. "Text me when you get home," he said, hugging Lance. "Both of you."
"Yes, Dad!" they both chimed before Keith led Lance out of the diner.
"Are you serious?"
"Is this not ok?"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah," Keith affirmed a little nervously as they pulled into the parking lot of Altea Center for the Arts and Sciences, one of Altea's high schools.
"The high school? Keith?"
"You'll see," Keith said. "Trust me."
"Well, of course I do," Lance hurried to say as Keith stopped the car in an open spot. He didn't know what Keith planned. The high school was a strange location to say the least. It was May…were they crashing a prom? How could they get away with that? They definitely did not look like high school students anymore. Yet Keith had said a show. Lance expected one of the concert or theater venues in the city, though he hadn't found anything scheduled at six that evening.
Keith got out of the car and went around to Lance's side to open the door for him. Mystified, Lance slid out of his seat and stood. Keith offered him his arm and Lance hooked his hand through it.
"I really hope you like this," Keith said and Lance could hear how nervous he was.
"I'm sure I will," Lance assured his boyfriend. "Once I figure out what it is."
It wasn't until they got to the doors of the high school that Lance saw what it was. There was a large poster on each of the glass doors advertising a Broadway Revue performed by the theater and choral groups at the school. Lance loved Broadway and the theater. It was something he had told Keith that first day. He had told Keith that he had performed as Danny in "Grease" in eleventh grade and as the dentist from "Little Shop of Horrors"in his senior year as part of the Drama Club. He had wanted to participate in college, but had never had the time.
"Is this ok?"
Lance turned to Keith with a huge grin. "Ok? You brought me to a high school play? Dressed in my best suit? To watch high school kids sing show tunes? How would that NOT be ok?"
Keith's expression relaxed into something more relieved. "I knew you liked Broadway shows and when I saw this, I asked Hunk and Shay what they thought. They liked the idea and I thought it was something a little more personal than some random symphony show. I like those, honestly, but for tonight I wanted to do things I thought you'd like. I mean," he added, rubbing the back of his neck a little which just made Lance want to curl his fingers in the fringe of hair there, "I will take you to fancier shows and all that some day. "
"And I look forward to that," Lance said. "But yeah, this is pretty romantic of you to want to do things I like. It makes me really happy, Keith." Lance's tone was more serious than usual and Keith took his hand as they shuffled out of the way to let a small family pass them into the school. "You make me really happy."
"You make me happy too," Keith said. "I first wanted to do all this over the top fancy stuff tonight. I almost got symphony tickets. I almost reserved the best table at the most expensive restaurant I could find. But when I thought about it, it didn't sound right. I know you deserve all of that, but I didn't really think you'd enjoy it. On the surface, yeah. I knew you'd be great about anything I planned, but you're so down to earth and…and…normal? You're not fancy, and that's the good thing about you. I don't want that. I want the kind of person you are. Someone who allows me to be myself. You don't know how much I appreciate that."
"I think I do, Keith. Because I feel the same."
Keith smiled and leaned up to kiss him and, as usual, Lance felt the kiss all the way to his toes. It wasn't even a passionate or needy kiss, just a sweet and simple peck, but it still had the ability to make Lance weak in the knees. "Alright. Good. I hoped that you'd like this and I'm glad you do. I guess I didn't have to have you get all dressed up, buuuuuuuut," he drawled out, looking Lance up and down, "I did really want to see you dressed to kill."
Lance laughed, kissing Keith's forehead. "I'm definitely happy to dress up for you any time you want. Only, you'll pretty much only get me in this," he said, pointing at his suit. "At least for now."
"That's plenty good for me. Come on," Keith said, pulling a little on his hand. "Let's get in and get us a seat."
"My hands hurt from clapping," Lance complained, though he was smiling and his eyes were shining as they drove home to their apartment building.
Keith chuckled. "I'll kiss them and make them better when we get back," he promised. "Did you have a good time?"
"It was awesome Keith!" Lance exclaimed. "Those kids were surprisingly good. I hope that when we did plays back in high school that we were that good. I mean, of course we THOUGHT we were really good, but you never know. Parents aren't going to tell you the whole truth. But these kids were great. That girl that did most of the main female parts? I hope she's going to pursue something with that voice. Purely angelic."
"No doubt," Keith agreed as they stopped at a red light. "She should go on the Voice or something like that. Try and get some recognition."
"The Voice would be PERFECT for her. When she sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Mis", I was BAWLING."
Lance had thoroughly enjoyed the show. The kids had done a variety of songs from old school Broadway right up to modern shows with the finale being a song from Hamilton. Both he and Keith were surprised at how much talent the high school held. They discovered, from reading the playbill, that the school was actually a magnet school, one that specialized in the arts, which explained it.
Lance was also excited because Keith had spent some time during intermission talking to one of the school teachers, a youthful looking woman dressed in a bohemian style with long hair and glasses. She was interested that Keith was an art teacher at the local college and hinted to him that the school might need a new art teacher soon. Their current one, a beloved older man and student favorite, was set to retire in a year or two.
"What do you think about what that lady said? About teaching there?" Lance asked.
Keith hmm'ed to himself, seeming to concentrate on the road ahead of him. After a moment, he said, "I don't know. I mean, I have thought about teaching younger kids, but I guess I pictured really young kids. Elementary age. I never thought about high school. And never really knew this high school existed where kids who were interested in the arts went. It is something to keep in mind."
"It's a nice school," Lance commented in as neutral a tone as he could manage.
"Oh yeah, I liked it. It's just," he shrugged. "I'm not really sure what the future holds right now. I do, but I don't. I want to keep my options open in case I have to move or something." He was quiet a moment, then said softly, "For someone."
Lance felt his heart speed up a little. Was it a hint that Keith entertained the idea that they'd be together in the future? He felt Keith's hand creep into his and squeeze. He must have meant that. "I think that's a good idea," Lance answered, his voice thick as he held back his excitement.
As if the conversation suddenly got too heavy, Keith said lightly to change the subject, "So, it's still pretty early. We can go out if you want, since you look so hot. Some club or something. Or we can just hang out at my place with Red and a movie. It's your choice."
As tempting as the thought of dancing with Keith at a club was – he really needed to dance with Keith sometime – Lance was surprised to find that it was more tempting to think of snuggling on the couch in Keith's neat apartment with the purring lump of Red on his lap. That was quite a change in his thinking, he realized. He'd rarely say no to a night of sweaty grinding and bumping to the hottest dance music. It didn't appeal to him now. Dancing did, but not the club. Quiet time with Keith and Red, sweet kisses on temples, hand holding – that all sounded better than anything in the world.
"Let's go to your place," Lance said decidedly, not missing the slight rise of Keith's eyebrows in surprise.
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. Though, I think I'll run into my place and slip into something a little more comfortable," he said, giving Keith a little leer.
He laughed, "Ok. That sounds good. Make sure it's something lacy and skimpy? Isn't that what women usually slip into when they say that?"
Lance let his lips form into a pout, "My lacy lingerie is at the cleaners, darling. I hate to tell you that you're gonna get gym shorts and a tank top."
"Hmm," Keith hummed as he pulled into their complex. "I think that'll be enough exposed skin for me."
"Han Solo never gets boring."
"You do know it's called "Star Wars", not Han Solo, don't you?"
"Yeah, but Han is the best part of this movie," Lance pointed out.
"No. Obi Wan is. He's awesome. And I like him best in the prequels."
"He is pretty much the only good thing about the prequels," Lance reluctantly agreed. "Him and Yoda."
Keith shut off Netflix, exited out of the app on the television, clicked over to one of the music channels and turned the volume down. "I'm so glad you like Star Wars movies," he said. "This relationship might not work if you didn't."
"Variety adds spice, Keith," Lance argued. "I'm sure we don't like ALL the same things."
"Probably not. What's your most favorite random movie? Like something I probably wouldn't expect."
They were lying on the couch, smushed together in a spooning position, Lance playing the part of big spoon. His arm was around Keith's waist and he had hold of Keith's hand. "Huh, I'm not sure I should tell you. You'll probably laugh at me."
"I would never laugh at you. Come on. There's got to be something out there that if you see it on TV, you'll stop everything and watch."
"There's this movie called "Amelié". It's a French movie and I don't know french, so I have to watch with subtitles. It's quirky, funny, and romantic. The main character is awesome and the way she and the guy hook up is so cute. So don't laugh."
"I won't. I've never heard of it. You'll have to play it for me sometime."
"What about you? What stops you from flipping through channels?"
""Tremors"."
"That movie with the giant worms?"
"Yeah. I fucking love that movie!"
"Or you just like looking at Kevin Bacon?"
"That too."
Lance laughed, squeezing Keith a little. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"
"I have to finish prepping exams. It'll be a little hectic this week, sweetheart. I apologize in advance. I hate finals week as much as the students do. I won't be able to pay as much attention to you."
"I can still come over tomorrow," Lance suggested. "I have to write up some stuff myself, so we can work quietly together."
"How come I'm thinking that it will be anything but quiet?" Keith teased.
Lance huffed. "I CAN be quiet when I want."
"That would be something to see. Or hear? Which would it be?"
"Both, I think." There was a little bit of skin exposed where Keith's hair fell back and his shirt collar had pulled down. He put his lips there and lightly kissed.
"Mmm. That feels nice," Keith said, though his voice sounded drowsy.
"Are you sleepy? You sound sleepy?"
"A little. I was up early to work on the exams for this week."
"Go to sleep, then, baby."
"But I have company over."
Lance kissed that exposed spot again, satisfied at the hum he received and the small shiver he detected. "I'm not company anymore," Lance said. "I don't mind."
Keith snuggled back into him even more. "True, you're definitely not just company. And I have to say, you do make an amazing big spoon. Sorry if I do fall asleep."
"Don't be. I'll be right here when you wake up."
"I like the sound of that."