I saw fanart of a Lilo and Stitch AU and this just popped into my mind. It's not really Lilo and Stitch, just the one scene that inspired it was.

Art found here: bluebananabowtie . tumblr post / 182421560089 / ikimaru - if - you - know - the - reference

Fairytale Endings

Lance has loved fairytales even before he could understand what his mother was reading. He loved the adventure and the world and the characters, but mostly he loved the love. He's never been ashamed to admit that he loved love. That he was a romantic at his core being. For him, love was what made the world go around. It was what gave people purpose. It was what gave people life.

And when he first saw Allura, on his very first day of school, walking along the campus quad with her billowing dress and long hair and gorgeous eyes, he knew she was his fairytale. His love.

But convincing Allura of that was a little harder. After all, she was a junior while he was only a freshman. She was rich and proper and dignified. He was poor and goofy and tongue-tied. She was academic-focused while he was the rising star of the swimming team.

But somehow, their friend group merged together.

…Okay, it wasn't really that surprising.

Him and Hunk were randomly-assigned roommates who worked so perfectly together, it was as though they'd been friends since they were in diapers! (Which did happen once…long story involving a night of drinking and Truth or Dare and sleep deprivation.)

Katie "Pidge" Holt was only sixteen, but he's already graduated high school and was in Lance and Hunk's mandatory first-year class. They had bonded immediately. None of them were particularly sure how it happened, but they'd grabbed lunch together after class and made plans to play video games that weekend and then that was that. Their forever-friendship was solidified.

And the video game weekend was how Lance met everyone else in their soon-to-be forever-friend-group, including his fairytale.

Matt, a junior, was Pidge's older brother, who owned the video game system. He was a senior by credits and because he'd enrolled a year early, but he was a triple major, so he'd be gradating with his roommate.

His roommate, Shiro, also a junior, was the campus hot guy…and also the person Lance thought was Allura's boyfriend for nearly his entire freshman year. As it turned out, he kinda was, but only because he hadn't been out yet. He helped keep weird men from drooling over Allura and she'd been the shield between him and all the other drooling girls. But when Lance had returned for his sophomore year, Shiro and Adam wouldn't ever be seen apart for more than a class period.

Then there was Keith, the sophomore.

Keith, who had a sister he didn't much about named Acxa and was kind of like Shiro's little brother even though they weren't related. Keith, who was hotheaded and rash and unafraid. Who was so open about who he was that it scared Lance a bit. He was also trained in all sorts of martial arts, which kind of scared him too. In more ways than one.

After about a year of tense not-friendship-friendship with him, there was one drunken night where Lace had confessed to Keith that he was bi but couldn't tell his family because as much as they loved him, they were Good Catholics Cubans and he would be expected to marry a girl anyway since he was attracted to them, and it just 'wouldn't be worth it to tell them or anyone, but Keith, Keith, you're so open and so strong and it makes me feel like I could've been you and I hate that I'm so weak and I think that why I've been such a dick to you and so sorry…' And then he thinks maybe Keith had kissed him to shut him up, and maybe he kissed him back, but they were both so drunk and Keith never brought it up, even when they talked about it when they were sober, so Lance didn't either.

Even when Shiro and Matt and Allura graduated, they all stayed in the city for another few years. Matt because he lived there and his dad had a position open for him (and Shiro) at his space-research company and Allura because…well, Lance was never really sure why not.

She'd always say it was because their city was huge and always in need of professional translators, but Lance would like to think it was because of him. He'd done his best to be a good friend to her, and only a friend, even though it broke his heart when she dated Lotor. When they'd broken up, he wanted to throw a big celebration party, but he didn't. And when they shared a class during the last semester of her senior year, there was definitely something that sparked between them. A small spark, but a spark nonetheless.

Still, Allura stayed and tutored Lance when he was struggling with his language course. He'd put it off til senior year, which had not been a good idea…but Allura knew three additional languages, not including sign language, and had offered to tutor him. When he'd passed his next test with a B, she took him to a celebratory dinner, just the two of them, and by the end of the night, she kissed him.

And that was that. From then on out, they were like Shiro and Adam, who'd gotten married at the end of Lance's junior year. Then, two years after Lance graduated, he'd gotten down on one knee in a gazebo surrounded by pink and white flowers with the ocean waves delicately crashing behind him and asked Allura if he could be her husband forever and ever.

She'd said yes.

Hunk was getting married the month before Lance was, so while he was Hunk's best man, Keith was his. And it was fitting. Hunk would always be Lance's number one bro, his best friend, his brother, but Keith was different. A best friend and brother in a way Hunk couldn't be. In a way no one had ever been to Lance.

Ever since Lance's confession, they'd grown closer and closer. They shouldn't have worked together so well, but they did. They'd play video games and grab lunch and even hit the gym, but Lance would always prefer swimming to lifting weights (and he was a damn good swimmer—after all, his swimming scholarship was the only reason he could afford to go to university). Hunk would tease him that Keith was his side hoe while Allura was his main hoe. Pidge would always say that it was actually the opposite. Lance would, of course, deny either, saying his heart belonged only to Allura, even though he knew it wasn't entirely true.

Not even Allura knew that Lance was bi. Keith was the only one who knew that part of Lance. Who saw that part of Lance. There were times when the only thing they'd do was people watch and call imaginary 'dibs' on one man or another. So, it was only natural for him to be Lance's best man.

And man, was everything perfect. Keith and Romell, Allura's maid of honor, had pulled off the best bachelor and bachelorette parities, and the weddings was absolutely fairytale-esque. Lance didn't think his life could get any better, but then little Dante Alfor was born. And that was when Lance knew he was living in his own wonderful fairytale.

But he never expected his fairytale to be the beginning part of the story. Not the whole story.

Fairytales have a system. There's love, then there's tragedy, and after an adventure of some sort, then love prevails again.

Lance's fairytale with Allura ended with a tragedy.

Dante was four.

It had started as a normal day. Lance kissed Allura goodbye as she left for work, Dante settled on his hip. Being a stay-at-home dad was something he enjoyed doing immensely, and it helped that he coached the local high school swim team during the on-season to make some extra cash. The kids loved little Dante, and the lifeguards enjoyed playing with him when they weren't on the stand.

But when he got the call, he watched his wonderfully perfect fairytale crack and shatter right before his eyes.

There'd been a robbery at the bank Allura was at. Her client, who was deaf, had her young children with her. When the baby began crying, one of the robbers had pointed his gun at the baby, saying if the mother couldn't shut her baby up, he would. He barley gave the woman ten seconds.

Allura had tackled the shooter, grappling with him to get the gun away.

It had gone off.

The stupid bastard had a bruise where he'd landed painfully on the ground while Allura had been shot in the stomach.

She was dead when Lance arrived at the hospital.

He barley recalled Keith being there, rushing to him and taking Dante out of his arms before he'd collapsed to his knees. He watched the policewoman's mouth move and he heard sounds come out, but he had no idea what she's said. He didn't hear someone telling Keith to take the rest of the day off to be with his friend.

The image of Allura, his wife, his fairytale, filled his sight. How pale she'd looked. How still. Quiet. Lifeless. Even in death, she managed to take his breath away.

It wasn't until he was back in his house that his brain finally clicked. That Allura, the city's hero, the brave woman who stopped a robbery and many deaths, was never coming home. She was never going to burn dinner again, never going to sing Dante to sleep, never going to leave for work early in the morning.

And Keith was there as he collapsed once again, this time with tears streaming down his face and a scream tearing through his throat.

Keith was there the entire next year as Lance tried to put himself back together. As he got a real, better paying job that actually used his major. As he moved to a house with less memories. As he put Dante in school. As he learned to live without Allura.

Two more years passed.

"Papa?"

"Yes, Dante?"

"Are you and Uncle Keith dating?"

Lance sputtered, nearly dropping the pancake on the floor instead of the plate.

"No, we're just friends," he said, keeping his voice even as he poured more batter into the pan. "Why do you ask, calabaza?"

"Well, he's still living with us and you two are always together and Uncle Hunk said you two should be."

"Uncle Hunk said that, huh?" He added 'call Hunk and say what the fuck' to his list of things to do.

Dante was suddenly right beside Lance, holding onto his belt loops. "Papa, I know you're still sad about Mama, but I think you should date Keith."

"Oh?" he asked, trying to remain as normal as possible. "And how exactly did you get so wise, mi pequeña calabaza?"

"You're happier with Keith. It just makes sense to me."

Lance looked down into Dante's big blue eyes. They were so earnest and so bright. So much like Allura's.

"Go eat your pancakes, calabaza." His voice was dry. "We have to leave for school in fifteen minutes."

x~xXx~x

Getting a dog seemed logical. It was the next step. The house was big enough and Dante was old enough to start learning how to care for an animal and whenever Keith was working a Saturday shift and Dante was with a friend, Lance wanted someone with him too. That's why he was walking up to the animal shelter. Not to get Dante to stop telling Lance to ask Keith out. That wasn't the reason at all. Nope. Not at all.

"Why don't you go in the back and choose one?" the kind worker said, pointing towards the backroom.

Dante was gone quicker than whenever Lance would tell him they'd be playing video games after dinner.

A few minutes later, he emerged with a—

"What is that?!" Lance shouted, backing away. The worker had even let out a nervous shout, jumping backwards.

"This is Kosmo and I want her!" Dante said, riding a giant blue-haired dog-wolf creature.

"Th-that one's not for sale," the woman stammered.

Before she could say anything else, like why it was blue and looked like a wolf and apparently not for sale, Dante looked at Lance with his big blue eyes even bigger.

"But papa, Kosmo needs a family. We need her. We can't abandon her; I promised her I'd take her home."

And that's how Lance left the store with a blue wolf.

But at least that would get Dante to stop talking about him and Keith. Not that that was why Lance wanted a dog. Because it wasn't. It was just to have a dog. Er, wolf. It was nothing more.

Except when they got home, Kosmo immediately jumped on Keith and begin licking his face. Lance could've sworn the wolf had actually teleported from the front door to where Keith had been standing a few feet away. But when Dante shouted, "Look dad, Kosmo thinks you and Keith should date too! She likes him!" all thoughts of the potentially-teleporting blue wolf were forgotten.

As Keith's cheeks colored red, Lance changed the subject by announcing they were having pizza with macaroni and cheese in front of a video game for lunch. It did the trick.

x~xXx~x

The thing was, Dante was right. Lace was happier with Keith. He felt better and lighter and like the world could be okay, fairytale even, again one day.

And he'd realized that it wasn't because Keith was just more than a brother to him.

Well, actually, no, that was exactly it.

It wasn't until a few months ago that Lance had realized the truth. Way back in university, he had two paths in front of him. He'd chosen to walk down the path where he would end up by Allura's side.

But there had been another path, one he hadn't even realized existed until recently.

One that would've led him right to Keith.

What if Lance had admitted his sexuality to his friends? If he'd come out to them and been as proud and honest as Keith had always been. What if he'd stopped being hung up on Allura like Hunk had told him to when she hadn't shown an interest and was dating Lotor? If he'd turned his attention to someone else instead.

To Keith.

Except then he wouldn't have Dante. Lance couldn't imagine a life without Dante, without his smiles and laughter and obsession with lions and hugs and kisses. He didn't want to imagine a life without his son.

As much as he may or may not have liked or more than liked Keith, Dante was number one now.

And besides, who's to say Keith even likes him? Just because a dude's gay, doesn't mean he like his bisexual best friend.

x~xXx~x

"Hey. You okay?"

"There is something seriously weird about Kosmo."

"That's not what I meant, Lance."

Dante was at a play date at Hunk's with his twin girls and since Keith didn't work today, the two were left to sit on the couch, beer in hand, watching reruns of shows they didn't even know if they like anymore.

"I'm okay," he said. "Doing better every day."

Keith was quiet for a while. Long enough for Lance to maybe-actually be sorta interested in the rerun.

"I've been looking at an apartment. On the other side of town," he finally said, voice quiet.

Lance suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. He tried to act normal.

"You want to move?" His voice cracked at the end. So much for acting normal.

"I don't…want to move…."

"…I don't understand."

Keith was petting Kosmo's head, his eyes distinctly not looking at Lance.

"Keith?" He prompted after a moment of silence. When he still didn't speak, he added "I don't want you to move too."

"I know, Lance," and Keith's voice cracked this time. "I know you don't, but I think it'll be better. For you. And me. If I move."

"Better how?"

He knew he sounded panicked. He felt panicked. Keith couldn't leave. Dante needed him. Lance needed him. And Kosmo definitely liked him better than Lance. Keith couldn't leave. He couldn't.

"Well…you've got your feet back under you…and Dante's in school…and you've even got a dog now. Your family dynamic is all back in order." He shrugged. "So, I guess my job here is done."

The words echoed in Lance's skull. "But…but Keith, you are part of the family dynamic. You're family."

Finally, Keith looked him in the eyes. "Lance, I…Back at university, I had the biggest crush on you. And I thought I'd gotten over it. I think I did for a time, but when Allura…when I moved in with you, it came back and it's, it's way more than just a crush and being here with you and Dante every day is amazing, but it hurts too because I know that you don't and won't ever li—"

It felt so familiar. Someone babbling, unable to stop talking about how they feel. Someone else surfing forward, stopping the other in mid-sentence.

And Keith was familiar. His smell, his taste. Lance knew without a doubt that Keith had kissed him that night.

But unlike that night, where Lance had opened his mouth and slid his hands in Keith's hair and fallen asleep, legs tangled, in Keith's bed, Keith pulled back.

"Lance…" His voice whispered, almost as if in warning. There were unshed tears shinning in his eyes.

"You were my other path," he blurted before Keith could finish whatever heartbreaking, kiss-stopping thing he was about to say. "And I know that now, I didn't before, and I've been wondering what it would be like if I'd chosen you, because Keith, you're the only one who knows, who I told, you knew every part of me, every part, and I did love Allura, I still do, and I love Dante and I wouldn't want to change a thing about having him, but, Keith I love you too, and I want—"

"You what?" he whispered, eyes wide. His chest was heaving as though he'd been the one rambling.

Lance didn't need to spend even a second to wonder what Keith was asking about.

"I love you," he repeated more slowly. "And I think I have for a long time. I was just too stupid to realize it before. But, Keith, I love you. More than I love Hunk. More than I love my parents. More than I love myself. I love you like the moon loves the waves and the bee loves the flowers. I love you like—"

"Stop being poetic," Keith said, leaning forward and grabbing the front of Keith's shirt.

Somehow, Keith's lips tasted better each time Lance pressed against them. Felt softer too. And this time, Keith's hands cupped Lance's face. This time, Keith swung his leg over and pressed himself into Lance. Melted into him.

Lance couldn't decide whether to card his fingers through Keith's hair or grab his ass or feel his back under his shirt or what, so he kept his hands roaming. Touching Keith everywhere.

"Dante still has hours until he needs to be picked up," Lance gasped as Keith sucked his neck. "He could even sleep over."

Keith pulled back, breathing heavily. "A-Are you sure, Lance? We don't have to, yet."

"I don't want to wait any longer. I can't wait any longer," and Lance bucked his hips slightly to remind Keith just how much he couldn't wait. Watching the dark smirk form on Keith's face only made him want Keith more. "God, I want you so bad."

Keith leaned down, kissing him again, but there wasn't anything soft about it this time.

"Bedroom," he said, removing himself from Lance's lap but only just.

They stumbled to Lance's room, unable to stop kissing for more than a few seconds. Both their shirts and Keith's pants were scattered like a trail of breadcrumbs. It was Lance whose knees hit the back of his bed and tumbled into it first. Keith looked down at him with dark eyes.

"Aren't you going to take off my pants?" Lance asked, grinning.

"You're cocky," Keith said, laughing slightly. But he knelt down between Lance's legs and unbuckled his belt. Then he leaned in and unbuttoned and unzipped Lance's pants with his teeth.

"Oh, fuck," he moaned.

Smirking, Keith carefully pulled out Lance's dick. "Not yet. Maybe later."

Then he kissed the tip of Lace's dick before taking almost the entire shaft in his mouth.

"Oh, fuck!" Lance threw his head back and gripped Keith's hair tightly. He's had blowjobs before, but never like this. Allura had hated them so he was content to live without, but now he didn't think he could go a day without Keith's mouth on him. Without Keith's tongue twirling around his tip and his finger cupping his balls and—

"That was quick," Keith said, wiping his mouth.

"S-Sorry," he groaned. "It's been a while…fuck, Keith."

Rising up, Keith presses his palm against Lace's cheek. "Right. Sorry."

"No, don't apologize. That was fucking amazing." He still felt out of breath.

"Can I kiss you again?"

"Always."

"Even though I—"

Lance covered Keith's hand with his own. "Always."

As they kissed, Lance shimmied out of his pants and Keith moved to straddle him once again. He was so hard, he was poking out of his underwear.

"I guess this makes it your turn," Lance said, palming him.

"Fuck," Keith breathed out, his hips jerking.

Lance pulled down the fabric and took Keith into his hand. It was only slightly awkward, holding a dick not attached to him, but Lance knew what he liked, so he thumbed Keith's tip and moved his hand slowly and firmly.

"Faster," Keith moaned, tilting head head so Lance could suck on it better. His hips jerked, but Lance's hand kept its slow pace. "Dammit, Lance, are you trying to kill me?"

Rather than answer, Lance moved back to the tip and lightly twisted his fingers around it before firmly grabbing his shaft once again and slowly moving back down. When he did this to himself, it was so hard to keep the pace, but with Keith, it was much easier. And hearing Keith's breathy moans was well worth the cursing.

And finally, with one last jerk of his hips, Keith came.

"How was that?" Lance asked.

"Good," he answered, his head resting against Lance's shoulder. "Really good."

Holding Keith's waist, Lance slowly leaned back until they were resting on the bed, Keith laying on his chest. They cuddled in silence for a few moments, the only sound was their heaving breaths and the faint voices of the rerun still on the TV. Keith broke it first.

"Hey, Lance?"

"Yeah?"

"I never said—"

Lance's phone cut Keith off. The name on Lance's write said it was from Hunk. With a frown, he fished for his phone from his pants.

"Everything good?" he asked.

"Peachy!" Hunk's voice boomed. "Dante was just wondering if he could spend the night and it's all good on my and Shay's end, if it's all good on yours."

"Yeah," Lance eyed Keith, grinning. "Dante can totally sleep over. It's fine with me."

Keith grinned in return.

"Awesome! I've got some of his clothes here already from last time, so—"

"Perfect, dude! Have fun, and tell Dante I love him."

"You got it!"

Lance set his phone down on the nightstand. "Looks like we've got all night."

Keith reached to grab Lance's hand and pulled him closer.

"Lance," he said, one hand on Lance's cheek, the other resting on his hips.

"Yes, Keith?" His own hands settled on Keith's chest.

"I love you too."

Smiling, Lance leaned forward, gently pressing their lips together once again.

x~xXx~x

Three months later and things were still going strong. Strong enough that they were going to tell everyone the news at dinner. Well, not everyone. Dante would know first, of course.

Lance was in the kitchen, finishing cooking up lunch while Keith, Kosmo, and Dante sat at the table, drawing Kosmo.

"When are you and papa gonna date?" he heard his son ask. "You know, he likes your butt and fancy hair. I know, I read it in his diary."

Wait, what?

"He thinks it's fancy?" Keith asked, twirling a few strands of hair from his pony tail.

Lance burst out of the kitchen. "You did what?" He frowned. "And it's a journal, not a diary."

Dante shrugged. "Hunk and Shay say there isn't a difference."

"You think my hair is fancy?" Keith repeated, grinning slyly at Lance. He fought a blush, pushing away at the memory of gripping Keith's hair as he pounded into him or when he clung to it as Keith went down on him.

"So, papa? When are you gonna make Uncle Keith, Papa Keith?" Dante, still too young to know what eye-fucking meant, asked. He was completely oblivious to how the two adults were looking at each other.

"Dante, are you sure you're okay with me dating someone?" Lance asked.

"Only if it's Keith."

They laughed.

"Well, that's good then, mi pequeña calabaza, because Keith and I are already dating."

Dante looked up, eyes wide. "Since when?"

"About three months ago," Keith answered.

Frowning, Dante looked down at Kosmo. "Three months ago was April, right?"

"Yes…" Lance said slowly. "Why, calabaza?"

With a big grin, Dante stood up on the chair and shouted, "Because that means I won! I won and everyone owes me ice cream!"

"You won…what?" Lance asked, looking towards Keith, who looked just as confused.

"The bet! Hunk an' Pidge an' Shiro an' Matt all owe me ice cream!"

"…because Lance and I are already dating?" Keith asked.

"Yep!"

Lance looked over at Keith, who nodded. They added 'call Hunk, Pidge, Shiro, and Matt and say what the fuck' to their list.

"I'm so happy for you, papa!" Dante shouted, jumping into Lance's arms. He reached out to grab onto Keith too. "Now we're finally, officially one big happy family!"

Lance laughed. "Well, calabaza, it's not really official until we get married."

Dante frowned and looked over at Keith, who nodded. "Then, when are you getting married?"

Laughing, Lance kissed Dante's head. "Don't worry about that, mi pequeña calabaza. Now, we gotta keep this a secret until tonight, okay? That's when we're telling everyone."

"Okay, papa! Now when's lunch?"

"As soon as Lance and I come back from the kitchen," Keith said, ruffling Dante's hair.

Setting him down, Lance followed Keith, resisting the urge to smack his perky ass. At least, not until Dante was hidden behind the doors.

But he never got the chance.

Keith pressed him against the counter, as soon as the doors were closed, planting a hungry kiss on his lips.

"What was that for?" Lance asked breathlessly.

Keith smirked. "Soon," he said. "Soon it'll be official."

Then he whipped around, plates in hand, and exited the kitchen.

His words hit Lance a moment later.

Once his legs no longer felt like jelly, he danced around the kitchen, cheering as silently as possible. When he entered the dining room, he tried to be as cool as possible, but Keith grinned knowingly.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too."

Lance got his fairytale ending after all.