Apologies you few readers! I added this chapter and deleted the first one as someone pointed out to me it was all in code! (I had forgotten about the update/replace thingy *^*') Thank you so much for telling me, Windrider340! I hope you and everyone else can enjoy this purely fluff one-shot :3
Keith's light steps led him to the pool behind the house, where, as expected, he found Lance.
The first time he had visited the McClain-Sanchez household, he had been pretty much terrified of the massive pool. It was pretty modern, compared to what he had heard Cuba was like. It was 'connected' directly to the ocean, allowing the salty water to pool into the big hole in the ground. The freezing pool had an - equally freezing - mini waterfall. The temperature of the water alongside the fact he couldn't swim had once been one of Keith's biggest fears when he arrived at Lance's.
As he stepped carefully into the pool, the water's ripples made Lance momentarily open his eyes. They closed not even a second later when he noticed who is was. Slowly but surely, Lance made himself float toward Keith as the latter sat down. In the water, on the steps.
They found themselves doing this often, a functioning de-stress method. Hydrotherapy had been a helping factor to Shiro, both emotionally and physically. Not exactly his favourite, Shiro had admitted as he talked with his brother in everything but blood, but he always had a feeling Lance could appreciate it. The boy obviously loved the water.
Lance moved a little in order to position his head on his still clothed lap. "Relax," Keith whispered, "I've got you." Lance allowed his arms and legs to stretch in a starfish position as the remaining tension of his body seemed to slip away, much to Keith's satisfaction. A small sigh escaped the Cuban man's lips as pale hands went to play with short, brown strands of hair.
He was nervous about officially making their relationship status known to the family. Not that Keith could understand very much the simple explanation of 'It's because it's a big fucking deal, Keith!' He hadn't seen the big deal about them, two grown 23/24 year old adults and roommates, to start dating, especially considering how long they had know each other and that they just graduated the Garrison Galaxy.
Keith continued to run his hair through Lance's hair slowly. He allowed himself to get lost in them the same way he was sure Lance had with his fingers. His gaze stayed attached to the sharp contrast of pale skin and brown. They were longer than usual, he noticed again as he was able to curl pieces of hair around his fingers. They had a few split ends, too. Veronica would be making a fuss about their hair when she got there.
"Stop it," he said, letting a few droplets of water fall onto his lover's face. He didn't seem to particularly mind. "You're over-thinking this way too much."
"How?" Lance asked, sighing once again as his arms started moving in a slow snow angel motion. "How could I possibly be over-thinking this?"
"They know me, Amor," was his simple answer as his fingers started flying across the hair under the water, knowing how Spanish comforted him. "It's not like I need their approval or anything."
He and Lance knew each other since the Galaxy Garrison high school level, sure, but that did not mean they were close friends at the time. It was rather complicated, you see. Keith had yet to have found his mother and was shoved into the foster system, and so was taken in by Shiro's family much later in his life. His adoptive brother worked with Matthew Holt in the garrison, and so knew the family. Keith met Katie/Pidge for a brief and distant while, having been in her school when he had a certain foster home (who obviously didn't last long). The two siblings met and befriended Hunk and Lance at the Garrison, who had already been roommates for a while before Pidge joined.
Then, of course, The Holts and Shiro had dragged him to make friends with them after the little group had become significantly closer.
(For their sake, Keith had thought as he was dragged by little Pidge's body across the mall.
For their sake, he had thought when his dislike for a certain Cuban boy made itself known.
For their sake, he thought again as he tried stopping the blush rising up his neck, but for an entire different reason. He didn't want to ruin a relationship and then ruin multiple friendships due to his lack of social skills and temper.)
"As a friend," Lance pointed out with a huff, "you do. But not as a lover and boyfriend, and you know my grandmother will most likely be furious."
Lance's eyes opened and immediately the ocean and the galaxy locked with each other. Instantly, Keith could read all of the actual trepidation in them, not a simple worry or nervous feeling. It wasn't a fear of what his family was going to think of Keith, but a fear of what they were going to think of him. Yet, in some way Lance's brain twisted, it hadn't anything to do with their relationship itself.
So he did the only thing his social skills lacking brain could think of; he kissed him.
It was chaste; quick, but slow at the same time. They lazily kissed with little nips at the odd angle, Keith's entire body leaning forward to catch Lance's lips with his own. Lance allowed his feet to touch the bottom of the pool to allow him to be pushed slightly higher. Cool air hit his face every time Lance exhaled, making him shiver slightly and press into soft cushions more firmly. He wasn't sure what the goosebumps on his skin were for anymore.
His fingers started tugging a little at Lance's hair, realising that his hands were still buried in soft locks. The Cuban's hands came out of the ocean water to rest on his cheeks, the angle making it a bit different and a soft gasp of Keith's part to escape the kiss at the cool contact.
Like any other of their treasured kisses, a sense of coolness washed over Keith's entire being. It was a cold wave washing over his soul when they kissed, quenching the scorching fire that made up his personality. It was a little disturbing after their first kiss, when his mind thought the day over with glowing eyes and lightly blushing cheeks. He had been with other people, of course, he was a young man after all, but they just made the fire burn fiercer and fiercer until his heart hurt and he felt like he couldn't breathe. In a horrible way.
Not with Lance, never with Lance.
The heat was tamed even if it was burning brightly.
What he had not expected was to be flipped over into the pool after Lance's warming hands gripped his shoulder as leverage. The loud laughter that fit Lance's personality perfectly reached him even under the water and his stunned reaction, ringing clearly in his ears when he broke toward the surface.
His hair clung to the base of his neck, forehead, and shoulders. His shoulders were hunched up to his ears and hands hovering over the water as it's freezing-ness hit his body suddenly. All the while, the bastard was doubling over in laughter as he leaned on the stairs. He was so lucky he had not cracked his head open with the bottom of the pool. His boyfriend seemed rather uncaring on the 'what-if' though.
Oh, it was on.
Keith ripped off his shirt and threw it outside the pool, gradually making his way toward his lover as he slightly struggled out of his shorts. They were abandoned in the pool and, only in his underwear, he struggled his way against and through the water towards Lance. Said boy gave an alarmed yelp when the noticed the angry, wet cat making its way towards him. He quicked himself off from the wall and went in a full dolphin quick that got him to the middle of the pool.
Lance broke toward the surface just in time to catch a breath, before Keith jumped right in front of him with a giant splash. He found himself being submerged under water once again and thank God he can still hold his breath as long as his swimmer years. The jump had given Keith just enough time to tackled Lance, his boyfriend's surprise compensating for his poor swimming skills.
Eventually, Lance found it in himself to start struggling against his strong hold. The Cuban man was pretty sure his mother was going to be mad at them for making the water go everywhere outside the pool. Oh well, one of his siblings would have done it later on anyway.
Now, they might both have been super skinny, but the garrison made pretty sure every student was fit in at least a certain way. There was the basic defensive stuff, of course. Then, however, there was also martial arts, close and long range fighting depending on each student, obligatory work outs, the pools, and the fucking anti-gravitational rooms. The latter had been hell for everyone, even for Keith who hadn't broken a sweat but admitted the giant soreness in his entire body.
So, Lance did the only thing he could do - tickle Keith.
You see, while their strength could be considered pretty much equal, Keith was much better at close combat and even his swimming skills couldn't save him. Bright side; Keith was ticklish in almost any thinkable part of his body, but those that could destroy him were behind his ears and knees and under his feet.
His long arms quickly freed themselves of his boyfriend's hold, one going behind his ear and the other reaching to pinch his waist. The second one wasn't as sensible but made the trick as Keith's entire body contorted in weird ways. Eventually, after relentless tickles and struggles, a scream-laugh erupted from Keith's mouth. This made air bubbles attack Lance's face, making him stop his ministrations, as the weird sound that was an underwater laugh reached his ears.
Lungs burning with a need for oxygen, they both kicked their way up to fresh air. The second they took in a breath, a laugh erupted from their belly and throats to their mouth. They laughed and laughed until everything hurt and tears were ready to spring from their eyes. Little giggles escaped their sweetly messy kiss when Lance would trail his hands too lightly on Keith's neck, making the Cuban man laugh a little at how ticklish he was.
Lance freed himself from the pale arms surrounding his waist and the heat that seemed ready to engulf him and make the water boil. He didn't worry much when he kicked Keith to try and get away faster. The plan failed spectacularly as his hands caught Lance's hip and leg, pulling his once again deep under the water and resuming their kiss.
That one could be considered more clean, if you will, as they tried to avoid swallowing too much of the salty ocean water. With habit from the feel of the water and the light sting that never bothered him anymore, all Lance could do was keep his eyes open as he gazed at Keith's blurry face. Their legs weren't kicking anymore with Keith holding one of his, making them slowly float up to the surface.
Wanting to enjoy the moment and the burning heat that was considered his boyfriend's body, Lance shut his eyes and made his hands hold on to the back of Keith's neck. Warm hands let go of his leg and his hip, wrapping hot arms around his waist and bringing him even closer. Lance was pretty sure he couldn't feel the coldness that was ocean water anymore, what with lips pressed against his boyfriend's, chests as close as possible, hands moving and leaving scorching trails from his back to his waist to his back again, and legs tangled with his other's respective pair.
It wasn't much, they both had to admit. Just lips pressing against each other's.
But... there was such a passion attached to the action that neither of the two could quite explain. It was sweetness, but with a hint of lust. It was gentleness, but with a touch of firmness. Nothing could really describe what they were feeling at that moment, like many other of their kisses.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Lance untangled his legs from Keith and reluctantly moved away from the kiss. He swam up the little left towards the surface, knowing Keith wasn't able to hold his breath as long as him. He waited for a few seconds and worried when he didn't come out immediately after him, worried he had accidentally made Keith pass out. When he was about to dive in a see what the hell was wrong, dark hair and pale skin slowly broke at the surface. Lance hugged him tightly when pearly white teeth flashed in a smile, unable to keep his hands to himself.
"You lowkey scared me for a minute there," he laughed into the slightly shorter man's shoulder.
Keith didn't say anything, but Lance could feel him smile against the side of his head. They stayed rooted to they spot for a second, barely keeping themselves afloat, before slowly making their way to the less steep side of the pool. The whole while, they made sure to hold onto each other in some way or another, refusing to let go for more than the second needed to readjust their position.
When their feet were finally able to touch the bottom, they drew each other in for another sweet, sweet kiss.
Rosa Sanchez closed the curtain of the glass door with a smile,
no longer wanting to intrude on the perfect moment
her son was having with his lover.
Fin