The finale of A Day At The Races! It's finally here! However, if you started reading this fan fiction before March of 2018, I highly recommend you go back to the other chapters before you start reading this 3K+ finale extravaganza, because I've updated all chapters! I've heavily edited a lot of dialogue, added extra scenes and threw in themes that weren't there before. An overall improvement if you ask me. If you've started reading this fan fiction in or after March of 2018, I hope you have fun with this final chapter of A Day At The Races, and I hope you enjoy the next installment in my 50s AU, Loving The Alien.
"Keith, what happened? What… What did you do?" Lance demanded as he promptly invaded Keith's personal space.
"I-I… uh…" Keith stammered. "I challenged Jimmy."
"And? I heard you say you made a, uh, mistake. And challenging Jimmy does not sound like one."
"If I lose… I have to move in with my grandmother... Who lives in North Korea…"
"Que?! Are you crazy?!" Lance shouted, grabbing the front of Keith's jacket, pulling him closer. "Keith, i-if you go there you-you.. you might never come back!" Lance stuttered, stumbling over his words.
There was a desperation in Lance's voice that cut deeply into Keith's heart. His chest grew tight, he couldn't bring himself to speak or even breathe. He didn't want to hurt Lance in this way, but what else could he do?
"Lance, I-I…" Keith started, but he was soon interrupted by Shiro, pulling them apart.
"Look, I understand you boys have a lot to discuss," Shiro cut in. "but could you please take it to the back?" The older man asked, shooting an apologetic look at the few patrons in a booth at the far end of the restaurant, as he guided the boys to the storage room behind the kitchen and quickly leaving them alone.
"Well? You were saying?" Lance demanded, arms crossed.
Keith had never seen him this angry. Or was it disappointment? He wasn't sure, but both options were equally painful.
"Look, I know what I did was stupid, I know when—if I move away I won't ever see you guys again, but I made this bet. I can't just go back on it."
"Why not?!"
"Because by tonight, everyone in town will know about it! If I chicken out now, I'll never hear the end of it! The bullying is bad enough as it is, Lance, I don't want to make it worse…" Keith pleaded, swallowing around a lump in his throat as tears welled up in his eyes.
For a long moment, there was nothing but Keith's face growing red with the breath he was holding, until Lance let out a deep sigh.
"Okay. I understand. If you really…" he took a moment to calm down, exhaling deeply. "...feel that way, you should race." He admitted. "But there is one more thing we should talk about."
"What would that be?"
"The, uh, beso. You know, the…" Lance wracked his mind for the right word, before resorting to Spanish cursing in frustration, gesturing at his lips.
"The kiss?" Keith suggested.
"Sí! Yes, the kiss. Or will we pretend that never happened?"
"I don't know…" Keith sighed. "Do you want to pretend it never happened?"
"Not really? I liked it." Lance stated simply. "Even if I did, uh, want to pretend it never happened, I don't think we could. Everyone knows it happened by now." He let out a deep sigh. "Keith, I don't know what you meant by that, uh, kiss, but if it meant what I think it meant... I would like that, but before we do anything, I need to know if you want it too. You know… A, uh, novio."
"...a what?" Keith questioned.
"The thing girls have?" He tried.
The silence and questioning stare on Keith's face prompted Lance to keep talking.
"Uh, it's like a husband, but not married."
"You mean a boyfriend?"
"Yes, a boyfriend. So I… need to know if you want a boyfriend. That would be me."
"Well, sure. I don't think I've ever liked someone the same way I've liked you." Keith reasoned.
"Is that a yes or no?" Lance asked, crossing his arms impatiently.
"It's a yes. Absolutely yes." Keith reassured the other boy, giving him a soft smile.
"In that case I would like to make a, uh, second bet." Lance said, patting Keith's chest, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "I will be your boyfriend, but you will have to win the race first."
"You know you'll be putting a target on your back as well, right? People might start being meaner to you because of me." Keith warned him, unconsciously taking hold of Lance's hands.
"Keith, why do you think I don't know that? I like you. I'm in love with you. I'm not going to give that up because of what bullies might do." Lance whispered, squeezing Keith's hands. He could feel the other's hands jerk, like he resisted the urge to pull away the second he became aware he was holding Lance's hands.
"You have no idea how much that means to me." Keith smiled, pulling the other boy into a tight hug.
"Pidge, are you sure this is a good idea?" Hunk asked while he worked away at the engine of Shiro's black VW bug. "I mean, I get that we don't technically have the time or money to be doing this, but… if we make the slightest mistake, we could be killing our best friend."
"I know." The little girl sighed from under the car as she tightened the bolts with a wrench. "Just try not to think about it too hard."
"How am I supposed not to think about that too hard?!"
"Try focusing on keeping him alive instead." Said an oddly familiar voice, entering the garage.
Katie bumped her head against the underside of the car and pushed herself out from under it. The girl groaned in pain before she called out for her brother. "Matt, what are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be in college?"
"Shiro called me. He said he wanted me to help you guys make sure Keith wins his next race. He sounded really concerned, so I figured it was urgent."
"Yeah, the stakes are pretty high this time. Are you sure you haven't grown out of boosting cars, Mr. Lawyer man?" Katie teased.
"Is that a challenge, little miss physics genius?" Matt smirked.
"So Keith, how was school?"
"Same old, same old. Nothing special." The boy mumbled, his fork poking at his potatoes absentmindedly.
"I don't think so." His mother stated matter-of-factly. "I think something big is going on, and you're trying to hide it."
Keith tensed to the point of almost bending his cutlery. "I swear, there's nothing going on." He forced through gritted teeth.
His mother smiled softly, placing a gentle hand on Keith's.
"We spoke with your teachers earlier, and your grades appear to be skyrocketing. We're so proud of you." His father said, beaming with pride. "To reward you, we've decided to allow you one hour of television or phone calls every day. However, the rest of your punishment remains intact."
"Um, well, thanks? I guess..." Keith stammered. If he was being completely honest, he hadn't expected this to go so well. His mind had wandered too fast to the thought that his father might have found out about him seeing Shiro and Lance, earlier that day. Slowly, he relaxed as the nerves left him, and he just enjoyed dinner with his family. That was, until his father spoke up again.
"Son, remember the morning I picked you up from the county jail? You asked me why I wasn't mad at you for racing, and I told you I was?"
"Unfortunately, yes..." Keith mumbled. He really didn't want to think about that morning now that things seemed to be looking up.
"You have to understand, it's for your own safety that I don't want you to race. Any given Monday, I can open a national newspaper and read about how a bunch of wayward kids got hurt in a car crash caused by street racing. I was so worried that may happen to you..."
"But it won't! Dad, I'm smarter than whatever dumb kids going around, crashing into the side of a building in California! Pidge and Hunk always make sure I can win safely!"
"I still don't want you anywhere near those races, you hear me? If you don't cause a crash, that Parker kid will. What if you got caught up in that?!"
Keith could only groan.
"Keith, honey, we just don't want you to risk your neck at those races. Whatever the prizes may be, it's not worth it." His mother pleaded, holding his hand in both of hers.
"I know, mom… It's just…" Keith sighed, rubbing his hands in his eyes. "Thirty-five hundred dollars per win is a lot of money, and with all due respect, it's more than what dad makes in a month. I know things have been difficult for you guys financially, and you've been trying so hard to hide it from me, but I know we're only barely scraping by… So I've only been keeping a thousand dollars from every win to pay off Hunk and Pidge. The rest I've all put into a secret bank account in case you guys ever… you know… ran out of money. I've already been slipping you guys smaller bills during slow weeks..."
His parents looked at one another before looking back at their son, surprised at both his level of maturity in helping out, but the child-like fear of getting caught going behind their backs as well.
"I-I'm sorry." Keith sobbed, tears welling up in his eyes. "I shouldn't have done this without you guys knowing, but it was the only way I knew I could help and I'm really, really good at it. Please, just let me help you."
"I'm sorry, Keith." His mother whispered as she pulled him into a warm embrace. "If only I had known, I wouldn't have punished you so harshly." She said as she petted the back of his neck, still neatly buzzed, regretting what she had done to her son. "Just promise to stay safe, okay?"
"I promise."
Finally, three weeks later, the night of the race was there. Half the town seemed to have gathered at the start of the course, and Keith was willing to bet the other half was waiting near the finish line. He shook heavily from the nerves, but he wasn't about to admit that. Everyone who would ask about it, would get the same answer 'I'm not shaking because I'm nervous, I'm shaking because I haven't had a smoke in three weeks, and my mom would literally kill me if she smelled it on me.' It was only half a lie, he supposed. His mom was a very observant person after all. She would always notice when— Keith's train of thought was immediately interrupted when a lit cigarette appeared in front of his face.
"Here. I think you need this more than I do." Shiro smiled. "Are you ready for the race?"
Keith immediately snatched the cigarette from Shiro's fingers and took a long drag from it. "You're the best." He sighed. "And, to be honest, I don't think I've ever been less ready for a race… I mean, I've dealt with high stakes before, but this is something else completely. What if he really wins?"
"He won't." Matt boasted as he walked up to them. "Shiro called me over to help out with the car after all."
"Shut up, Matt, you didn't even do all that much." Katie giggled as she elbowed her older brother in his side.
"Where's Hunk?" Keith remarked as he looked around for the big guy.
"Still unloading the Volkswagen. We're calling her 'the Black Death'!" Katie said as she excitedly bounced on the spot.
"Absolutely not!" Shiro gasped as he clutched his chest. "That's still my car you're talking about and I don't want it associated with death in any way! Especially when the stakes are this high!"
"'Black Widow', then." Katie sighed, rolling her eyes while her brother mouthed 'I told you so'.
"Katie!" Shiro protested.
"Okay, so it's just the boring old Volkswagen Beetle." Katie said, defeated.
"Guys, the car is all set." Hunk smiled as he wiped his hands on an old rag. "Keith, do you wanna go for a test lap before the race starts?"
"Can't. There's only a few minutes left. I can't do an entire lap in that little time." Keith mumbled, finishing off Shiro's cigarette in a single drag. "Guess I'll just have to put my fate in your handiwork." he smiled, patting their backs before he walked up to Shiro's car. He realized very soon that he shouldn't have finished that cigarette as quickly as he did, as he became hyper-aware of the stares drilling holes in his back.
"Hey Cogain, when I beat your sorry ass I'll make sure to stop by your place to help you pack." Jimmy taunted him from the red Fiat.
"On what, your sister's tricycle? By the time I'm done with you, you won't have a car left to drive me to the airport with." Keith said as he ducked into the driver's seat, angrily slamming the door shut. "Are we racing or what?!" He shouted at Jimmy's second in command, who held his dad's shotgun pointed up in the air.
"Ye-yes!" He stammered. "Start your engines. Ready, get set, GO!" The second in command said as he shot the gun into the air, sounding the start signal.
He was glad Jimmy had agreed to race the same course again. Keith knew these streets so well, he could practically race this course blindfolded. A hundred yards straight ahead, turn left, turn right, half a mile straight ahead on a dirt road leading out of town before turning right and right again on the way back into town.
The course itself was pretty easy, but staying ahead of Jimmy was a whole different story. Keith could only stay a foot ahead of his rival at best, when he was ahead of him at all.
Suddenly, a sharp turn came up. Keith had forgotten that road workers had closed off Dos Santos Street, forcing them to turn right. Keith could barely slow down in time to round the corner and keep all four wheels on the ground as he did so. Jimmy, on the other hand, must have noticed it too late. Keith could hear the screeching of Red's tires from his left as his opponent hit the brakes. It must have been a last ditch attempt to round the corner and overtake his position, but it was too late. Mere seconds later he heard the unmistakable sound of a car crashing against an old tree.
Keith panicked, bringing Shiro's black beetle to a screeching halt. The older man's words echoed through his head.
'Be the better person.' Shiro's words echoed through Keith's head, much to his frustration.
"Be the better person… God damn it!" Keith screamed and slammed his fists to the steering wheel before getting out and rushing to the distorted shell of the Fiat, his Fiat, and yanked the passenger door open.
"Jimmy, are you okay?!" Keith yelled at his opponent, who coughed and groaned in pain. "Good enough for me." He huffed, taking a tight hold on the other's jacket, slowly but surely pulling him out of the wreckage, getting him to safety before the leaking fuel tank and torn electrical wires lit the scarlet car on fire.
"Did… did you just... save me?" Jimmy asked, hesitantly looking at Keith, who slung Jimmy's arm around his neck to support him.
"Don't mention it. Let's just get you to your dad so he can take you to the hospital."
"James Parker Junior, you dumb piece of shit!" Officer Parker shouted as he stormed up to them.
"Ah, there he is right now..." Keith remarked, thoroughly unimpressed by the man's attitude towards his son. Maybe his own dad wasn't all that bad.
"Did you really think losing one son this year wasn't enough?! You just had to almost get yourself killed too?!" The man shouted in his son's face as he shook him by the front of his shirt.
"Stop it! You're only making it worse!" Keith objected while trying to hold the other as still as possible.
"Don't you tell me how to discipline my own son, you yellow little shit!"
Keith flinched, closing his eyes when the police officer raised his fist to him.
"And don't you dare to discipline mine." A voice called out from behind the officer. A voice called out from behind the officer.
Keith's heart leapt when he opened his eyes again to find his father, stopping Officer Parker from punching him.
"Now go get your son to a damn hospital. Like you said, losing one son over the span of a year is enough. You should at least make sure your youngest is okay."
With that, the police officer begrudgingly lifted his son from Keith's shoulders and carried him away.
"Thanks dad. But… What are you doing here? I never told you about tonight."
"Well, this race was the talk of the town all week. It would have reached us sooner or later. So, we decided to at least come and watch."
"You did so well, Keith. We're so proud of you." His mother cooed as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I guess you were right, though, dad. That if I didn't crash, Jimmy would." Keith jested.
"Well, he doesn't look like he's about to race in a long while,so that's one danger out of the way." he said as he watched the officer carefully guide his son into the squad car. "You know, son, you're really good at this, and you managed to not put yourself in any immediate danger until you went in to save Jimmy… So,what I'm trying to say is… Just keep doing what you do best… and stay safe."
"Keith, you're a hero!" Lance shouted, flinging his arms around Keith before pressing a kiss to his cheek. He nearly knocked the other over, but Lance couldn't and wouldn't contain his enthusiasm.
Keith let out a nervous chuckle as he barely kept himself standing. "By the way, mom, dad, this is my friend, Lance."
"The boy you kissed?" His mother asked, prying for answers.
Keith blushed, startled and almost scared to reply to his mother's remark. He stuttered, "I-I mean, yeah." He stuttered, looking away from her.
"Well, we've talked about it, your father and I. It wasn't easy, but we decided that your happiness is more important to us than our own comfort. If the two of you really are in love with each other, we shouldn't want to keep you apart. You'll always be safe in our home. This Lance boy seems like a nice guy. I think he is the right man for you." The smile on his mother's face, Keith noticed, was clearly one of endearment, only emphasized by the way she pinched the other boy's cheek, drawing a joyous giggle from his lips.
"You know, Keith, my parents weren't too happy when I brought your mother home for the first time either." His father explained. "But after a few years of persistence, they got used to the idea of having a daughter in law that wasn't the same color as them. It took me too long to realize our predicaments aren't really all that different. So, in short, you have our blessing."
Lance immediately took the opportunity to pull Keith in for a kiss on the lips. When he pulled back, he laughed at the utterly befuddled expression on Keith's face. "'Novio', remember?"
"B-but I didn't win?" Keith stuttered, barely daring to look Lance in the eye.
"You saved him, Keith. You won." Lance smiled, pulling the shorter boy into a tight embrace. He eventually let go when he noticed their friends were gathering around them.
"I'm proud of you, Keith." Shiro smiled, patting his back. "You did the right thing."
"But I didn't win… Hell, I didn't even finish. Jimmy's crew can still use that against me." Keith protested weakly.
"Well, for what it's worth, Jimmy didn't finish either. And you saved him. If his buddies try anything funny, we'll stand up to them like we always do." Hunk remarked, flexing his bicep.
"And so will we." Keith's dad said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Group hug!" Katie announced as she pushed Lance and Keith's mom closer to them, as Shiro closed in on them from the other side, wrapping their arms around them. Hunk finally joined, tightly squeezing everyone together.
"Not so tight, Hunk!" Keith complained.
"Nope! You're having this bonding moment whether you like it or not." The large man insisted.
Keith chuckled as he struggled to turn to Lance. "You know, if you're going to be my boyfriend, there's probably going to be a lot more of this."
The other boy laughed heartily. "I look forward to it." He said as he looked lovingly at the other.
"Good." Keith smiled as he kissed the other. "I love you."
"Te amo también."