Chapter 14

When Keith had first been brought to the home he thought it was a dream come true, a whole big mansion all for him and one other little boy. It was the biggest home he'd ever stayed in—that list including the first home he'd lived in with his dad. This house even had a pool in the back.

"You'll be living here from now on Keith," Haggar had said, the new woman to adopt him. He was the first child they adopted; the father Keith hadn't met was busy with work, so their only child Lotor had requested a child to be playmates with. Somehow a thirteen year old Keith fit the bill for their sixteen year old child, Keith wasn't sure why.

What Keith didn't know was the moment he took one step in that home; he would never be able to leave again.

Touching the key of the piano, the large stage room filled with a distant hum. The theatre he was in was the very spot he'd first heard Lance play. The room was packed with seats and large overhanging lights, but with all the empty chairs looking onward, it was somehow empty.

A stung came to Keith's left ear, no sound, just white noise. He touched the device, wanting to just yank it off and throw it into oblivion. Though he didn't, he remembered what Lance had said that morning. How he shouldn't take the device off.

He wanted to help him, he wanted Keith to get better.

But Keith was scared; he knew that no matter what happened he'd never be able to ear out of his left ear again.

He pulled his hand away, and looked at his pale skin, blood dripped from the finger nails. Keith blinked fast, falling off the stool of the piano. When he looked at his hand again the blood was gone. It hadn't been real—not right now, but he knew at one point it had been.

Keith could still remember the pain, from what Lotor did to him, the torture house he'd been brought into as kid. He'd only been there for five months, but that alone had scarred him for his whole lifetime. Yet Lotor walked freely among the people, no charges, no punishment, he now just owned some buildings around Vancouver, his prime real estate inheritance enough to keep him wealthy forever.

The keys rung again as Keith pulled himself up with the instrument. These piano keys were so white, and dark, ying and yang like. As if they could represent a false peace.

Keith swung his hands on the keys, the rough notes ringing out and not making anything but meaningless noise and chatter. It was awful, and it just made the white noise worse. But Keith kept standing, banging his hands on the piano, soon he had banged his head into the notes, the loud clatter of the musical keys hitting his right eardrum, allowing the white noise to spread.

He wondered if he'd go deaf again, he probably should have been practicing his sign language, because he knew it'd only be a matter of time before he'd be deaf forever. Unable to hear anyone, not Pidge, not Shiro and not even Lance and his beautiful music.

Keith touched the top of his forehead, it was stinging, he'd dented it and a small cut had left some blood on the keys. There was water mixed with it, his eyes vaguely hurting. He wondered if this blood was fake to.

Something grabbed his hand, and as he was pulled around he's facing the taller Cuban boy. His eyes sparkling almost, that pitiful look he got from everyone absent from this man's eyes. They were only filled with concern.

"Keith," Lance said. Except it didn't sound like his name, the word surrounded by water, bogged down by all the ringing and white noise. His ear hurt, but he didn't care, he didn't want to care.

Lance touched his forehead, the scabs on his fingers from today already looking better, but as his hand drew back now his own blood stained Lance's finger. It probably had stained the piano as well.

Drawing a Kleenex out of his pocket, Lance wiped away at the wound on his forehead, Keith was happy he was staying silent for now, his delicate face the only thing he needed to stay sane for those small essential moments.

Lance never let go of his hand, he was keeping it in his embrace—the hand was so warm compared to his. Keith felt it should be the opposite, Lance's aura reflected an almost blue light, so he wondered why his hands were even so warm.

Drawing a hand along Keith's cheek, Lance wiped at the water stains that had stung Keith's eyes. So he had been crying— honestly everything had been such a blur today he wasn't sure when anything had happened.

Keith squinted his eyes closed, the attack of white noise was getting worse, his head hurt, his stomach was so sore he wanted to squeeze it, and the words, he couldn't hear clearly what Lance was saying.

It was so unfair, all he wanted to do now, was hear his voice. What was Lance saying? What was he saying?

"Keith," his name was gentle as Lance's voice finally broke through the white noise. An embrace came with the words as Lance wrapped Keith into a hug, his head against Lance's chest.

"I'm here," Lance said, his voice becoming distinct. "Just let it out."

Oh so he was still crying, no wonder his head was hurting still, and he felt so airy. He never used to cry, in fact before he met Lance the last time he'd cried had been in the hospital with Shiro. But now, that's all he seemed to do. One tear fest after the other.

Lance felt safe; no one had ever felt as safe as Lance did in that moment. Keith hoped he'd never have to leave that safeness that Lance carried, that soulful song of a person. Keith didn't want to admit it, but when he'd heard Lance play his music today it had almost felt loving, like the embrace that Lance was keeping him in.

Keith never found time to feel love for others; he was always so scared they'd push him away. But if he had to love someone, he didn't think loving Lance would be so bad. After all he was here now, when the whole world was crashing somehow he'd found him.

"He's not my brother," Keith finally said, his voice broken by the tears. "Shiro, he lied to me— Allura and him, they both lied."

"Shhh," Lance hummed as he held Keith tighter. He petted at his hair, and Keith wondered if he'd had a better parental figure, that they would have done the same when he was upset. It was so soft, the way his hands trailed along the side of his hair. It calmed him.

Opening his eyes, Keith stared at the darkness that came with Lance's embrace. "I-I-I. . .don't have anyone," Keith mumbled, the white noise finally fading with Lance's soft semi circles in his hair. "No family on this whole earth."

Lance lets out another 'shh' hum, as he went to rub Keith's back. "Shiro is your family Keith," he said, the words so clear now that the white noise had floated off. "He's so worried about you right now, they all are. Allura and Coran to, even I was worried half to death." Lance pulled Keith in closer. "We all love you Keith."

Keith sniffed, his nose running from all the tears.

Love

That word, that was tossed around so easily by some people. But when Lance said it, it had a meaning; Keith sometimes wondered the meaning behind the world Love, having barely experienced any of it in his lifetime. Yet Lance said it genuinely.

Taking a deep breath, Keith pulled back, trying to pull his emotions together again and not freak out. Lance kept his arms around Keith, but now they were facing each other, faces far and close apart.

"You knew that already Keith, that it doesn't matter if blood binds people or not, they can still love you. Shiro loves you like his little brother." He was calming; Lance's voice had always been so calming. Keith wondered why he never noticed.

Something about his wording made Keith think though— if it hadn't been such an emotional roller coaster of a day, Keith probably wouldn't have even bothered asking this question. But in his arms there, Keith really wondered, why Lance stayed.

He was offering Lance free board, but if Lance wanted he probably could have found a new place by now. But that wasn't even what Keith meant; he wondered why Lance even bothered to stay with him here, why he wanted to come to his doctor's appointment with Sam Holt. Lance said love, but what did he mean by that.

"And you?" Keith asked. "What do you love me like?" It was intended to sound anyway, but as Keith pulled back a bit, he wondered, he truly wanted an answer.

Lance stayed staring at Keith's eye line, their eyes intersecting in the middle—emotions on high.

It was such an innocent question, but Keith knew that Lance knew the meaning behind it.

Their faces were so close, their eyes so visible, their hearts beating so heavily that they could hear each other's in that empty auditorium of the music school.

Behind the curtain people wouldn't have been able to see what happened next, as Lance leaned in and pecked the bottom of Keith's lip, testing the waters in case Keith wanted to refuse. It didn't feel out of nowhere, but Keith was so inexperienced, the touching of their lips was the first real kiss that Keith had experienced.

So instead of letting Lance pull away, Keith leaned in, and kissed him back, his face probably a mess from the day he'd had, his breath probably horrible, and his hair a greasy disaster. But he still kissed him, the action only two seconds at most, but a long two seconds of passion and pleasure.

Keith hadn't known he longed for such an action, but as soon as it was over his body was pressing into Lance wanting more. But Lance had pulled away, probably thinking something stupid like Keith was to emotionally vulnerable right now.

Lance's hands slipped down Keith's arms, pulling back from the hug as his head faced the ground. His face looked rosy, he looked cute Keith thought—the very idea making himself a bit red.

Reaching to touch his lips, Keith longed for what Lance had done again, he wanted more, he wanted the comfort Lance offered. He was so selfish, wanting all these things, and yet having nothing to offer in return. All he did was take from people. Maybe it was only fair if he explained.

"Lance," Keith said, he tightened his hands on his knees.

The other boy didn't answer, he only looked up, the two boys making eye contact again as Lance heard his name said ever so slightly. The name was clear.

He took a breath, Keith knew now he had to let it out—he had to tell someone, and not some psychologist, not Shiro or anyone he knew—he needed to tell a friend. He hated to talk about anything regarding his experience, about that night, those five months. But he'd re-lived the moment so many times in his nightmares, that he just had to let the story fall from his lips and share it with another. He hated to burden someone with so many negative feelings, but after seeing Lotor today, he had to tell someone the full story.

"I want to tell you what happened."

A hand slipped into Keith's for a second, the intertwining of fingers giving him new confidence. The nod was so brief, but so calming that it gave Keith the self-assurance to start. ". . .I want to talk about the day, the day that I lost my hearing— in my left ear."

AND OUR BOYS ARE MAKING PROGRESS!? Slow Burns do pay off sometimes!

Next chapter we delve into Keith's past, so be prepared to experience that in full- it's a bit heart breaking XD

Hope you enjoyed my lovelies! Comment your thoughts on the special scene!