Prompts used: Gifts / Christmas / Family

Happy Christmas

"Keef!"

Keith jerked awake from a sound sleep with an "Oof!". His mind couldn't comprehend what the hell was going on. The shout and apparent impact of something landing on him confused him and he couldn't move much and it almost sent him into a panic.

Until kisses on his cheek focused his brain and it sluggishly caught up to the fact that Lance was on top of him and was the one who shouted him awake.

"Lance, what the actual fuck?"

"Merry Christmas!"

Christmas? That's right. It was. Still, he had been sleeping soundly and was in a pleasant dream based on the scenario Lance brought up the other day of the pair of them isolated in a remote cabin. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes in time for Lance to land a kiss on his lips. Okay, if he had to wake up early, this wasn't a bad way…

"Ugh, you need to brush your teeth, Keef!"

He put his hand on Lance's face and shoved his boyfriend off. "Nice," he growled.

Lance fell to the side laughing. "Oh, don't bring out Grumpy Bear this morning!" he pleaded. "I want my Happy Bear!"

"Give me five minutes to wake up."

"Wake up, shower, and brush those chompers," Lance sang, poking him in the cheek.

Keith swatted at his hand, then rolled onto his side. He scooted closer into the circle of Lance's willing arms, snuggling up to the warm body and nuzzling his face into Lance's chest. "Five more minutes," he mumbled.

"There's my snuggle bear," Lance cooed. "I'll give you three. We have to see if Santa came."

"What time is it?"

"Almost eight. I heard Shiro and Adam get up half an hour ago. I smelled bacon and coffee before I came in here."

"Mmph."

Lance allowed him almost fifteen minutes before he finally shoved Keith a little to get him moving, claiming that his arm was asleep anyway and besides he was starving and did Keef really want his Lance to starve to death on Christmas morning?

Keith took a quick shower, brushed his teeth (thank you very much), got dressed, and was back in his room in less than ten minutes. Lance waited for him and together they went out into the kitchen, where Shiro sat looking at his phone and Adam stood at the stove patiently turning over bacon.

"Merry Christmas!" Shiro said when he noticed the boys arrival. Adam echoed him.

"Merry Christmas!" Lance and Keith responded together. They joined Shiro at the table after Adam turned down their offer to help.

"How you boys feel this morning?" Shiro asked.

"Not bad," Keith answered. "Not like we drank a lot."

Shiro grunted as Adam giggled. "Kashi is nursing a bit of a hangover headache, I guess," Adam said. "He looks a little green this morning."

Shiro did look a little out of it, but Keith knew Shiro hadn't drunk much the night before. He was pretty sure he knew what caused Shiro to look as if he were going to throw up. There was a certain present under the tree that was the cause of that look on his face. And as Adam's back was turned to them, Keith gave Shiro the biggest and most evil smirk he could manage. Shiro glared back.

Keith caught Lance giving him a strange look and realized he hadn't told Lance what Shiro's plan was. He shrugged and whispered "later" to Lance, who nodded. Aloud he said, "Shiro never could handle his liquor."

Adam hummed. "I thought he could in college. I must be remembering wrong. Or it's old age."

"Nice, Adam," Shiro said.

Lance sighed, "I am going to miss this when I head on down to Miami."

"Me?" Keith said.

"No. Adam's cooking."

Keith pouted and tried out the look that Lance liked to give him when he wanted something. The look of a sad puppy. He'd practiced it and was pleased to see how well it worked. The guilty expression which flooded Lance's face was worth it. To add to it, Keith said in a broken tone, "You won't miss me?"

"Oh, shit, no. I mean, yes. Fuck. Sweetheart, I'm gonna miss my little bear so much!" Lance cried, scooting his chair closer and throwing his arms around Keith.

"Wow, Keith, that was good," Adam approved. Keith shot him a smug smile over Lance's shoulder.

It was nearly eleven when they finally moved into the living room where the tree and their presents waited. Shiro distracted himself before that with cleaning the kitchen from the remnants of their breakfast. "Are you sure you feel well, Kashi?" Adam asked at one point, all concerned, as he put the back of his hand on Shiro's forehead. "You really do look pale."

"I'm ok," Shiro ground out between clenched teeth.

"I'm sure he'll feel okay after presents," Keith said as he wiped the frying pan Lance handed him after washing. "Maybe he can lay down or something."

"I really think you should. We can postpone gifts til later," Adam suggested.

"No, I'll be fine!"

Keith handed out presents. There weren't many – he and Shiro didn't usually exchange many. They had a rule with each other which was a leftover from their father. It was a rule their father found somewhere and Shiro and Keith thought it was a great rule. Four gifts for each other: something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. It worked, kept the stress levels down for buying gifts, saved them money, and let the focus be more on the family aspect of the holiday than the greedy aspects.

It did, however, take forever to get Adam to accept the boundaries. Adam came from a family that went all out for Christmas. Hence the Christmas decorations in and out of the house. It was how he was raised and Adam was a generous soul anyway. It was something that Shiro insisted upon, and Adam told Keith that Shiro allowed so much else, he felt he could compromise on this.

In turn, Keith told Lance that he wasn't expected to give any gifts and certainly wouldn't be expected to follow the four item rule. Lance wouldn't be able to afford four things for each Shiro, Adam, and Keith. Keith assured Lance that he would put Lance's name on the gifts he gave Shiro and Adam. Lance insisted that he make something for Shiro and Adam as the something to wear, and Keith thought that worked out great.

The first surprise for Lance was the fourth stocking on the wall with his name on it. Keith didn't even know Shiro and Adam did this. Shiro took Keith and Lance's stockings down and handed them to the two boys who sat on the loveseat.

"I get my own stocking?" Lance asked, his tone full of wonder as he gripped the bulky item.

"Everyone who is family gets a stocking," Shiro said, giving Lance a warm smile before he went to retrieve his and Adam's.

"Family." Keith heard the whisper, a choked up sound next to him, and he leaned against Lance's side. Lance sniffed a little and turned his head to Keith so they could exchange soft smiles.

he stockings were full mostly of candies and school supplies, some face care and hair care stuff in Keith's he knew Lance was responsible for. Lance had some of the same, as Keith knew the kind of products he liked...and it explained that weird conversation with Shiro a week ago.

Both Shiro and Adam loved the scarves that Lance knitted for them, exclaiming over the colors and how soft the yarn felt. They, in turn, got Lance and Keith each a couple of nerdy t-shirts from their favorite movies.

Keith needed a new iPad for school, and it overwhelmed him that Shiro and Adam got it for him. Keith told Shiro that Lance needed a good calculator for his upcoming math classes, and Lance couldn't believe it when he opened the gift. "You guys, this is…just awesome! Thank you!"

Keith didn't expect Lance to hold to the four gift rule for him. Lance already gave him the sweater a couple of weeks ago, which he said was Keith's Christmas gift. He thought maybe Lance might give him something small to open, but wouldn't have been surprised if he hadn't. The sweater was more than enough, and Keith wore it this Christmas morning, proudly telling Shiro and Adam the story behind it, much to Lance's embarrassment when the couple gushed over it.

What Keith didn't expect was three more packages for him from Lance. He looked at his boyfriend with a raised eyebrow when he pulled the three similarly wrapped packages from the pile. "What's this?"

"Santa must have brought them," Lance said.

"You already gave me this sweater," Keith objected.

"I'm not Santa, Keef!"

"Lance…"

"Blame him."

He felt guilty, because he knew Lance was like him – a poor college student. Well, Keith did get Lance four gifts as well, but he didn't think Lance should have gotten him anything more. He picked the first one up and carefully opened it, self-consciously aware that Lance watched him.

The three packages were all the same size and when Keith unwrapped the first it was to find a small box. He gulped and gingerly lifted the lid. And smiled. Inside was what looked like a little handmade book, no bigger than his hand. Written on the front, with drawings of frowning little bears, was "What Grumpy Bear Needs to Be Happy".

He looked at Lance, who grinned at him, but had a slight blush to his cheeks. "It's a coupon book. No expiration dates, because I'm generous like that."

Keith lifted the little coupon book from the box and thumbed through it. There were a dozen 'coupons' in there for things that he could turn in for Lance to do for him. A massage. An extended cuddle session. Things of that nature, including a romantic picnic and a midnight visit to any nearby beach. "I love it," he breathed. "I can't wait to turn all these in."

"Just don't use them all at once," Lance advised. "Spread out the goodness."

"Oh, I'll spread it alright."

"Keef!" Lance gasped, not used to Keith being the one to flirt. Shiro and Adam laughed.

When it was Keith's turn again to open another gift, he opened Lance's second one. Inside was a small book of quotes from Shakespeare. Keith didn't admit to it often, but he loved to read Shakespeare. He didn't realize Lance noticed, but it warmed his heart to see the little book.

"So this must be the something I want?" Keith asked, giving Lance a little smirk when it was his turn again. Lance, who was setting the book Shiro and Adam gifted him aside, blushed.

"Y-y-yeah," he stammered. "I mean, I hope so."

Keith slowly unwrapped it and opened the box. There was something wrapped in tissue paper, so he took it out and pulled off the paper. It was a framed picture of him and Lance. He vaguely remembered this being taken, though he'd never seen it. It was at Hunk and James' place early October. He thought they were there for a movie night or something, and Hunk took the picture. By that point he was deep in his crush for Lance. What he didn't know, and what showed in the picture, was that Lance was equally as into him.

They were sat side by side on a couch, Lance's arm around his shoulders. Keith faced forward and wore a smile he never saw on himself. His cheeks were slightly pink, which he knew was probably from the fact that Lance had his arm around him, and his eyes shined in a way that anyone could see how happy he was to be at that spot at that moment.

Lance, on the other hand, had his head turned slightly to Keith and his expression was so fond that Keith had a hard time comprehending it. Lance's smile was his usual bright sunshine one, but the look in his eyes was unmistakable. The Lance in this picture obviously loved the person at whom he was gazing. Did Lance always look at him like that? How did he never see it?

"I've never seen this," was all he could say.

"Hunk took it."

"I remember him taking it."

"I wouldn't let him show it to you."

"Why?"

"Because look at my face! You would have known right away!"

"Look at mine!" Keith objected. "How could you not know how I felt about you from this?"

Lance held up his hands in a helpless sort of gesture. "I just assumed you were having a good time. I didn't think it was because of me!"

"I'm blushing!"

"You do that a lot, though."

"Always around you!"

"Well, I always blushed around you!"

"I never noticed that!" Keith looked at the picture again. "Did you always look at me like this?"

"Not when you were looking back at me. Hunk said I did, though."

"I never noticed."

"I didn't want you to."

"Are they really arguing about how much pining they did before they got together?" Shiro asked.

"Sounds like it," Adam said with a smug grin. He sat patiently waiting to open his next gift.

"Sorry sorry," Keith said. He passed the framed picture to them to see.

"How did you both not know? Jesus," Adam said when he saw the photo.

"We're both oblivious idiots, of course," Keith retorted.

Shiro held up a hand. "At least you know now. That's all that matters."

"True," Lance agreed as Keith reached for the picture again. "Do you like it?"

"Of course I do," Keith said. "And it is something, or someone, I want."

Lance made a small noise as Keith leaned in to kiss him. "Ugh, you're so sappy," he said in a tone that indicated he loved the fact.

Keith's gifts to Lance were also modest and, Keith thought with chagrin, not romantic. For the thing Lance needed, he got him new earbuds for his phone, wireless ones because he knew Lance's wire buds had frayed and were soon to be completely broken. For the thing Lance wanted, he got tickets to see a local nineties cover band that played at bars around their area. He knew Lance loved the group and the tickets were really cheap, but Lance got so excited when he opened them. The thing to read was the first Percy Jackson novel, because he remembered Lance mentioning a few times that he really wanted to read the series. And the thing to wear was a sweatshirt with Keith's high school on it. "Aw! I can keep you with me all the time when I wear it, Keef!" Lance exclaimed, then immediately put the shirt on.

Keith noticed, as the late morning present opening dragged on, that Shiro looked progressively worse. He saw Lance watching his brother with a slight frown a few times and, Keith had to admit, Shiro looked about to pass out. Adam, too, mentioned a few times that they could stop and continue once Shiro felt better, but Shiro kept waving it off.

When the presents seemed to be done, Adam stood and disappeared into the kitchen to retrieve a trashbag from the utility cabinet. Once he left the room, Shiro bent over on himself and, crossing his arms on his thighs, hid his face there.

Lance opened his mouth to say something, but Keith held up his hand to stop him. "You okay, Shiro?" he asked.

Shiro took a deep breath. Then another. He finally straightened as they heard Adam return. Lance jumped up to help Adam gather up the wrapping paper haphazardly strewn about the floor. Keith busied himself by stacking his presents in a neat pile and Shiro continued to have a slight panic attack on the couch.

"What's this?" Adam asked as he uncovered a still-wrapped package to the side of the tree. Shiro had deliberately thrown most of the unwrapped papers to that spot.

"Another gift?" Keith asked.

"We each had our four from each other," Adam said, looking around at the other three. "Who cheated?"

"Who's it for?" Lance asked.

"Me, it looks like. From you, Kashi?" Adam said as he picked up the present. "But you got me four things," he objected. "You insisted it be only four, you scamp. You can't cheat on your own rules."

Shiro shrugged and gave Adam a weak smile. "I couldn't help it. I got this after the others. It's another thing I think you might want."

Adam rolled his eyes, but crossed the living room to sit next to Shiro. "You really shouldn't have," he said, clicking his tongue. "You gave me such a hard time about the gifts and then go ahead and do this." He wore a smile, though he scolded Shiro, as he first pulled off the bow to stick on Shiro's head, then unwrapped the box. "Cheater."

What Adam didn't see was Keith slowly lift his phone and hit record.

"A toaster? Seriously? You give me a toaster for Christmas?"

"You want a new one, don't you? You've been complaining about my toaster for two weeks."

"Cause your toaster is a hundred years old and burns the toast every time!"

"So you don't like it?" Shiro asked with a pout.

"No, Kashi. I love it. Thank you!"

"Uh, I hope it's the right kind," Shiro said, poking at the box. "Maybe open it and see."

"It's a toaster, Kashi," Adam said, giving him a strange look. "I can see the picture on the box."

"Still…" Shiro shrugged. "You never know."

Another look crossed Adam's face and his expression shifted. He knew. Keith could see he knew. He shook his head and said. "Just for that, I shouldn't open it." But, he did. It was only held shut by scotch tape anyway. Keith heard Lance gasp next to him as he finally got the drift.

The box was full of wadded up paper, so Adam had to shuffle through all of it to find the velvet box at the bottom. He pulled it out and let the box drop to his side on the couch. He stared a moment at the box balanced on his palm, then turned to Shiro. "You put it in a toaster?"

Shiro smiled at Adam's tone, then gently lifted the box off Adam's hand. He slid off the couch onto one knee on the floor and opened it, presenting the gold band to his boyfriend. Adam's hand lifted to cover his mouth and he returned Shiro's hopeful look with a fond one.

"Adam, I could spend the rest of the day telling you what you mean to me. What you've done for me. How you've enriched my life with your love, your spirit, your heart. But I'd rather spend the rest of my life telling you all that every day. The only thing I want to know, is if you want to spend the rest of your life as my partner. Will you marry me?"

Adam was shaking his head, fingers still pressed against his lips. "You were right."

Shiro looked a little confused at the answer. "What?"

"You did get me something I want," Adam said. "Yes, my Kashi. I want that more than anything."

Shiro took the ring from its' cushion and slid it onto Adam's ring finger. He looked relieved and the flush that painted his cheeks gave him a much healthier look than he had all morning.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me," Lance accused. He and Keith were sprawled on the floor on their backs, their heads resting on couch pillows under the tree. The now-opened presents were stacked there for the moment and Adam and Shiro had disappeared into the kitchen. Since the proposal, they wouldn't stop hanging on each other, and Adam even allowed Shiro into the kitchen with him to help prepare dinner. Shiro's idea of helping Adam was hugging him from behind as he chopped vegetables.

"I forgot." When Lance grunted, he added, "I mean, I didn't forget, but we got involved in a bunch of stuff getting ready for Christmas. It slipped my mind. I only found out the day we got here!"

"That meant three days you could have told me, Keef!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"It's pretty under here," Lance said after a small space of silence. "Like we're in our own little world."

Keith peered up into the branches and the twinkling lights. "We are."

"Thank you for the gifts," Lance said, turning onto his side to snuggle up against Keith's.

Keith felt the smile slip easily onto his lips. It did that a lot now. "I'm glad you like them," he said softly. "I love mine."

"It is a nice sweater, if I do say so myself," Lance said as he patted said sweater.

"I'm sorry mine weren't as romantic as yours."

Lance laughed, his legs now tangling with Keith's. Keith reached up to hold the hand Lance rested on his stomach. "It's not a competition," he said. "Yours were perfect for me, and that's romantic, because it shows you know me."

They lay silent for a few minutes before Lance spoke up again. "I wish you could come home with me for Three Kings Day," Lance said, his voice a little whiny. "I'm gonna miss my little bear."

"I'm gonna miss you," Keith agreed. "You know, I love that you call me your bear."

Lance giggled, his breath tickling Keith's neck. "Well good. I'll keep calling you that."

"I feel like I should have something to call you," he said, then hesitated. "And there is something, but I'm scared you'll think it's stupid."

"What is it?"

"Mariposa." Lance didn't say anything right away and Keith panicked a bit. "If you don't like it," he added anxiously, "I won't. I'm sorry. I just…"

Lance's voice sounded strange when he spoke. "Why mariposa?"

"It means butterfly, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Your Spanish is impressive, but why that?"

Keith regretted bringing it up. His cheeks burned so brightly he feared he might outshine the Christmas tree. "I-I…I was watching you last night. You were moving around the room like a butterfly. Floating or something. And butterflies are beautiful and magical. At least I always thought so. Delicate, but tough at the same time."

He felt Lance shift and soon his face came into view as he hovered above Keith, looking intently down at him. Fuck, Keith screwed this up. Why did he open his stupid mouth?

"You think I'm beautiful? And magical?" Did Lance's voice sound…wistful?

"Of course I do."

"Delicate and tough?"

"Yeah…"

Lance pressed his face into Keith's chest, hiding it. "Oh my god, Keef," he wailed. "How can you say you're not romantic?"

Keith blinked a couple of times. Lance liked it? "Cause…I'm not?"

"You idiot! You're making me cry!"

"Don't cry!" Keith cried, alarmed. He automatically wrapped his arms around Lance, terrified that he hurt him.

"It's happy tears," Lance assured him, lifting his head. Sure enough, his eyes sparkled. "I love you so much."

Lance laughed, then, at the stunned look on Keith's face. "You love me?" Keith gasped.

"Brat! I wanted to tell you at midnight on New Years Eve before I kissed you senseless!" He sighed a mock sigh.

"What's stopping you now?"

"What? Kissing you senseless?"

"Yeah!"

Lance leaned down, but instead of a sense depriving kiss, he landed a delicate one on the tip of Keith's nose. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe I wanna know if my recipient loves me too? If he does, then I guess I can kiss him senseless."

Keith grinned up at Lance, drunk on the giddy feeling shooting through him. It felt similar to that first day at the beginning of the month – when Lance confessed. The swooping feeling of falling, heart racing, palms sweating. Only now, instead of a rush of disbelief, he was only filled with wonder. Lance loved him. Loved him.

Filled with that euphoric emotion, he swiftly rolled them both over, knocking Lance's head against one of Shiro's presents. He shoved the box away after Lance said "ouch" and lifted a hand to rub at the side of his head. "I love you," Keith said. "I" (kiss) "Love" (kiss) "You" (kiss kiss kiss).

Lance, his face blooming into a blush, but also transforming into his sunshine expression of pure happiness, laughed. "Senseless kisses it is, then…" he murmured as his hands gripped Keith's head, tangling fingers into Keith's hair to pull his love down to him.

A/N: Find me on Tumblr at devooshawrites