Chapter 7 - You've Had the Mullet Your Whole Life

Keith lay sprawled on one of the lounge chairs on the back deck, the sun shining brightly in his eyes as it peeked from behind the cloud cover. He had to squint in spite of the sunglasses slipping down his sweaty nose. He should go into the house and the refreshment of air conditioning, but it was nicer to lay here in in the patchy sunshine and humidity watching his love pawing at one of Allura's herb garden beds in the backyard.

Lance, at Allura's request, was helping her harvest some of her oregano, mint, and thyme. They knelt opposite each other at the raised bed, Lance chatting a mile a minute and Allura laughing at whatever he was saying. Both wore big, floppy straw hats. Hunk was inside, making lunch. It made Keith feel a little guilty that his guest was the one laboring over a meal, but Hunk had insisted and hustled Keith out of the kitchen over his protests.

Shay and Shiro were talking quietly at the patio table. Shiro had just finished mowing the lawn and had stopped for a rest before heading in to take a shower. He wanted to get the chore done before the rain started. Dark clouds gathered to the west, threatening a downpour at some time within the next few hours. As their plans for the evening were indoors – dinner at Coran's with the Holts and a movie night – the storm wouldn't be too much of a pain.

Keith felt he should be doing something, but he stayed in his chair, his eyes intent on Lance. Keith knew it looked like he was asleep, so he was able to get his full of staring at the young man across the yard. It wasn't often he got to watch Lance like this – usually Lance noticed Keith staring and got self-conscious. Except now, Lance was concentrating on his task, distracted by his conversation with Allura, and had no idea Keith was taking this moment to drink him up.

He loved watching Lance in these unguarded moments. It wasn't as if Lance was never his true self around Keith. Keith knew despite Lance's insecurities, he trusted Keith enough to let him see all the good and the bad. Let Keith see him all bedhead, grumpy, and sandy-eyed in the morning. Share a bathroom.

Share his life.

Because Lance loved him.

How amazing was that? Two months ago, a life like this…a love like this…wasn't on the horizon. Did Keith want it? Yes. He simply didn't think he'd get it. At least not this fast.

He watched as Lance lifted his hand and rubbed the back of it across his forehead, leaving a little smudge of dirt he would fuss about if he knew. Keith smiled. Two short months of a whirlwind romance and Keith was ready to spend the rest of his life with him. He couldn't wait, though he knew he should. If Shiro thought they'd moved fast already, Keith couldn't imagine what Shiro or his friends would think if he proposed right now.

He laughed at himself as he noticed he'd shifted his body enough to stand up and do just that. March over to Lance, drop on one knee, and seal the deal. He relaxed himself back into the lounger. Even Keith wasn't reckless enough to propose three days after telling his boyfriend he loved him.

Give it at least a couple of weeks at least, Keith.

He'd need a ring anyway.

Lance's laughter drifted over the yard. Keith was happy to see him more like his own self. The atmosphere in the house after the camping trip compared to the atmosphere before the camping trip was like night and day. Keith felt the tension was mostly gone. Not completely - he knew it would take time – but lessened. Shiro and Pidge both made overtures to Lance during the three nights in the woods.

Shiro went so far as to sit next to Lance at the campfire that first morning, talking quietly and sipping coffee as the rest slept and Keith and Hunk prepared breakfast on the portable grill. On the second evening, Pidge spent time with Lance, questioning him about Altea University. Since Lance's field was different from Hunk's, Keith knew she was attempting conversation, and while Lance remained guarded, he chatted easily enough to her about the benefits of his university.

Pidge's efforts were more subdued than Shiro's, but that went along with her nature. Dealing with emotions was something uncomfortable to her, even with the people she loved most. Lance had a sixth sense about the situation and seemed to know Pidge was trying her best to make amends.

Keith could see Lance's walls…not quite crumbling…but maybe losing a brick or two. He knew Lance wasn't one to hold a grudge, but Keith was insanely proud of him for holding his ground. He would never think less of Lance for any reason, but he also had an idea how tough this was for Lance – who was inherently a people pleaser – not to immediately forgive Shiro or Pidge. It gave Keith a whole new appreciation for Lance and his strength of character.

With both of them, Lance continued to hold them at arm's length, but the tension was so much less that everyone seemed happier. Keith felt a little smile slip onto his lips as he closed his eyes. The last two days were more along the lines of what he'd hoped this trip home would be. He wished it hadn't taken so long to get to this point, but he was glad they had reached it. It was better, and Allura had already nailed down a date for her and Shiro to visit them in Altea, soon after Lance returned from his research trip.

Which of course led them to planning an entire surprise party for Lance to celebrate his birthday. Interestingly enough, Pidge distracted Lance with a game on her computer in order for the rest of them to settle on the dates and make the arrangements for Allura and Shiro's visit with Lance none the wiser.

"Look at all the herbs I picked, Keithy!"

Lance bounded up onto the porch, his basket swinging at his elbow. Keith reached up to pull the sunglasses down his nose enough to peek over them. "Good job. I'm sure Allura appreciated the help."

"I did," Allura called out as she dropped a kiss on Shiro's head before she went inside. Keith saw the fleeting look of love and frustration flicker across Shiro's face and he inwardly chuckled. He knew Allura was still withholding intimacy with his brother to punish him. These little gestures of affection made the punishment worse.

"The oregano is for you, babyca - I mean, baby!" Lance corrected himself as he lifted a few herbs from the basket. "For the lasagna contest tomorrow! Not sure if you'll need the thyme…"

"Probably not."

"Anyway, we have it. I picked it just for you."

"I feel Hunk is gonna somehow get some, too."

Lance forced his expression into one of innocent shock that Keith didn't believe for a minute. "I was gonna give this mint to Hunk to make us some mint lemonade, but I'll make sure you don't get any!"

"Why?"

"Cause you don't believe me!"

"Hunk will still give me some."

"Ugh, I hate you're right," Lance complained, though he shot Keith a little grin. "You stay there, you lazy lump. I'll go deliver the goods."

"No kiss?"

"Kisses aren't for non-believers."

"Are they for people who love you?"

Lance groaned. "That's unfair!"

Keith got his kiss.

"Lance, got a moment?"

Keith and Lance looked up from the swing. They were enjoying the lazy afternoon; bellies and taste buds satisfied from Hunk's lunch with fresh mint lemonade, letting the warmth and humid air soak into their skin. Rather, Lance was enjoying it, spinning tales of Miami to him. Keith was putting up with it – the heat, not the stories. He loved those.

It helped that little 'I love yous' were peppered throughout the conversation, along with little kisses.

Shiro stood in front of them, looking rather awkward. Keith glanced at Lance, noting the hesitant expression on his face. "Uh, yeah, Shiro," he said.

"I've got something to show you. In the house."

Lance definitely looked nervous now. "Um. Okay."

"Hunk and Shay are in there waiting." Then, with a sly smile at Keith as the hesitancy fell away, he added, "Keith can come, too. In fact, it'd be better if he did."

Keith had an inkling of what Shiro was about to do. He jumped up to attack his brother, much to Lance's surprise, but Shiro was too quick and took off toward the house. "I'm going to kill you!" Keith shouted at his retreating back.

"Too many witnesses!" Shiro yelled back, before he disappeared through the patio door.

"Fuck."

"Keith?"

"Shit shit shit."

"Keith?" He could hear the worry in Lance's voice. He'd stood up from the swing next to Keith.

Keith sighed, reaching up to rub his forehead. "That fucking asshole."

Lance put his hand on Keith's arm. "What is it? Love?"

"Come on," he said in resignation.

They went into the house. Sure enough, Hunk and Shay sat at the table, photo books strewn about the surface. Keith groaned.

Hunk looked up as they came in. "You were the cutest baby ever, Keith."

Lance gasped. "Baby pictures! I get to see the baby pictures!" he squealed, diving for one of the chairs. "Gimme gimme!" he yelled, making grabby hands at Hunk.

Hunk slid the one he had open over to Lance. "This looks to be around first grade. Check the first page. Keith's all dressed up and holding up a "First Day of First Grade" sign."

"This is the best day of my life!" Lance breathed, flipping to the first page. "Oh my god! Look at my little Keithy!" he cooed.

"I take back the 'I love you'," Keith said, glaring at Lance as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You can't, Keithy! You said it and meant it! No take backs!"

"You've had the mullet your whole life," Shay murmured. She was looking at the album of his three-year-old pictures.

"It's not a mullet!"

"It's a mullet, baby. It's okay to admit it," Lance assured him.

"It's just long!"

"Mmm," Lance hummed. "We can agree to disagree."

"It's not an opinion!"

Keith stood, cheeks burning, as his supposed boyfriend and his two supposed friends flipped through the pictures. His father, an amateur photographer, had filled the photo albums of both him and Shiro when they were kids. He took hundreds of photos and arranged them according to year, so they got to see Keith from a baby until he was twelve. Shiro tried to keep the tradition up, and partially succeeded. The teenage years weren't as organized, nor were the photos as abundant. Not only did Shiro not take many pictures, Keith entered the age where he didn't want his photo taken.

"Look at these braces!" Lance exclaimed. "No wonder your teeth are almost perfect!"

"Almost?" Keith protested.

"Yeah, you got that little snaggle tooth look to your canines."

"What the hell, Lance?"

"It's cute, Keithy!"

"Fucking hell."

"You took a girl to prom?" Hunk asked.

"Millie Adams," Shiro spoke up.

"She was a nice girl," Keith said.

"And a lesbian," Shiro said.

Keith shrugged. "We both weren't out."

"You look so handsome in your tux," Lance said, leaning over to look at the album in front of Hunk.

"Fuck off."

"Keith! I'm serious!"

"Sure."

"Keith," Lance said patiently, "when you come to Miami with me, you'll have your revenge. Mama and Abuela will pull out all my baby pictures, too, so you can make fun of me all you want."

"Oh, count on it."

"Oh! Are we humiliating Keith with baby pictures?" Allura asked as she came in from the garage. She had run down to her uncle's restaurant to deliver some tomatoes to him.

"Yes," Keith groaned again.

"Did you get to that awkward fourteen-year-old stage yet?"

"No! Where's that?" Lance asked, pawing through the books.

"I think it's the red one."

Lance dragged it to him. "Oh, my god, Keithy!"

"I hate all of you."

Shiro laughed, throwing an arm around Keith's shoulders. "No, you don't."

"Believe me, I do."

"Did…did you go through an emo phase?" Lance asked, looking up from the album.

"Fuck."

"So, you were wrong?"

Shiro let out a long sigh. He was leaned against the kitchen counter, watching Lance, Hunk, and Shay look through the albums, Allura laughing at all their comments on Keith's cuteness. Keith stood next to him, trying to ignore all the comments about his cuteness. He noticed Shiro hadn't gotten out his own baby pictures.

"I was wrong."

"You admit Lance is awesome," Keith pressed, then waved a hand. "Okay, not right now," he amended as Lance loudly declared that a five-year-old Keith in a bow tie was the greatest thing he'd ever seen. Shiro quirked a half-smile. "But in general."

"I admit that Lance is awesome. I admit that he loves you. I admit that he's good for you."

"Good. You're doing it."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are. Because not only were you wrong, you also acted like an asshole to him. You deserve this. Ask Allura," Keith said. Allura and Shay had come over to collect drinks for the crew.

"Ask Allura what?" Allura asked.

"Shiro has to sing the 'How Wrong I Was' song at Coran's," Keith explained.

"Oh, absolutely! He was an asshole. And wrong."

Shiro shot her a dirty look, which she shrugged off. "Keith has every right to demand it. You made him do it enough."

"I think I need more of this story," Shay prompted.

Allura answered. "Apparently Shiro wrote this song and made Keith sing it whenever Keith adamantly stated something as fact, but ended up being wrong. He even made Keith sing it at Coran's once. On a table."

"Keith!" Lance called.

"Yeah?" he yelled back.

"Can we bring back some copies of your baby pictures? Please? I want to make a collage!"

Shiro, Shay, and Allura burst into laughter. "Oh, fuck no!"

"Don't worry, Lance," Shiro said loudly. "I'll make sure you get the best ones!"

They heard a triumphant "Yes!" from the table.

The gang made their way to Coran's that night, mainly because they didn't want to cook anything, but also because Allura said Coran was disappointed he hadn't seen his favorite former employee, his 'dear boy', and his other new 'dear friends' in so long. Allura had explained to him they were camping for a couple of those nights, and that Coran would see everyone on Saturday for the lasagna competition, but he was still unconsoled. The Holts all joined them.

Coran, decked out in a bright red suit, treated them all again over their protests, attaching himself to Lance, Hunk, and Shay to chatter away. Dinner was delicious, as meals at Coran's always were, and the atmosphere was much more jovial than it had been the last time.

Now, seated at a group of tables drawn together to accommodate the huge group, Lance was closer to his normal self than he'd been for the whole vacation. Keith couldn't stop watching him, the way his eyes glowed as he told amusing stories to Coran, the way his hands moved in excitement as he spoke, the way his laughter rang out in the restaurant, the way his features softened every time he noticed Keith watching him.

'I love you' Keith mouthed the words toward Lance before taking a bite of apple pie. The blush on Lance's cheeks was the perfect result.

After everyone finished their desserts, Keith leaned back in his chair to allow the server to clear his dish, along with some of the others. "Well?" he asked, looking at Shiro.

"Well, what?"

Keith nodded to the table. Shiro frowned, looking around at the crowded restaurant. "Now?"

"No better time. You'll have a full house for an audience."

"What's this, Keithy?" Lance asked.

"He's gonna sing for us."

"Oo-oh," Lance drawled. "The wrong song?"

"Mhm. The 'How Wrong I Was' song."

Pidge cackled. "You're making him do it? Oh my god, yes! It's always Keith singing it!"

"Come on, choir boy. Get on the table," Keith said, patting the tabletop.

Shiro glowered at Keith, then everyone else, as the whole lot of them started chanting "Sing Sing Sing!" as they banged their hands on the table.

"Oh, I can't wait for this," Colleen said, echoing the cackling of her daughter.

With a show of reluctance, especially now that they had the attention of the entire restaurant, including Coran who made sure to gather all the staff out to watch, Shiro stood up. He slowly climbed onto his chair, then stepped up onto the table itself. "Do I have to?" he asked in a plaintive tone.

"Oh yes. The whole thing."

Keith thoroughly enjoyed this spectacle. His calm and collected brother, who never did anything showy or crazy like this, standing there as the center of attention, cheeks a red color that rivaled Coran's dress coat. Everyone scooted their chairs back to get a better view, while Allura jumped up to back up enough to get Shiro entirely in her phone's camera. Perfect. Video evidence Keith could use.

Shiro clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and in a pleasant tenor, sang:

"Oh, how wrong I was.
I messed up and I know it.
Oh, how wrong I was.
And I'm here to show it.

Oh, how wrong I was.
This I cannot fight.
Oh, how wrong I was.
My awesome brother was right.

Oh, how wrong I was.
I made a big mistake!
Oh, how wrong I was.
But my brother is great!"

Applause broke out, loud clapping and screaming laughter. Shiro was well known throughout their small hometown. An earnest, serious, and dependable businessman. Everyone could count on him to volunteer, or lend a helping hand with a genuine smile. Keith imagined seeing Shiro up on a table and singing the silly song he wrote for Keith years ago had to have made quite the impression on their fellow townspeople.

He stepped down to the chair, then hopped onto the floor shooting Keith another dirty look. Keith, of course, was unrepentant. He'd waited years and years to see Shiro like this. It was beyond satisfying for him. Lance, who had scooted closer to Keith to watch, was crying from laughter. He wiped at his eyes, then turned to look at Keith. "I can't believe you made him do that!"

Keith smiled, so pleased. "Oh, I've wanted to see this for so long."

"And that's on Facebook," Allura announced as she returned to her seat.

"You really had to, didn't you?" Shiro asked.

"Of course, honey! I wasn't gonna pass that one up!"

"Fuck…"

"You deserved it," she said.

Shiro sat back in his chair and everyone scooted their chairs closer to the table now that the 'show' part of 'dinner-and-a-show' was over. He glanced at Lance, who was still wiping his eyes, laughter bubbling out. "Yes, I did."

"I didn't think you'd actually make him do that," Lance said, keeping his voice low, though it vibrated with amusement.

"The song?" Keith asked, rolling onto his back. He stretched, working out a little kink in his spine. "Of course I did. He made me do it enough."

"You had to get on that table and sing every time?"

"No, just the once on the table. I was sixteen and already working there. Right in front of my co-workers. It sucked."

"Ugh, I can imagine! Poor Keithy," Lance soothed, turning onto his side to face him.

"Yeah. So I was determined to some day prove him wrong. And, I did."

"Mm. I'm not sure. I mean, I'm sure he doesn't think I'm all that amazing."

"He does," Keith said, turning his head to look at Lance. Then smiled. "If he didn't, he would have refused to sing it."

He let it sink in for Lance for a moment, watching the differing emotions flicker over his beautiful features. "Really?" His tone was thoughtful.

"Really," Keith assured him. "I know it will be awhile for you to trust him, and," he said, briefly lifting a hand to stop Lance from replying, "that's okay. I know I keep saying it, but I need you to believe it. Don't feel like you should. He needs to earn your trust and he knows that."

Lance sighed, shifting to lay his head on Keith's chest. "I know you're right," he agreed.

"I know. Shiro sang it," he teased, carding his fingers through Lance's hair. "Mm," he sighed. "I can't wait to be back in our bed," he said, looking at the ceiling. "This futon is killing my back."

"Would you like me to give you a massage?"

"That sounds like an amazing idea."

Lance laughed. "Well, shirt off and flip over."

He didn't have to tell Keith twice. In a moment, Keith was on his stomach, his tank top on the floor, arms crossed under his pillow. Lance moved to straddle the back of his thighs and Keith squeezed his glutes in reaction. Oh, maybe this wasn't a good idea.

"I wish I had massage oil," Lance complained, rubbing his hands together to warm them.

"I'm kind of glad you don't," Keith muttered.

"What was that, Keithy?" Lance asked, leaning forward, his palms pressing against Keith's lower back to brace himself.

Keith let out a long moan. Turning over on his stomach wasn't his best idea. Lance's hands on him with Lance's weight on his thighs brought the blood rushing south. It was not the most comfortable of positions to be in, but he couldn't wiggle enough to lay off the pressure. Unbidden, the memory of Lance's mouth on his dick drifted through his mind, making it worse.

"Nothing."

"Wait wait," Lance said, shifting a little and leaning precariously off the futon, his legs still encasing Keith's thighs. Keith mildly cursed Lance's flexibility as the boy somehow reached the side table and dug through the drawer.

"Oof. You're heavy."

"No, I'm not," Lance laughed, slamming the drawer shut and settling his weight back on Keith's thighs. Keith heard the pop of a plastic bottle.

"What do you have?"

"Lube."

"What the honest fuck!?'

"No no no, I'm just kidding. I left that at home."

"You have lube already?"

"Well, yeah. I'm like a boy scout. Always prepared."

"But the tenth date…"

"To be honest, I didn't think we'd make it this far. So, I have the lube ready to go in case you can't resist me."

Keith snorted. "Seriously, what do you have now?"

There was a little fart noise as Lance squeezed out whatever it was. He giggled. "Thppppppt," he copied the sound.

"Lance…"

"Just some lotion. I don't want to rub your back raw. That's not the raw I want to do to you."

Keith felt his cheeks burn, both of them. "You ass."

"I was thinking your ass, but whatever."

The hands on his back made Keith bite back his retort in favor of another moan. Lance's hand slid up his back, the heels of his palms trailing on each side of his spine with a firm and steady pressure. Keith felt his muscles spasm on the first pass, only for Lance to return to each one, working them patiently, easing the knots formed from almost two weeks on a shitty futon (and leaky air mattress on the camping trip). It felt so good that Keith felt himself entering a half-asleep daze that came from total relaxation.

"If you keep groaning like that, Keithy, I don't know if I'll be able to hold back on ravishing you."

Keith huffed a small laugh. "How are you so good at this?"

"The massage? YouTube videos. Hunk can be very tense," Lance said. "Me too, actually. So we watched a bunch of videos when we were in San Diego."

"Is Hunk as good as you?"

"Probably better," Lance admitted, working on the spot under Keith's left shoulder blade. "His hands are strong."

"Shay and I are possibly the luckiest people in the world."

"True."

"You'll have to show me these videos. I want to do this for you."

Lance hummed, moving over to his right shoulder. "That would be nice. I mean, I can think of a better way to help me relax."

"Whatever could that be?" Keith said, faking that he didn't know what Lance meant.

"You're a smart boy, my love. I'm sure it'll come to you."

"Or come to you," Keith mumbled into his pillow.

"There is that." As Lance's hands returned to his lower back to dig thumbs into the muscle there, Keith's glutes squeezed together again. "I'm not sticking anything in there, tonight," Lance said, his tone teasing. "You don't have to keep clenching."

"I'm not doing it on purpose."

"Well, don't do it when I'm really going for the gold," Lance said, tapping both hands on each of Keith's cheeks a couple of times.

"They aren't bongos," Keith protested mildly.

"Now that's a great idea!" Lance patted Keith's butt in a random rhythm as he sang a few lines Keith didn't know in Spanish.

"Stop!" Keith demanded, though he laughed. He didn't actually mind Lance's hands where they were.

His protest made Lance pat harder, breaking off his song in a choked laugh. "Look at them jiggle," he crowed.

"Fuck you," Keith managed through another laugh. He wriggled a little and Lance stopped, lifting his weight off Keith's thighs, though his knees stayed on the mattress. Keith managed to turn over, sending a mock glare up at the grinning face of his boyfriend.

"Soon, Keithy, soon!"

Keith caught Lance's wrists in his hands, squeezing gently as he pulled Lance down. Lance hummed as they kissed and Keith had a slight regret for getting them in this position. There was no hiding what Lance straddling his legs had done to him. But, he also felt what the position did to Lance. "Looks like playing with my ass got you a little excited," he murmured between kisses.

"Well, what did you expect? Your ass is pretty nice."

"Just nice?"

"Um, it's okay?"

"Okay?" Keith feigned anger as he surged up, catching hold of a surprised Lance around the waist and flipping their positions so that Lance was on his back. It seemed like a reckless move, but he was careful not to let Lance hit his head on the wooden rail at the foot of the futon bed. Lance's shout of panic was quickly replaced by a laugh. "Just okay?"

"Nooooooooo," Lance whined, barely able to talk. "Noooooo, Keithy. Your ass is magnificent! It's the best set of bongos I've ever played!"

Hovering over him, Keith frowned, though he knew his own expression was amused. "Just for that, you're getting punished."

"I'm on my back!" Lance pointed out. "You can't spank me!"

He ran his hands down the front of Lance's t-shirt, scooting back a little between Lance's legs. His fingers hooked in Lance's shorts and he pulled them down. "I've got something else in mind. Like returning the favor from the other night."

Lance's eyes widened as he gazed down his body at Keith. He cleared his throat, then swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing. "Uh, I don't think you, um, understand the meaning of the word punishment."

Keith grinned at him, then looked down at the perfection of his now-exposed boyfriend. It was his first time seeing Lance and he once again thanked every god he could think of that delivered this beautiful man into his life. He was tense again, negating all the work Lance had done on his back, but he was thirsty for Lance and wanted nothing more than to get his mouth on him.

"Lay back and take your punishment, like a good boy," Keith said in a voice much smoother than he felt.

"Yesssss," Lance hissed out as Keith took his first lick. "Just know it's your fault when I wake up the neighborhood."

"I'll take my chances," Keith said before he took Lance apart.