The morning is a blur of packing and organizing. Lance has really settled into the hotel room over the past few days and he needs to do three sweeps of the room to make sure he hasn't forgotten anything. He realizes his mistake in not off loading stuff onto the bus before James drove it down to Spain, so he has a ridiculous amount of luggage and other paraphernalia. He slides Red into her case and sighs a breath of relief. There will be just enough time to grab a quick bite to eat and check out before the van from the car rental company arrives to pick them up.
He finds Keith in the dining room scrolling his phone.
"Whatcha looking at?" Lance asks, waving down a waiter.
"I'm trying to figure out if they have tours of the Old FruitMarket." Keith says, still looking at the screen.
"Really?" Lance is surprised. "How did you even know I wanted to go there?"
"I dunno Lance. Maybe it was the 600 times you suggested that we play the Old FruitMarket when we were planning the tour." Keith responds dryly.
"Phhbbbt. You make it sound like I was obsessed."
Keith looks sideways at Lance. "You brought your laptop to Shiro's New Year's Party and made us all watch the virtual tour on the Glasgow Concert Hall website."
Lance avoids responding to Keith by ordering his breakfast.
"Anyway," Keith says once they are alone again. "Looks like we can just take a walk through."
"Cool!" Lance gratefully takes a gulp of his coffee. "Anything else we should check out while we are there?"
"Hmmmm, Keith reads off his phone. "There is a Cathedral, beside a cool Necropolis."
"Wassat?"
"Fancy name for a Graveyard."
Lance shudders, still haunted by their ghost tour. "I'll pass."
"Ummm, art museum, science museum, another botanical garden."
"Not feeling it." Lance says. "You?"
Keith shakes his head. "There's a bagpipe museum." He says, a lilt to his voice.
"No way!?"
…
Lance feels too scattered to confidently drive on the correct side of the road, So Keith drives the first leg of the journey from Edinburgh to Glasgow. The drive is just over an hour, but Lance sneaks a nap in.
"Sorry about that." Lance says, hoping out of the car and stretching. In his mind, co-pilots are supposed to navigate and keep the driver company.
"Bout what?" Keith asks.
"Sleeping."
"Hmm? It was good. I like the quiet." Keith says, distracted by pulling his jacket on and locking up the car.
"Are you implying I talk too much?" Lance teases.
"Are you trying to tell me you don't?" Keith responds without missing a beat, finally getting the remote lock to work.
Lance is about to protest, but Keith silences him with a sound kiss on the lips and Lance loses track of his thoughts and sputters for a moment like a fish out of water. He catches a glimpse of the corners of Keith's eyes crinkling slightly, before the other man turns to look up at the grand entrance and walkway in front of them. The building is stunning with arched windows and doors with detailed Italianate pillars, and a sign over top that reads "CITY HALLS".
The two wander outside the front of the building, reading the inscriptions on the front sidewalk. Pointing out interesting verses to each other. Lance is lulled into the magic of the hall, which seems to vibrate like a place of worship. He feels his breath exit his lungs in a sigh as they step into the entrance way. For a moment he just breathes it all in. The two finally head up a beautiful, red carpeted, set of stairs to the City Halls' Grand Hall, which is closed for a performance today. They wander around and peak into the recital room, and head back down to follow the corridor to the Old Fruitmarket.
Lance enters the space and sighs again. He imagines the band on stage, all the Old Market signs twinkling with fairy lights, a general admission audience seated at candle lit tables, or perhaps standing room only. He looks around at the wrought iron framed balconies and curved ceiling. A pigeon has found its way into the building and is flying around the empty space, and Lance envisions special effects that give the impression of flight. Meanwhile, Keith distracts himself so that Lance has time to daydream. He is reading plaques and other signage, when Lance finally comes out of his reverie. "Some day." Lance says, with stars in his eyes.
"Sure." Keith responds. "Our next European tour."
…
While Lance was eating breakfast, Keith had called to arrange a tour of The National Piping Center (not to be confused with other Bagpipe museums, because, believe it or not, there are more than one). The tour is actually given by a piper, who also provides a lesson.
This is where both men discover that bagpipes are extremely hard to play. Especially if you are laughing so hard you cannot take a deep breath or maintain aperture.
"We don't have to go all the way to Loch Ness, that sound is definitely a Sea Monster's mating call. Do it again and Nessie'll come to us." Lance doubles over when Keith tries again. He is laughing at both the sound and Keith's frustrated expression at not being able to play an instrument, by ear, the first time he picks it up.
"If you would stop making me laugh, I could do this." Keith says, pushing at Lance's shoulder half heartedly.
"Oh? That sound you just made is my fault?" Literal tears are coming out of Lance's eyes. "Tell yourself that if it makes you feel better."
"It does."
They eat a late lunch at the Museum before getting back on the road. Lance is still nervous to drive so Keith takes the wheel again. They begin the three and half hour drive to Loch Ness.
…
Keith insists on driving through Paisley. "My… uh… Mom told me about this." He says, pointing out a parkette with the remnants of an old well. "This is one of the Memorials of the Scottish Witch Trials." They pull over quickly and Keith snaps a photo on his phone. He points out a plaque in the middle of a busy intersection which says, Pain Inflicted, Suffering Endured, Injustice Done. Lance really doesn't know what to say, and it is clear Keith is lost in his thoughts as they get back into the car and continue north.
The Scottish countryside is beautiful, the sky is both big and close, the rolling mountains that surround the road fuel Lance's imagination. He keeps up with his shotgun duty as a navigator and entertainer. He made a playlist of Scottish music, heavy on the Proclaimers interspersed with Rod Stewart, Gerry Raffarty, Simple Minds and Lewis Capaldi. Keith turns it off after the third time I Would Walk 500 Miles plays, but Lance makes a point of breaking into song if there is more than two consecutive minutes of silence.
They know they are getting close once Nessie shows up on every sign and concrete Nessie statues begin to appear. As they approach the Airbnb that they've booked for the night, they come to narrow roads, sided with stone walls. Keith pulls into a small car park beside the water and they walk down their shoes crunching on the gravel path. The water is murky and deep and while they can see across, it goes on for miles in either direction. The wind is strong and the sky is overcast again. The moment feels outside of time, and Lance can actually imagine an ancient creature beneath the swirling depths.
He shivers and leans into Keith, who leans back. They could be the only two people in the world right now, and Lance regards the other's profile feeling a sense of astonishment. He is marveling at where they were two short days ago versus right now. His superstitious nature hints that it is the magic of the Island, which makes him never want to leave. He finds himself nuzzling under Keith's jawline, that sensitive spot he promised himself he would investigate again. He feels Keith huff a laugh and feels warm despite the wind. Keith's arms wind around him and, as much as he wants to kiss the other man, this feels different. He turns into the hug wrapping himself around Keith's waist and is surprised to feel a surge of sentimental emotion. He blinks, as his eyes tear up. There are words he wants to say, even though it is way too early to say them. Instead he squeezes Keith tight, snuggling his head onto the other man's shoulder. Please stay, his heart whispers. I need you.
…
They find their way to the Airbnb and let themselves in using the code given by their hosts. Lance puts on the kettle for tea and Keith brings in their overnight bags and Red without Lance even asking. Keith has an acoustic guitar with him, and old Denver that was his father's. It isn't an expensive guitar but it has a sweet mellow sound. They aren't really hungry yet, given their late lunch and the quiet mood has followed them from their stop beside the Loch. Keith switches on the gas fireplace, and it fills the space with a warm glow.
Lance piles a bunch of pillows on the floor and sits in front of the fire with his tea. Keith lounges on the couch scanning his phone.
"Keef, come down here."
Keith stretches his legs out and rests his feet on Lance's legs.
"No, I mean actually come and sit with me down here."
Keith looks over the side of the couch as though he is looking over the edge of a cliff.
"Mmm comfy up here."
"Sooo, be comfy down here."
Keith drops another few pillows off of the couch, puts his tea on the coffee table and lowers himself down, sitting between Lance's legs. They adjust until they are both comfortable, Lance looking at Keith's phone over his shoulder, one arm wrapped around Keith's stomach, the other elbow resting on the couch.
"Watcha looking at?" Lance asks.
Keith adjusts slightly, bringing up the phone to show Lance. "Just trying to figure out the best plan for tomorrow."
"Mmm, look at you, all organized." Lance says, pressing his nose into Keith's shoulder and then neck, pressing a quick kiss to the pulse there. "What happened to the fly by the seat of your pants guy? Has he been abducted by aliens and fed to sea monsters." Lance teases. Keith hums and leans back into Lance's nuzzling.
"They have boat tours." Lance observes as Keith flips through one of the tourist sites. Keith shakes his head slightly. "Oh yeah, maybe we won't stick you on a crowded boat of other humans, where the only escape is the ice cold water." Lance says, his hand finding a small patch of skin between the bottom of Keith's shirt and the top of his jeans. His fingers play with the material absentmindedly, until Keith wiggles and catches his hand with his own. Lance grins, "Little ticklish there?" He asks with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
Keith anticipates his next move and spins out to face him, kneeling, trying to grab one of Lance's hands while holding on to his phone with the other.
"Lance, no." Keith laughs. "There's hot tea on the table and… my phone."
"Your phone?" Lance asks. "What's happening with your phone?" He says, moving his free hand into the general vicinity of Keith's ticklish spot causing him to jump reflexively. Keith is holding on to Lance's other hand, and they are struggling to each take the advantage.
Keith leans in and sneaks a quick kiss, distracting Lance enough to get his hand free and try to tickle Lance himself.
"That is cheating, and it also isn't going to always work." Lance says, using his free hand to pluck Keith's phone up and throw it, gently, to the couch. This turns out to be a mistake, because once his hand is free, Keith grabs both Lance's thighs and pulls them forward so he falls on his back, onto the pillows, laughing. Keith uses the opportunity to tickle Lance behind his knees, which even through denim is a particularly sensitive spot. In an act of desperation, Lance runs his hands up Keith's chest and pulls him downward by his shoulders and Keith falls forward, against Lance's chest.
Suddenly everything shifts.
Their bodies are pressed to each other in all the right ways. They stare into each other's eyes, gasping in little breaths. There is a moment where Lance just appreciates pink tinged cheeks and sparkling dark violet eyes before they are kissing. These are not the light playful kisses they have previously shared. These are desperate, needy kisses, with their hands running over each other grasping.
Lance's fingers move up gradually, from Keith's shoulders to his neck, before they tangle into his hair. He is demanding, tilting Keith's head just so, to deepen the kiss and feeling the shockwaves through his system fueled by the sounds of appreciation he hears from Keith. The other man is just as demanding, running his hand from behind Lance's knees, under his thighs to shamelessly grab his ass. He feels Keith adjust where their bodies touch and he sees white for a moment. He gasps and Keith's lips leave his to move along his jawline to the side of his neck.
"Mmmmm, babe." Lance finally gasps. "We okay?" Keith moves again and Lance can't help but push up to meet him as he swears he feels a nip of teeth on his collarbone.
Sweet heaven .
"I… uh… this seems…mmm… like… the opposite of… slow." Lance pants. Keith's kisses gentle along his shoulder, where the loose neckline of his shirt has been pulled to the side, but the kisses don't stop. Lance runs his hands up and down Keith's back.
"Hmmm… we're good." Keith murmurs against his skin, working his way back up to Lance's lips. "Clothes are on." He breathes before deepening the kiss. Lance gives himself over to the sensations and sounds Keith is making. He tries to remember the spots that cause the other man to gasp or squirm. But slowly the intensity wanes and the kisses become less desperate and more gentle. When Keith pulls back his lips are swollen and his hair is mussed, he looks soft and rumpled and Lance feels his heart squeeze.
"We should eat." Lance says finally, when they are lying snuggled in a messy pile of pillows, cold tea forgotten on the coffee table.
"I don't want to go out." Keith says, pressing his cheek to Lance's chest.
"There was a small grocery store, just at the turn off." Lance remembers. "We could make something."
Lance drags a reluctant Keith out to drive back to the small shop, where they find the fixings for tacos and some breakfast fixings. Back at the cottage, Keith fries up ground chicken with spices while Lance tackles the guacamole and chops lettuce and tomatoes. Keith surprises him by making a quick black bean salad with canned beans, corn, lime juice and some red onions.
In the end, it all feels very domestic, just the two of them cooking a meal together, eating, and cleaning up. They joke, Lance acting surprised that Keith actually knows how to feed himself, Keith suggesting Lance should only use sharp utensils with supervision. Over dinner they plan the next day. As they are cleaning up, Keith gets a call from Shiro checking in, and then his mother. Lance decides that he should take the opportunity to connect with his own family. He knows it is Abuela's Bingo night, and likely his Mom will be with her. He figures he will call the main house on the weekend. Instead, he dials Ronnie to see how things are going.
Veronica has just finished a very stressful day at work. She puts him on handsfree while she drives home. She is the guidance counselor and volleyball coach at the high school that they attended as kids. She doesn't get along with the principal, who isn't very progressive, and she isn't finding him helpful in dealing with the latest round of funding cuts and the current Don't Say Gay Bill that has her feeling frustrated and constrained in supporting her students. After hearing about her dreadful week, he shares what he has been up to, with obvious edits, but somehow his sister's interest is still piqued.
"Wait, wait, wait. You are traveling around Scotland with Keith? Just the two of you ?"
"Yeah." Says Lance, like it is no big deal. Because it is not a big deal. Even though it totally is. He isn't sure why everybody else is so invested.
"And..?'
"And what?"
"How many bedrooms are in the cottage?"
"Two." Lance answers simply.
"And you are using both of them?" Veronica checks.
"Yes, that is why we booked a two bedroom." Lance says as though any other accommodation would be unthinkable.
"And you are using them both for sleeping ? That is, you are sleeping in separate bedrooms ?"
"No, we are using one for field hockey. YES, of course we are sleeping in separate bedrooms. What is up with you ?"
"I just thought you two were finally getting your shit sorted out ." Veronica complains.
"Ya know, that is a funny choice of words…" Lance begins, but notices Keith, in his pajama bottoms, standing outside the threshold to his room. "Aaand on that note, I'm going to let you go, we've got a big day tomorrow."
"Okay little bro, love you, and please, do all the indecent things that you know would make me proud."
"KAY, BYE!" Lance says, his face burning. OMG why is his family like this?
Keith looks a bit uncertain standing there, and it is making Lance nervous.
"Can I come in?" The other man asks awkwardly.
"Sure." Lance says, pulling the clothes, cosmetics and other toiletries he had piled on the bed while chatting with his sister off to the side table so Keith can sit. He perches on the end of the mattress, and Lance is conscious of how far away he seems.
"Zat Veronica?" He asks, trailing his hand over patterns on Lance's bed spread, not looking up.
"Yeah, she is having a tough time with Iverson, the guy's such a dick wad, I don't know why she chose to teach there."
"Mm, he's not so bad, a bit old school, I mean, he was a principal before the internet existed, what does he know about kids today ."
"Those are generous words, didn't he suspend you like three times before you were a junior?" Unbelievably, despite tabloid claims about Keith being an unmanageable delinquent, as a teen, he had actually settled down a lot after joining the band.
"Mm," Keith shrugs, " We came to an understanding, eventually."
They sit in silence for a moment, nothing more to say on that topic.
"Was there.."
"I came to.."
They both start speaking at the same time.
"Go ahead." Lance encourages.
"Well, "Keith begins, blushing. "I am ready to crash and I just wanted to say good night."
The man is practically bashful, and Lance is melting. He has to curb his urge to tease, because Keith already looks like he might bolt. "Um, can I get a kiss goodnight?" Lance asks with a sly smile.
"That's kinda why I came." Keith says, giving his eyes a roll before looking up at Lance through his lashes. This is all too cute, and very unlike their previous interactions. Lance is delighted at getting to see these new sides to Keith. He crawls over to where Keith is sitting and considers how to proceed. All of their kisses to this point have been spontaneous or heated, but this all feels so innocent, and a bit awkward. Lance leans in and places a gentle, chaste kiss on Keith's nose before finding his lips. At first it is just soft, but when Keith's hand comes up to cup his face, Lance opens his mouth and Keith deepens the kiss. He feels the urge to let everything heat up, but also knows that they both need to take things slow, to feel this out, to build trust. He pulls back, and Keith doesn't chase his lips. Just smiles with his eyes, and whispers "G'night." His husky word vibrates through Lance's body and he just knows that he'll play it over in his head instead of sleeping tonight. Lance smiles, "Night Keith." He is gratified to see Keith's pupils widen slightly at his own edgy voice.
He watches the other man leave, and literally catches himself staring off into space for ten minutes before he shakes himself out of it and heads to the bathroom to do his nightly skin care routine.
…
"I want to get this one for Pidge." Keith says, holding up a green tee-shirt with a silhouette of Nessie in front of an orange setting sun, with the words Undefeated Hide-and-Seek Champion surrounding the image.'
Lance laughs, "It's perfect!"
"I'm going to get it in a large size. They like stuff baggy. Maybe they will wear it as pajamas."
While none of those sentences were phrased as questions, Lance gets the feeling Keith wants reassurance in his gift buying. "Good plan." Lance says, hiding his own shirt for Keith in his basket of other souvenirs.
This morning, they had taken the canoe at the cottage and paddled along the shore near to the private beach attached to their airbnb after having a breakfast of coffee and toast. It took a while to build confidence as Lance has no canoe experience. However, Keith is an expert, having gone on many portaging trips with his dad. Once Lance felt they were not going to flip into the icy cold water of the Loch, they paddled across to the ruins of Urquhart Castle for a while before heading back. While it was a great view from the water, and quite beautiful, they had no sea monster sightings to report thus far.
It was fun to chat with the locals. Everybody had a story. Their waiter at lunch, a tattooed young man with olive skin and brown eyes, said that his partner's 99 year old grandmother told stories about seeing the sea creature during her youth.
They packed up at the cottage, to check out before lunch, which was at Cameron's Tea Room. Lance insisted that they visit a well recommended local eatery in order to have something to report to Hunk about their meals. The two were now puttering through the attached shop, finding souvenirs for friends.
"Is there anything you want to do before we head out? We should leave by three, because we have to be at the Ferry forty five minutes before it leaves Ullapool." Lance says to Keith as they pay for their purchases.
"There is something I thought you might like." Keith says thoughtfully.
Lance is intrigued, but Keith is tight lipped as he leads him back to the car. They drive up the mountainous landscape a short distance and pull into a parking area with a sign that says Falls of Foyers beside an entrance to a hiking trail.
"Dude." Lance trying to hide his delight. "More walking?" He teases.
Keith shrugs, not taking the bait. "We could just stay in the car and make out." He offers.
"Don't tempt me." Lance says seriously as Keith climbs out of the driver's seat.
They follow a path with a wooden rail on the cliff side, into a forest, ferns carpeting the ground. It isn't long before Lance can hear the water, and he grasps for Keith's hand to ground himself. The path is quiet except for the sound of the falls, bird song, and the occasional hiker coming from the other direction. Very soon, they are walking through rocky outcrops. After twenty minutes or so, they arrive at a lookout and Lance gasps at his first view of the water coming through rocks. Impulsively he hugs Keith from behind, hearing the other man huff with laughter. "I thought you'd like it."
They hang around this spot for a few minutes, taking some pictures. Lance, who usually lets the marketing team handle his social feeds, snaps a rare selfie of him and Keith in front of the beautiful view and posts it with the caption, We didn't find a sea monster, but we did find a little piece of Heaven. He figures it is safe to share the location, since they are leaving Loch Ness soon, and aren't that well known in Scotland. When more people arrive, they head further down the path and find another beautiful spot. Lance gets some more pictures and leans against the metal barrier, feeling the spray against his face. The falls are beautiful down here, but loud.
They decide not to follow the trail further, nervous of being late to get to the ferry to Great Bernera. There is only one this evening and if they miss it, they will not be able to get to the studio until the next morning. But Lance lags just a little bit, waiting to be sure they are alone, he pulls Keith toward him gently, the other man coming willingly and meeting his smile, knowingly, sheepishly. There is no way he is wasting this romantic spot, and he wants to let Keith know how much he appreciates the gesture of bringing him here. Their kiss is soft, like the one the night before, but filled with longing. It is way too short.
There, with the sound of water rushing against Lance's ears, again he feels at sea, without mooring except for the man in his arms. There are so many questions about whether this can last outside of the bubble they are creating for themselves.
But that is all a problem for future Lance.
Right now, Keith is here, in his arms, and that is all that matters.
Keith, I was thinking about what you were saying the other day, about the different songs you are listening to with your friend. How it helps you express difficult things. This song makes me think of you. I hope it is okay I am sending it. XO
Idina Menzel, Perfect Story
Um. Thank you. It is okay. Actually it means a lot. XO
-K
Sorry to ask, but do you have a song that makes you think of my Dad? If so, I would like to hear it.
-K
Yes, this song always makes me think of him.
XO,
Kara
North, Em Gryner