ch. 15: Lance can't help the author think of a title so fuck it this is what you get
Lance yawns for probably the 50th time since they got up. He's basically got no sleep last night. Don't get him wrong, he loves sharing a bed with Hunk, the guy is the best big spoon a bro could ask for, but it just didn't feel right.
Felt like something was off the entire night.
If the bags and grumpy frown on Keith's face as they loaded up the van were any indication, he had the same problem. Which is odd because Lance spent basically half the night staring at Keith (simply because he was right across from him, of course) and the guy always seemed to be sleeping.
Maybe it was the mattresses.
Keith is definitely asleep now, though. His whole body pressed into a little ball in the corner of the back seat as they stop for gas. Lance looks back at the sleeping boy in envy. The middle seats are in no way shape or form built for sleeping.
"Lance, you look like shit." Pidge points out from her spot next to Keith, "Why don't we switch so you can take a nap, too?" She asks and his eyes light up.
"Oh my god, yes!" Lance exclaims, quickly switching with her and reaching into the trunk area behind him to grab a blanket.
His mom used to always say that any good parent keeps a blanket in the car for emergencies or just naps.
Guess she was right.
He makes quick work of covering himself, and Keith, too, since it's a large comforter, before settling in for a nap.
"Wha-? Pidge, why are you sitting there?" Shiro asks when he returns from grabbing some drinks inside, his eyes quickly finding their way to Lance in the very back. "Why did you switch?"
Lance gulps, too nervous to speak.
"Lance didn't sleep well, either, so he's taking a nap, too." Pidge offers and Shiro raises a brow.
"Either? Who else didn't sleep well?" Shiro asks and Pidge motions to the sleeping Keith, "Huh." He eyes Lance suspiciously, like somehow that's his fault.
It's been really weird with Keith's brother so far this trip. Granted, they didn't get off on the best foot, but ever since then Shiro seems to go back and forth between hating and liking him.
When they first met, the look Shiro gave him was absolutely terrifying, but he noticed as they were all heading inside Shiro's expression had shifted to a more resigned one.
Like, wasn't that him accepting this is how Lance and Keith interact?
He even started to tell stories about Keith to embarrass him, and Lance knows they were for him specifically. At one point Shiro even shot him a smile from the rearview mirror!
So why does it feel like the guy is teetering with Lance?
Maybe…
Maybe Shiro finds him to be annoying?
Probably. Most people do.
It sucks, too. He wanted so badly to get along with Shiro. He's heard so much about him from Pidge and Keith lately, the guy is honestly the coolest person ever.
Pidge told Lance about his stint in the army, trying to provide for him and Matt so they could start a life together. Even before their parents passed he was so mature and driven and capable!
Best brother material, best boyfriend material.
Lance wants to be like that someday.
Shiro honestly might be his hero, after everything he's heard. He stepped up to raising a teenage Keith, which couldn't have been easy, and if he is being completely honest Shiro did an amazing job. Keith can be weird, and a huge dick, but he's got a good heart and is smart and also cool so obviously Shiro fucking nailed parenting.
But, said hero goes back and forth on hating him, for some reason.
It sucks, but he's honestly too tired to dwell on it right now, so he curls up on his side of the back seat and tries to get some sleep himself.
Some-odd hours later Lance wakes up sprawled out in the backseat, with Keith sleeping sprawled out on him. He quickly looks to the others to make sure no one is looking, and to his surprise, no one is. Once that's covered he looks back down at the boy curled up on top of him, his arms around Lance's chest and his-holy shit he's drooling.
He couldn't sleep with his brother, apparently, but he's drooling on Lance's chest.
With literally anyone else that would be disgusting, yet here Lance is, finding it endearing in spite of himself.
His poor little bi heart can't take this shit.
A part of him kinda feels he should push Keith off and back into his corner, but the rest of him is tempted to go back to sleep.
It can't be awkward if he's asleep.
Look at Keith, after all. Guy's out fucking cold right now doesn't even know the meaning of awkward.
You can bet he will when he wakes up, though.
Lance lies there for a few more minutes, trying to figure out what to do, before deciding to get out his phone and text Hunk for help. Best not to bring attention to himself, after all.
Lance:
(1:30) HUNK! DON'T LOOK BACK HERE BC I DON'T NEED TO DRAW ATTENTION TO IT BUT KEITH AND I ARE KINDA
(1:30) UM…
Hunk:
(1:30) Laying on top of eachother, I know.
(1:30) We both know, I think Pidge recorded the progression.
Lance:
(1:31) HOW
(1:31) HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!?
Hunk:
(1:32) Well, you see, about ten minutes into your four hour nap
Matt took a sharp turn and Keith ended up toppling over
and leaning on you, then you sprawled out underneath him
and you guys ended up...like that. Shiro doesn't know, Matt
noticed but made sure not to tell him.
Lance:
(1:33) SO WHAT DO I DO!? DO I MOVE HIM? LET HIM SLEEP?
HE'S DROOLING, HUNK! DROOLING!
Hunk:
(1:33) Awwwwwww, but, also, kinda ew, bro.
(1:33) I'm sure he looks adorable right now,
and you don't want to do it, buuuuut ya
gotta move him. His brother is literally a
few feet away from you, man. He didn't
even want you two to just share a bed last
night, imagine how he will react to seeing
Keith, his baby brother, on top of you.
(1:33) Drooling.
(1:33) Self preservation, man.
Lance:
(1:34) I know, I know. It's just...really comfy? He didn't sleep well,
either, and I feel bad waking him up.
Hunk:
(1:34) This is all absolutely adorable, and I 100% approve
of you two cuddled up in the backseat all comfy and cute,
but I don't want a buff ex military tank of a man to murder my bro
for having his own baby brother wrapped around you. You know?
(1:35) I'm too old and set in my ways to find a new bro. I mean
Pidge is great and all, and so is Keith, but after his brother
murders you idk if I will be able to bring myself to see them.
Lance:
(1:35) I am both touched and appalled.
Hunk:
(1:35) Still gonna deny your gay ass feelings for the boy
literally on top of you, right now?
Lance:
(1:36) GOD DAMNIT HUNK NOT NOW
Lance feels movement from on top of him, which is so weird, and lowers his phone to see Keith stretching some. His eyes are still closed, but his face scrunches up in disgust when he feels his own drool. Being the totally aware person Keith is when he first wakes up, he goes to flip what he thinks is a pillow over, only to realize what he's on is much bigger.
With limbs.
His eyes immediately fly open and he sits up, straddling Lance's waist, to see said tortured boy smiling up at him awkwardly.
"Hey." Lance says quietly, to break the tension.
Being half-asleep Keith, he doesn't speak and instead quickly looks to see if anyone else is watching them. They aren't. So he gently moves back into his corner and slides Lance's legs away before taking the entire comforter and hiding in it.
Lance can't help the fond smile that comes to his face, Keith is almost like a cat when he's caught unaware, and it's adorable. The smile quickly drops, though, when he feels the cold wetness on his shirt. He looks down in disdain at the drool, all endearment lost when there is no Keith attached to it.
Maybe he can just take his shirt off?
His eyes travel to Shiro in the passenger seat and he frowns. Probably not, so he turns around to peak in the trunk and, thank god, easily finds his bag of clothes. He makes quick work on changing before buckling himself into his seat as quietly as he can so Matt and Shiro don't know he wasn't previously.
Almost immediately after he hears a muffled click from under Keith's blanket cocoon.
"So! Whose hungry!?" Matt asks, with suspiciously perfect timing.
"Oh my god, yes please." Hunk groans.
"Just anything but McDonalds this time." Pidge pleads and Matt taps his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmmmmmmmm...no McDonalds….so you want Burger King?"
"I will literally murder you." Pidge and Keith hiss, the latter poking his head out of the blankets to glare pure rage towards Matt, who laughs it off.
"Alright, alright, how about...oh! Dairy Queen!" He says, pointing to a Dairy Queen up ahead.
"Yeah, that's good." Pidge says and Keith nods.
"Hell of a lot better than McDonalds or garbage king."
The brunette girl turns around in her seat to grin at him, "Nice." She high fives the still groggy Keith.
"Hunk? Lance? You two good with DQ?" Matt asks.
"Absolutely." Hunk smiles and Lance nods.
"Yeah, DQ is pretty great."
They pull in quickly enough and decide to eat there. They've only reached Illinois, so it's still pretty cold, but Matt, Lance, and Pidge want ice cream so it's decided they will eat inside to keep the van from getting messy.
As decreed by Daddy Shiro.
They all get in line until Pidge dictates that Lance and Keith must find them a seat, saying her and Hunk will order for them. Luckily, it's pretty dead since it's ony 2 on a weekday, so they grab a booth at the very back corner and combine a smaller table with it for Shiro and Matt before sliding into different sides.
"Sorry for drooling on your shirt." Keith mutters and Lance shrugs.
"No problem. You must not have gotten any sleep last night to be so out of it, though."
The older boy grimaces, "Shiro is a scratchy blob of muscles that is too used to sleeping with Matt. I felt smothered."
Lance raises a brow, "Scratchy…?"
"You didn't see it, because he didn't get close enough before showering, but his stubble grows fucking fast and sharp." Keith groans and buries his face in his hands, "I used to love sharing a bed with him when we were little, sleeping back to back, but god damn he's too bulky and clingy now. There's no way in hell I'm sharing a bed with him again on this trip, he can sleep with his boyfriend like god intended."
Lance can't help but smile, "Oh? And who are you gonna sleep with?"
"Pidge, I guess." Keith shrugs before looking outside at the snow, "You know, this trip so far has been a lot less fun than last time." He mutters and Lance stares at him in shock.
"But...your brother is here."
"Yeah, but you and Hunk are being on your best behavior or whatever, I mean for god sake you wore a dress shirt yesterday." Keith sighs, "It's no fun when you guys are being reserved."
"Oh," Lance frowns, "But...what if your brother doesn't like us? Er, well, me." His frown deepens and he stares at the table, "Everyone likes Hunk, but I don't think he likes me."
"He likes you, Lance," Keith assures him, a confused look on his face, "But even if he didn't what would that matter? If he didn't like you we would only take him this once. It'd just be a few days with him. No problems." He shrugs, apparently genuinely thinking that's totally fine, "But, like I said, he does like you. I just don't think he knows what to make of you, yet."
"Not everyone likes me, you know." Lance points out and he can feel himself starting to sink into that oh-so familiar hole of self-doubt he likes to dig himself from time to time. Shiro's so cool of course he doesn't like a 'goofball' like Lance.
"Impossible!" Keith mockingly gasps, clutching at his chest, "My lord I simply do not believe it! An angel like you? What in tar-fucking-nation can someone find fault with?" He asks, his voice getting a hint of a southern accent to it, and Lance finds himself laughing.
Hard.
"What the hell, Keith!?" Lance manages through what can only now be described as giggles, at this point, "You're suspiciously good at that accent, Keith!"
Keith just smiles at him, his chin now resting in his hand, "Don't worry about it."
"The accent? Or your brother?" He teases and Keith laughs a little.
"Either. Don't worry about either of them." His voice is soft now, catching Lance off guard, "There's nothing about you to not actually like, Lance. I don't know why exactly Shiro is treating you differently from everyone else, but it's not because he doesn't like you."
Lance smiles back at him fondly for a moment, before a smirk slides into place, "Not gonna tell me about that southern accent, huh?" He asks and Keith's eyes go wide, surprised.
"Lance, wha-?"
"You must really not want me to know if you're willing to get all sentimental for a distraction."
Keith's face goes bright red, a look of pure horror on his face, "Lance, are you serious right now? I just-!"
"Hey guys!" Pidge calls, all grins as she practically bounces over to them with their meals, a suspiciously emotional Hunk following behind.
"What's with him?" Lance asks before Hunk sits next to him, looking at his best friend with an overly fond smile.
"You guys are just so cute."
Keith loses any color his pasty ass might have before looking at Pidge, "No."
"We ordered your food first," She explains before smirking at him, "Then came to watch the show."
"You little bi-!"
"Keith! You don't talk to Pidge like that!"Shiro scolds as they come with the rest of the food.
The raven haired boy groans, burying his face in his hands again, "Why is everyone I know so terrible?"
Lance looks over to him with a sympathetic smile for a second, before peaking to see Shiro staring at him with an unreadable expression.
"Everyone eat, we have a lot of road to cover."
"We've got, what, 14 hours left?" Matt asks, "That's not too much. Keith and I should be able to drive it today, right?" He grins over at the still lamenting Keith, who simply nods in his hands, "Yeah, see? We'll be fine."
"That means we'll be driving until, like, 6 am." Pidge points out, frowning, "I'm pretty sure you will need a third driver at some point. I would happily-"
"You probably can't reach the pedals. Vans are big, you know." Keith grumbles into his hands, earning an elbow to the side.
"If you could, you definitely couldn't see over the dashboard," Lance adds with a smirk, earning a muffled chuckle from Keith before the boy gives up on sulking and actually starts eating his food.
"Don't you clap at me, boi, just because your little boyfriend did it." Pidge teases and Lance looks her dead in the eyes for a moment before slapping his hands together in the loudest clap he can muster, "Oh, you're a dead-ass bitch now, Lance."
"Fucking fight me you over-sized gremlin." He grins at her when he notices the almost relieved look that comes over her face.
Apparently both of them weren't fond of him being so reserved.
"Oh shit," Matt breathes out, amusement written all over his face as he watches the two of them, "I think I love this Lance kid." He pats Hunk's back, "And, of course, my new tech bro." His grin falls on Keith, "You two chose excellent friends."
"Well, Pidge technically chose them," Keith shrugs, "I just agreed with her decision."
The rest of lunch follows a more normal routine for the four of them, Keith and Hunk calmly eating their food, chatting peacefully with Shiro and Matt while Lance and Pidge come up with increasingly colorful ways to insult each other between bites of their own meals.
"You, sir, are the Dr. Pepper of the soda world!" Pidge exclaims and Lance lets out probably the longest and loudest gasp he ever has because how fucking dare!
"Oh you take that back you little-!"
"Okay! Enough!" Shiro groans, shooting a tired look past Pidge to Keith who is now casually eating a chocolate ice cream cone, "Is this how all of you interact?"
Keith shrugs, "Everyone but our sunshine mascot, Hunk."
"I worry about you," Shiro frowns, "I really do."
"Shoulda worried about me when I decided to start chasing ghosts," Keith deadpans, "But, I mean, whatever gets you there I suppose."
Shiro looks like he wants to say something, but decides to drop it and turns his attention to Lance, "So are you going to tell us anything about this place before we get there?"
"Nope." The brunette grins, "Can't do it until we start filming. It's part of the magic."
"He gets super into telling the story," Keith sighs, "It takes, like, twenty minutes. Trust me, you only wanna hear it once."
"Watch it, mullet." Lance warns and Keith smirks.
"Bring it on, pretty boy." He teases before a look of horror quickly comes over both of their faces.
Wait.
Wait.
WHAT!?
A/N: Fucking fuck man I have writers block something fierce and all I wanna do is talk about Voltron and Klance but I have like two people to talk to and they both have lives, as one does, so like if you wanna gush over Voltron or Klance with me too HMU on instagram at Pidgedkt or the voltron or klance amino at PidgeyOS.
*Cough* Anyways, this was supposed to have like...like...stuff like...things in different towns they go through but instead it was just Lance and Keith being really fucking gay together bc life is stressful and I needed fluff. Also, I read the fucking Klible (yeah it's ACTUALLY real who knew? probably all of you) and like I don't give any credence to those 'why klance is actually endgame' things bc like nah man that shit never happens especially with two MALE leads, but that fucker changed my mind from it being a 0/100 chance to being like probably 30/100 chance which is a BIG rise for me, anyways, it's long as fuck but you should check it out.