A/N: I began this entire series (starting with "You Like My Cooking") long before the reveal that Shiro is gay. Prior to that canon reveal, I shipped him background (if needed) with Allura because I honestly thought they had good chemistry in the first couple of seasons. I established early on in this series that they were a couple. I couldn't just change that, though I respect that Shiro is canon gay. I would never turn a gay character straight knowingly. I have changed it enough in this series that Shiro is bisexual and had a relationship with Adam in the past.

Chapter 1 - Murder Was Never on My Mind

They were curled into their usual spooning position, something they'd naturally settled into over the past four weeks of sharing Keith's bed. Red purred in contentment at their feet, the sound drowning out Keith's soft and deep breaths that Lance had learned indicated he was far gone into his dreams. Lance wondered how Red would handle being alone for the next two weeks, though Keith assured him that the majestic feline would be fine. The cat sitter was well versed in caring for Red's needs, though Red barely acknowledged her.

Still, Lance worried over him. However, Keith said Red hated car trips and nearly broke Keith's ear drums with his wailing on the move to Altea. Keith didn't want to traumatize him with another ride in the car. The rides to the vet were bad enough. Lance had to reluctantly agree, as he accompanied Keith on a checkup this week and Red yowled his displeasure the entire three-point-five miles to the clinic.

He willed himself to sleep. Keith wanted to get up early the next morning to leave for his home. It would be a nearly four hour drive and he hoped to be there by noon, so he'd hustled Lance to pack before they went to sleep. Focusing on packing his clothes and his toiletries allowed Lance to push aside his negative thoughts for the time being.

Until they crawled into bed. Keith drifted off easily enough. He didn't ask for anything more intimate than the loving kisses they gave each other, claiming he wanted to get to sleep as soon as possible. They'd stayed up late doing laundry and packing – waiting for the ancient dryer in their complex to finish their colors. Lifting his head slightly, Lance saw the time turn from 1:46am to 1:47am. He really should get to sleep, but his thoughts would not calm down.

This whole thing with Shiro and Pidge was tearing him up. He simply didn't understand what he was doing wrong. He knew he had insecurities. This wasn't news to anyone, including himself. In spite of that, however, Lance did consider himself a likable person. A bit much, honestly, but likable.

He got it. They were mad at Keith, but this situation was ridiculous. He understood why they naturally blamed him. He winced, thinking of the first impression he made on Shiro - slightly tipsy at the Pickle Festival where he let his nerves get the better of him.

"You're dating a child."

He didn't think words had ever hurt him so much in his life. Even Brad never said something like that. No, Brad was more subtle, eating away at his confidence bit by bit with his backhanded compliments and sly insinuations.

Lance knew how he was. Childish could be a good word to describe him, he supposed. He always took it as a compliment. He didn't think having the heart of a kid - open, trusting, and loving - was a bad thing. Sure, those qualities usually hurt him in his love life, but he thought he found, in Keith, an appreciation of his personality.

His stomach turned at the memory of how the phrase made him feel. Spoken in such a harsh way by the brother of the man he loved. The spike of ice freezing his heart and flipping his brain to insecure mode – scared him as he gripped his martini glass in suddenly numb fingers. Scared Keith was going to reply, 'You know what? I am. Don't worry, I'll break it off.'

He knew how dumb it was to think that. Keith never gave him any indication remotely hinting at being unhappy. He seemed to love Lance just as Lance was. Sure, Lance thought, nuzzling his nose into his sleeping boyfriend's hair, he hadn't said it yet. Lance felt as if Keith loved him.

He was positive there was a good reason Keith hadn't said it. Positive.

Like.

He couldn't think of a reason.

It wasn't 'too soon' anymore.

They'd been together for almost a couple of months. Granted, Lance usually said it within the first week, but Keith apparently didn't think along those lines.

Yeah, they were practically living together. Surely, Keith wouldn't give him a key to his apartment if he didn't love Lance, would he?

No. Surely not.

They'd fooled around too. Keith hadn't come right out and said it, but he seemed to view sexual stuff as Lance viewed it. Lance only ever wanted that with 'the one'. The person he thought of as his soulmate. Someone he felt a deep and emotional connection with. Someone he truly loved.

It's why he was inexperienced. He knew, subconsciously, all those guys he dated before - he hadn't loved them.

He loved Keith. It was different with Keith. On the first day when he came begging, he knew that no one had ever loved him, and no one could ever love him, as Keith did. It's why he was oh-so-willing to touch Keith when he asked. If Keith was like him, he wouldn't ask Lance to touch him unless he too thought Lance was his soulmate.

Lance thought they were two young men saving themselves for the love of their lives.

But he hadn't said it.

Lance wanted to say it and fought down the impulse he had every night since they started bed sharing. Shaking Keith awake and stammering out those words while stroking Keith's cheek, staring into his beautiful and sleepy eyes, baring his soul.

He couldn't bring himself to do it.

Lance was excited about the idea of love. He loved love. Wanted so much to be in love and have the happy endings he ate up with all the rom coms he forced Hunk and Shay to watch with him. Dating was an adventure, he felt, and he'd get so excited when going out with a new person. Especially if they were nice to him and seemed to like him back. The 'I love you' would pop out of his mouth on the second date. Or after a week of hanging out, finally kissing at his dorm room door after being walked home. 'I love you!' Sometimes he got an 'I love you' back. Mostly not. He always said it first.

He thought he knew why he couldn't say it to Keith. He knew…knew…Keith was a forever thing. If he didn't screw it up. He loved Keith with every atom in his being. Keith was everything he wanted, everything he'd dreamed about, his entire life. Just the thought of Keith – his smile, his eyes, his laugh, the way Keith's hand settled gently on his hip when they stood together, the taste of his tongue, the soft and breathy moans the couple of times Lance had touched him, his kindness, his sense of humor – Lance could spend hours cataloguing Keith's awesomeness.

It might not make sense, but because he loved Keith, he couldn't say it to him. He didn't want it to be like those others. He hadn't meant them. The stammered confession too soon exposed his enthusiasm and excitement to be with someone…until the point where the excitement fizzled out and the enthusiasm turned to reality from lukewarm responses. The couple of guys who'd said they loved him turned into relationships that were nothing like his relationship with Keith. Now, Lance knew what love really was. Not fireworks sparked from kisses. It was caring and concern and slow smiles and inside jokes and watching movies with a cat on your lap. It was everything he'd found with Keith.

He dwelled on the memory of the karaoke night when a drunk Keith almost confessed. Lance stopped him because he didn't want it like that. As much as he longed to hear Keith say it, he couldn't bear the thought of Keith saying it without knowing he was. It was almost as bad as the guys who'd said it before just to say it back - without truth behind it.

He sighed, his breath stirring Keith's hair. The pliable body in front of him shifted slightly, though Keith didn't wake up. He wasn't aware Lance stayed awake most nights behind him, reveling in the warmth and coziness Keith gave off. Warmth not needed in these hot summer nights with only a fan to cool their skin.

His mind raced, slowed down, tumbled over, and raced again. Constant thoughts of you're not good enough...Keith's brother hates you...Keith's best friend hates you...Keith is going to dump you after this visit...you're not worthy of his love...those thoughts would not leave or let go.

The tears came, as they did every night this week. Hot drops slipping over the bridge of his already flushed nose and temple. Soaking the pillow he shared with Keith. Dampening the fringes of Keith's hair. He bit his lips and pressed them together to keep the sobs inside. He did a good job. Keith never knew.

Tomorrow he'd have to face Shiro and Pidge.

"We seriously need to take a longer road trip some day," Lance declared, unable to stop the yawn that felt like it split his aching head. His bare feet rested on the dash in front of him, legs bent. He wanted to tilt his seat back and sleep, but he knew it would annoy Hunk.

"I'm game," Keith said, sparing a quick glance at Lance from the driver's position.

"Four hours is not enough to get the real 'road trip' vibe, you know?"

"You really want us to be stuck in a car with you for more than four hours?" Hunk asked. "Dare I remind you of our trip out here from Miami? By the time we got to California, all of us wanted to kill each other. Even Shay."

"Murder was never on my mind," Shay said with amusement. "Causing the two of you severe pain and suffering, maybe, but never murder. I wouldn't want to ruin my rep."

"Shay!" Lance cried, looking over his shoulder. "I never once wanted to hurt either you or Hunk on that trip."

"Then maybe the problem was you?" Keith suggested, getting a laugh from both members of the back seat.

"Hardly!" Lance said, frowning. "I was a perfectly quiet and considerate passenger in the back seat."

Hunk snorted and Keith shook his head. "I find that a little hard to believe," Keith said.

Lance crossed his arms in front of his chest and put on his best pout, which usually worked on Keith, but Keith was unrepentant. He simply gave Lance one of those half-lidded smirks Lance could not resist. Not fair. Keith usually was weak for Lance's pouts and puppy dog eyes, but there were times he could resist and give Lance the expressions that made Lance weak. Both of them learned early on how to get their way, and while Lance tended to use his powers more often, when Keith used his Lance definitely could never stay mad or say no.

"Keith," he explained patiently, "I generously kept both Hunk and Shay entertained with a medley of show tunes and current hits. You know I have a great voice, so I was really doing them a favor. Driving that far is tiresome, so I felt I had to help the time pass in an enjoyable way."

"Ok, the first hour was fine, Lance," Hunk said. "But, after three hours of the songs from Cats and Rent, we were done."

"You don't appreciate fine culture," Lance sniffed.

"We appreciate just fine. In doses."

"Actually, another road trip wouldn't be a bad idea now we have Keith to distract him," Shay said, looking at Hunk.

"True," Hunk agreed. "Maybe we can go back to Miami next summer, or pick a random state to visit. I've always kind of wanted to see Wyoming."

"I like it," Keith said. "Anytime he starts trying to sing, I'll just kiss him and shut him up. I would love to go back to Miami with you guys."

"Nice!" Lance huffed, turning his head to look out his window, mostly to hide the little blush creeping up his cheeks. That Keith thought Miami was a good idea meant many things. First, he obviously planned to be around next summer. Even without the official declarations of love to each other, Keith apparently felt it enough to stay with him. Second, Keith wanted to visit his home, which meant he wanted to meet his family. Meeting family was a big deal and spoke of commitment to the relationship. Which made him realize they were on their way to meet Keith's family. He hadn't thought about it that way yet – that it was another step to commitment.

He wondered if Keith thought about it that way. The thought Keith might think it made Lance's stomach churn, bile rising in his throat. He'd already made a bad impression on Keith's loved ones. He'd probably continue making a bad impression. This could be the end of things with Keith.

He felt fingers brush his thigh and he looked over at Keith, who glanced again from the road to give him a little loving smile. Lance smiled back and felt the bile retreat and a slight relief to his panic. He reached over to hold Keith's hand as he drove.

"See? It worked. And Keith didn't even have to kiss him!"

"HUNK!" Lance shouted, happy they thought his quiet was merely because of Keith. After a moment, he asked, "Can we get coffee?"

"You had coffee already this morning."

"I need more, Keith."

"You don't usually drink coffee, do you?" Keith asked.

Lance shrugged. "Oh. You know," he replied, trying for an airy tone. "We were up late packing and I didn't get enough beauty sleep." It wasn't exactly a lie.

"We were in bed by eleven, sweetheart. That should have been enough sleep." Another quick glance. "You sure you're okay?"

"Peachy, Babycakes!"

The nickname was enough to get Keith out of that particular train of thought. "No to the Babycakes thing," he deadpanned while Shay and Hunk laughed.

"Almost there," Keith mentioned, which roused Hunk from the doze he had fallen into and jump-started Lance's heart so that it started racing wildly. They were almost there. Almost to meeting Keith's family and friends. Almost to being judged harshly by a protective older brother. Almost to being dumped by Keith because he made a horrible impression on the important people in his life.

As if he could read his mind, Keith squeezed his hand, which he still held, though he let it go after the brief pressure in order to maneuver the car into the right lane. "Don't be nervous," he murmured quietly.

"I can't help it," Lance admitted. "This is, like, the most important day of my life. What if Shiro does hate me? What if Pidge hates me? I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me, even if every single person in my life hated you. Which they won't. Trust me. Shiro, Pidge, Matt, and Allura are gonna love you. I know they will once they get the chance to meet you."

Lance felt a comforting pressure on each of his shoulders. Hunk's heavy hand rested on his right and Shay's light touch rested on his left. They didn't say anything, but he knew the gesture meant they were both here for him. He immediately felt better, though his nerves were still keyed up. He wondered if this was why Keith invited them along. Did Keith know, even then, Lance would be an emotional mess during this trip and would function better with something familiar to him? He wouldn't put it past Keith to be so thoughtful. It was one of the things he loved about Keith. There was no doubt Keith liked Hunk and Shay as well and wanted them with them on this trip because they were an awesome pair, but it was possible Keith invited them to help him.

The hands withdrew silently and Lance straightened up in his seat as he eagerly looked out the window to take in the sights of Keith's hometown. The boringly named Garrison City was four hours north of Altea in the northern California mountains and proved to be much more interesting than its' name. It was a small town with a small private university, which Keith said was the major draw of the town. Garrison University was where Keith got his art degree.

It was admittedly beautiful in the mountains, though Lance was more of a coastal person. The views here were spectacular and they were close enough to the ocean to get a glimpse of it from the crest of a hill, far away in the distance. "I never thought I'd like trees this much."

Keith chuckled. "I guess if you're used to palms this can be a bit much. But yeah, it's gorgeous around here, for sure."

They drove past the sprawling university, though it wasn't nearly as large as Altea's university. It was a pretty campus, though, and Keith pointed out buildings of interest. The dorm he lived in the first year, the arts building, the rec center where he ran cross-country for the university team. Lance eagerly took everything in; memorizing these slices of Keith's life fate cruelly made him miss.

They were soon past, however, and entered the downtown area. It was utterly charming with shops and restaurants, bustling with activity, and looked like a picture-perfect small town ordered out of a catalog. "Tourists," Keith grunted. "We get them every summer. Thankfully not as much as some of the towns closer to the coast, but enough. They're a necessary annoyance. I spent too many summers working as a waiter downtown and dealing with them."

"Which restaurant?" Hunk asked curiously.

Keith gestured to a modest little eatery as they drove past. "Coran's," he said. "Coran was awesome to work for, he's Allura's uncle. That's how she and Shiro met. He worked there for a couple of summers. Of course Shiro did a great job, but, customer service is not my forte." They all laughed and Lance did have a hard time picturing Keith as a waiter.

"I didn't know you were a waiter," Lance said, grinning at him.

Keith shrugged. "I imagine you're going to find out a lot about me these two weeks."

"Oh my god! Photo albums?" he asked eagerly. "I can't wait to see baby Keith!"

"Jesus," Keith hissed. "Maybe this was a bad idea. I knew I should have burned those pictures a long time ago."

"No!" Lance cried. "It is now the only thing I want in life. To see your pictures. I didn't even think about the fact that I might get baby Keith pictures on this trip!"

"I am sort of looking forward to it myself," Shay agreed. "I'm sure you were a cute baby, Keith."

"Oh fuck," he muttered as he made what would be the last turn into a small neighborhood.

Keith's childhood home was a modest little ranch style house on a street full of similar homes approximately a mile from the downtown area. He had told Lance, at one point, that the house was his grandparent's house, who had left it to his father, who in turn left it to him and Shiro. Lance saw that the yard was landscaped nicely and kept neat, something Keith had said that Shiro loved to do. Add to the fact that Allura had a way with flowers, it was hands down the nicest property on the block. Keith gestured toward the end of the street and said that Pidge and Matt's house was down there, though Matt now lived on the coast and Pidge lived on campus at Garrison.

They pulled into the driveway and parked behind a minivan. The front door opened as Lance unhooked his seatbelt. He grit his teeth and mentally assured himself that everything would be fine. 'Here we go,' he thought.