Chapter 3 - Believe Me, Allura is Pissed at Him

Sunday was a quiet day. Keith got up early to get in the shower, murmuring to Lance to stay in bed. Lance did until Keith came back in the room. As Keith dressed, Lance sat up and stretched his arms above his head, then swung his legs off the futon to the floor. Keith eyed him suspiciously, and Lance knew it was because normally it would take much more than this to get Lance out of bed.

As he stood, Keith asked, "What're you doing up, sweetheart? You can sleep in. It's Sunday."

Lance shrugged, retrieving the clothes for today from the dresser. "Thought I'd get an early start. You're up early."

"I want to make breakfast for all of us. But seriously, you can get back in bed."

"I can help you," Lance insisted. In reality, he didn't want Shiro to think him lazy and someone who lounged around in bed all day while Keith worked hard.

"You really don't have to. It's your vacation."

"It's yours too," Lance said, barely keeping it from being snappish. Instead, he gave Keith a smile before he went out into the hallway, praying he wouldn't run into Shiro.

His luck held, because all was quiet from Shiro and Allura's bedroom. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Lance went into the bathroom for the quickest shower he'd ever taken. Showers were almost a religious experience for him. He loved long, hot showers, luxuriating in the process and the warm water. He liked to take his time with his skin and hair care, as well as his manscaping to stay smooth. He felt, however, Shiro would look at him as a vain, stuck-on-himself fuckboy if he indulged himself as usual, so quick shower it was.

Keith looked up, surprised, as Lance entered the kitchen dressed and ready to go. "I thought you were taking a shower?"

"I did," he answered, not meeting Keith's eyes. "What can I do to help?"

Keith stared at him for a few moments, large frying pan drooping from his hand. "Uh, cut the peppers? I'm making omelets."

"Oh good!" Lance said, trying for enthusiasm, but he could hear how flat his voice sounded. "I love your omelets, Keithy!"

Keith pointed the pan at the vegetables waiting on the breakfast counter. "There's a cutting board next to the fridge, and the knives are over there next to the sink." Keith laid the pan on the stove, added a little oil to it, then turned on the burner. "So, that was a quick shower," he commented in a neutral tone, directing the statement to the eggs he started whisking.

"Oh, I know there's six of us here. I didn't want to use all the hot water."

Keith hummed.

"You know, Keithy, I'm generous like that."

"Right."

They worked in silence, having become used to preparing food together. Even though now Lance had to have Keith point out where things were, they still moved about in an easy rhythm, as they did everything. 'Would we work so well in sync if we didn't love each other?' Lance thought. He doubted it. He repeated that to himself over and over in his head until Hunk and Shay made their way into the kitchen.

"Good morning!" Keith said, brightly. "Sleep well? Allura's really done the guest room up nice since she's moved in here."

"I slept great!" Shay said, settling into one of the stools at the breakfast bar, across from Lance's vegetable chopping production.

"I could have helped with breakfast, Keith," Hunk chided him.

"You're a guest, Hunk," Keith said, glancing over his shoulder at Hunk.

"I'm family," Hunk countered, settling into the stool next to Shay. He reached over for a bite of the tomato Lance was currently chopping. Lance brandished the knife at him.

"No sneaking food, Hunky."

Shiro walked in, looking like death warmed over, and, with a small mutter of a "G'mornin'", headed straight to the Keurig.

"Shiro can't function without coffee," Keith commented as he poured the egg mixture into the hot pan. "He's basically a zombie until he's had some. Don't be offended pre-coffee. When he's an asshole after coffee, you can be offended."

Lance froze as Keith said it, so nonchalantly, but with a hidden insult to his brother. Shiro made a noise between a grunt and a growl in response, but Lance stood paused in his veggie chopping, the knife stilled in his hands. He glanced up at Hunk and Shay across from him, who looked back at him with frowns.

Hunk cleared his throat, aware of the sudden tension across Lance's shoulders. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

Keith poked at the omelet in the pan. "I thought I'd give you the grand tour of town. The Holts invited us for Sunday dinner," he replied. "Colleen is a great cook. Her lasagna is to die for."

"Oh, good!" Lance said, trying to put some brightness in his tone. "I love lasagna. Hunk makes the best I've ever had, but I'm more than happy to cheat on him with Mrs. Holt's!"

"I don't know if I should be offended or not," Hunk teased.

"Don't worry, Hunky. I'd never prefer someone else's lasagna to yours. My heart belongs to your lasagna." Banter with Hunk worked to steady his nerves.

"What if Keith made it?" Shay asked slyly.

"O-oh that's not fair, Shay!" Lance cried as Keith laughed. "I could never betray Hunk. But…boyfriend."

"I say it calls for a lasagna-off," Shay decided. "We'll have Keith and Hunk make lasagna and see which is better."

"I couldn't do that to Lance," Keith said, startling Lance at his proximity. He'd moved over to take the green peppers and tomatoes from Lance for the first omelet. First, he slipped an arm around Lance's waist and kissed him on the cheek. "I mean, how could I help to break Hunk's heart when Lance has to vote for me?"

"Oh, that's how it is?" Hunk said, sounding as threatening as Hunk could sound (not very). "You're on, buddy."

"We can make it fair. If we do it here, everyone can vote secretly on them and Lance wouldn't have to reveal his betrayal," Shay suggested.

"That's fair," Keith said, grinning at Hunk. "I'm game if you are?"

"You can count on it."

"As long as Colleen isn't competing," Keith said, returning to the stove to finish up. "How do you like your omelet, Shay?" Lance watched him move back to the stove, admiring the way his ass looked in his shorts. He caught Shiro's stare, however, and swallowed. Shiro was so quiet Lance forgot he was there. Shit. He turned back to his task.

"Cheese and ham, if you have it," she answered. "You know I'm not fancy. Well, if we're having lasagna tonight, we should do the lasagna-off next week."

"What's this about a lasagna-off?" Allura's cheerful voice perked them all up as she seemed to float into the kitchen, looking as bright as the sunshine coming through the window. "And good morning!"

They all returned her greetings, and Shay told her about the proposed lasagna duel, which delighted Allura. "I know Keith is a good cook, and Lance gushed about Hunk so much last night, I can't wait! I hope you invite the Holts."

"I don't know if I want Mrs. Holt to judge me," Hunk said, quirking a small, shy smile. "If she's the best, I certainly don't want her judging."

"You've got nothing to worry about, Hunky," Lance assured him, dumping the last of the ham he was dicing into a bowl. "You've got this."

"Nice support, sweetheart," Keith called from the stove.

"You know I support you, Keithy. You'll beat Hunk," Lance replied, while shaking his head at Hunk and pointing his knife to his best friend, mouthing "you'll win" to him.

Allura was laughing at their banter, while Shiro leaned against the counter, lifting his mug to his lips and watching with a neutral expression. Lance hoped it wasn't because of him, but because of the coffee thing Keith mentioned. Allura poked Shiro in the side to move him over so she could get to the Keurig. He took a sidestep with a grumpy face. "Didn't you offer coffee to anyone, hon?" she asked, giving him a look.

"Anyone want coffee?" he asked, deadpan.

Allura shook her head and happily made coffee for Hunk and Shay, then marshaled them all into setting the dining room table for breakfast. Keith kept busy at the stove, making omelets special ordered for everyone, and soon they were all joined together to enjoy the delicious meal.

Allura was a master at making people feel at ease, Lance found. She certainly made him feel better. She and Shay got along swimmingly, and chatted like two old friends. Shiro remained mostly quiet, as did Lance, but Keith and Hunk compared notes on the way they made lasagna and teasingly challenged each other in a way that had Lance smiling.

Sunday was a better day. Lance felt a certain amount of relief, because he, Keith, Hunk, and Shay spent the majority of the day on their own. Keith took them on a drive around Garrison City, showing them all the places of his childhood, his schools, his university, as well as some of the local sites tourists flocked to, particularly the national forest trails he and Shiro hiked every year.

"If you still want to, we can go camping for a couple of nights next week," Keith said. "Not here," he added, gesturing to the overcrowded campground where they parked. "There's a lake about ten miles northwest where we like to camp. It's more peaceful and further away from town, so not many people like to make the trek."

Camping did sound nice to Lance, tucked into a tent with Keith, but he knew Keith mentioned it to Shiro a couple of weeks ago, so the plan was for all of them to go, including Pidge's brother, Matt. Another potential person to hate Lance. He shook his head. He shouldn't think along those lines.

It was strange because his emotions swung from being hurt to determination. Keith, Hunk, and Shay were right. He was an awesome person. He was fun and compassionate, and he knew Shiro and Pidge should have no complaints on how he treated Keith. In fact, his main concern about the whole situation wasn't exactly how he felt; he was more worried Keith would be hurt. He believed Keith when he said he wouldn't leave him, but should this go on, it would still hurt Keith to be forced away from his brother and best friend.

Besides, Allura liked him, as did Coran. If they did, Shiro wasn't putting much stock into his own girlfriend's opinion, or Coran's, an old friend. Would they like him so much if they had bad character judgment? Not likely. There had to be more to this, and he hoped Keith would get to the bottom of it. He wasn't one to question Keith, but why hadn't Keith addressed this already?

Hunk had offered to talk to Pidge about her problem with Lance, but Lance had squashed that idea right away. Hunk had gotten along really well with Pidge the day before, and Lance didn't want to do anything to interrupt them becoming friends, though he knew, should this continue, Hunk wouldn't pursue a friendship. Lance simply didn't want to make things worse and hoped Pidge (and Shiro) would work out their own problems.

Overall, Lance enjoyed Garrison City, mostly because he loved hearing the little snippets of Keith's life growing up here. The park he played in as a kid ("Endlessly playing catch with Shiro."). The elementary school where Cindy Lippmann tried to kiss him on the monkey bars when he was seven ("Even then, I knew girls weren't for me."). The small farm where he worked every summer picking strawberries during strawberry season ("Money I could spend at Garrison City Festival at the end of summer!"). The skateboard park where he attempted tricks on Shiro's old skateboard ("Not my best phase, for sure, if a broken arm was any indication…" "Oh, Keithy…my little emo skater boi!").

"I didn't realize I had so many memories here," Keith commented as he turned down the street toward his home.

"Well, you did live here all your life, Keithy," Lance reasoned. "That's a lot of years of memories."

"Are you calling me old?"

"You're much older than me."

"Lance…" Hunk said.

"By a year, ass," Keith said.

"Three hundred and sixty-five days, Keith. A long time."

"Not even. You were born, uh…" Lance watched him count by tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "Around nine months after me."

"What time should we be at the Holts?" Shay asked.

"Colleen said around five," Keith said, pulling into the driveway and shutting off his car. "I'm excited for you to meet them. They are literally the nicest and coolest people on the planet."

"Good. I'm looking forward to it," Shay said as she opened to the door to get out.

Lance didn't add anything. He was nervous, of course, because this was Pidge's family. What if Pidge had already soured their opinion of him?

Why had he worried?

The Holts were an absolute delight.

Colleen, Pidge's mom, gushed over Lance after a tight and long hug. She babbled at how happy she was to meet him and how happy she was that Keith finally found someone, and someone smart no less – a scientist like herself. She welcomed Hunk and Shay as warmly, pulling them all into the modest ranch home similar to Keith's.

The layout was similar, at least. Colleen's decorating choices were much more stylish and modern.

Sam's welcome was just as warm. The hugs weren't as tight or long, but as heartfelt as his wife's. He mentioned wanting to pick Lance's brain on his marine biology knowledge and hear about his Master's thesis. At least Pidge told her parents that much. She must not have painted him as a complete asshole or idiot as he had feared. Another mystery to add to his pile.

Colleen led them into the dining room where a heavy and dark oak table weighted down the floor. Matching sideboard and hutch completed the look that was out of place with the rest of the house. "It's my grandmother's furniture," Colleen explained, laughing at the look on her guest's faces. "Somehow it got passed to me when she died. It's from Italy."

"Everyone said you make the lasagna to end all lasagna's," Hunk said. "I'm looking forward to it."

"And Allura told me you want to do a lasagna-off next week," Colleen replied, a mischievous twinkle in her eye which made her look years younger than she was. "Only I'm not allowed to compete," she added with a little offended huff.

"It'd be no competition then, Colleen," Keith said, grinning. "Hunk and I want a sporting chance."

She seemed pleased at the compliment and gestured to the table. "Have a seat and try to get comfortable on these ancient chairs," she invited. "Sam, take care of drinks while I get the lasagna out."

Two buckets of ice sat on the sideboard chilling bottles of a white wine that Sam assured them went with the lasagna perfectly. He poured out for everyone and Lance hesitated once again. A look from Keith decided him. He accepted the glass but promised himself to drink only one. It shouldn't make him too loopy or happy. It might, however, take the edge off.

Shiro hadn't really spoken to him that day, even while they were getting ready. Lance dressed quickly and found himself in the kitchen to get water when Shiro walked in. He greeted Lance as he dug through the cupboards for something, but said little else. Lance responded to his greeting brightly, hoping to be invited into a conversation, but Shiro retrieved whatever he was looking for and walked out again.

Pidge had said hello to him when they got to her house, but it was a cold greeting with no inflection of warmth to it. It was, in fact, dismissive and distant. He ground his teeth together, determined not to let it get to him. Especially after the wonderful greeting from her parents. He knew Keith hadn't talked to them, so they had to know about him through Pidge or Shiro.

The lasagna was huge, hot, and bubbly and made all of their mouths water as Colleen gently plunked it on the table in front of Sam. "You get the honor of doling out pieces, dear," she said, giving him a little kiss on the top of the head. "Lucky you."

"The first piece is the hardest," he agreed, taking up a knife and the spatula. "Corner piece, Lance?" he asked as Colleen tossed her oven mitts onto the sideboard.

"Uh…um, yes, please…" he stammered out, surprised to be asked.

"Guests come first," Sam saw, cutting into the pasta dish.

He doled out pieces to Lance, Hunk, and Shay first, then the rest of them. The pieces Sam gave out were huge, barely leaving room for the salad. Lance drew in a deep breath, savoring the rich smell of oregano, parmesan, tomato, and garlic. It was overwhelming and looked too good to eat, but they all soon dug in.

Lance sat next to Keith, across from Colleen with Sam on his right. Away from Shiro and Pidge, and confidence boosted by the kindness of the Holt parents, he smiled at Colleen after his first bite. He slid his glance quickly to Hunk, next to Colleen, and said with a sly tone, "I never thought I'd say anyone could beat Hunk, or my Mamá's cooking, but…" he looked down at his lasagna, "I stand corrected."

"What about my cooking?" Keith protested mildly.

"You were third, Keithy. After Mamá and Hunk. But now you're fourth."

Keith made a huffy sound and Lance shrugged.

"I don't make the rules," Lance said.

Colleen laughed and Lance was assured by the fondness evident in it. "Well, I don't want to offend your Mamá, Lance," Colleen said. "I'm sure she's just as good!"

"Oh, she is!" he said after another enthusiastic bite. "Only she and my Abuela cook Cuban, so it's hard to compare. But this is divine!"

"So, you're Cuban?" Colleen asked.

Lance found himself babbling to the Holts all about himself, in response to their questions and directions of the conversation. He was his old self, and he could see out of the corner of his eye the smile Keith now wore. Colleen had him spilling everything, and it gave him the good feeling of acceptance he had touched on with Coran the previous night.

Hunk and Shay were also included. Colleen and Sam made all three of their guests feel like part of the family, listening to them all with an interest Lance could see was not feigned. Colleen and Hunk talked recipes, Sam found out Shay's interest in robotics. Both parents were basically the coolest parents Lance had ever met, next to his own and Hunk's. He relaxed more than he had in a week, and it wasn't from the wine he discreetly sipped.

They lingered over their dinner, concentrating more on the talk shooting back and forth at their end of the table. And it wasn't as if Shiro, Allura, or Pidge were ignored. Colleen bragged over Pidge's and Matt's accomplishments as any proud mother would, embarrassing Pidge, of course. Lance fleetingly thought how sad it was that things were tense between them, because added to Keith's descriptions, he thought he would very much like the girl if she let him.

The Holts were the quintessential charming hosts. They pampered their guests, as well as made all of them feel completely at home. Except for Pidge, Lance felt like an adopted member of the family by the end of the main course. Definitely by the end of dessert, a delicious tart that had Hunk begging for a recipe, while Lance floated away in bliss as he took small bites to make it last longer.

They did, however, irritate Colleen by bullying her into letting them handle the dishes and cleanup. She tried to stop them, telling them Pidge could handle it, but no, they insisted. With the four of them working together, with an ease and comfort that spoke loudly that they were as close as four people could be, it didn't take long. Other than Colleen marshaling them and directing them, they fell into their usual banter as they worked, making Colleen, Sam, and Allura laugh, while Pidge and Shiro watched with small smiles.

They spent the rest of the evening in conversation. Sam snagged Keith and Shiro to talk about something related to the yard? Lance wasn't sure. Pidge and Hunk were checking out her robot in the garage, and Allura and Shay were gossiping like two little old ladies in the living room over their after-dinner wine. Lance stood between the living room and kitchen, his back to Keith, but watching Shay and Allura. His heart felt full, seeing how well the two got along.

"Did Sam show you his pride and joy?" Colleen's voice startled him out of his reverie.

"His pride and joy?"

"Come," she requested, hooking her arm through his and leading him down the hall. "This was Matt's room, but we turned it into the office the second we got him out of the house. Mostly Sam uses it, so he put his pride and joy in it."

The room Colleen led him to had subdued lighting, or rather, no lighting at all when they came in, just the bright glow from a huge aquarium built into the wall. He vaguely registered it looked like an office, but he was instantly drawn to the clear glass surface, shuffling across the wooden floor as if mesmerized. He was. The aquarium took up the majority of the wall and shone like a beacon. The quiet whir of the filters overwhelmed the small gasp he let out and he had to resist the urge to press his finger pads and nose against the glass as he'd seen so many children do at his aquarium.

"It's a salt-water tank," she told him, though from the fish inside, he already could tell. Salt-water tanks were more work, but the fish you could get for them were the exotic and colorful ones that your dime-a-dozen pet store wouldn't carry. Lance examined every inch, crossing back and forth in front of it, his eyes wide and full of wonder.

"I thought you'd like to see Sam's pride and joy," Colleen said softly when she joined Lance after letting him drink his fill for a few minutes.

"Th-this is amazing," he breathed out, his eyes following a bright blue fish glide through the water.

"Mm-hm. Sam had a small tank in his room for goldfish when he was a kid. The light and sound soothes him," she explained. "Sam let his hobby go a little crazy. But I quite enjoy it."

"It's a beautiful tank," Lance said, his eyes darting around now to catch the details - the little things Sam added to it to give it character. There was a good mix of tropical fish as well, their bright colors clashing against each other, but also seeming to work in a lovely rainbow that was in constant motion. "I like the salt tanks," he said, turning to give Colleen a genuinely happy smile. "The fish are more colorful, usually. I mean, I had regular tanks growing up, too, but couldn't obviously have something like this in the dorms."

She returned his smile. "Probably not." She turned her gaze back to the tank. "I like to grade exams in here. Late at night, just the fish and me. It's a relaxing thing during a stressful grading process. It's nice to pause and watch them for awhile." She chuckled. "Sam gave them all names from Star Wars, if that tells you what kind of man he is."

"An awesome one, of course," Lance said seriously, getting her to laugh.

"You're funny, Lance," she said, "and really sweet. I'm glad Keith found you."

He blushed, the fingers of his right hand began pulling at his left fingers. "Actually, I found him."

"I know, Katie told me."

Lance knew Katie was Pidge's actual name. He was surprised, however, she told her parents anything about him that might be positive. "She did?" He was worried what else she had said.

Colleen hummed, then leaned herself half sitting on what Lance assumed was Sam's desk, if the figurine of Yoda was anything to go by. Her hands gripped the edges as she regarded him. "Yes. She told us all about you. Or, I guess, all she knew from Keith."

He wasn't sure what to think of that. As Pidge had not been friendly at all to him, it gave him a tight feeling in his chest. He couldn't imagine what Pidge had told her parents. Yet, they had been nothing but kind and welcoming to him. He felt at ease with both of them, the way he felt with Allura and Uncle Coran.

His unease must have reflected in his features, lit brightly on one side by the aquarium light. She smiled. "Allura told me what's been going on this weekend."

"Um. Oh. Yeah. We've-we've had a great time so far."

"Somehow I doubt it's been all fun for you, hon."

He huffed out a laugh that had little amusement in it, looking nervously at the calming tank again.

She continued. "My daughter is...difficult, to put it mildly. I won't excuse her behavior, because it's downright shameful in a girl I raised. I've told her so and she just sets that stubborn jaw of hers more firmly. But she'll come around, Lance. You have to believe it."

The sting of tears threatened, making him blink a few times. "I-I don't know what I did. Why her and Shiro can't stand me. I-I-I don't think I'm a bad person. I think I treat Keith well."

"Oh honey, you do! And you are not a bad person. I'm an excellent judge of character and I liked you right away. Because I see how happy Keith is." She shook her head, then tilted it back for a moment in thought. "I am in no way excusing my daughter, but I wanted to explain a few things which might help you understand. And don't pity her. This is her battle to fight with herself and with Keith."

In spite of his trepidation, she piqued his interest. He truly wanted to understand. He thought understanding might help bridge this chasm that had developed. All Lance wanted was to repair this...thing...and make things happier in their circle. "I don't follow."

Colleen's fingers tapped the edges of the desk in agitation, though her voice remained calm. Lance's admiration of her shot up a few notches. "Katie is nothing like Sam or I. Or Matt for that matter. He's more like us, so don't be nervous meeting him this week." This immediately made Lance feel better. "Katie. Well, she takes after my mother, a feisty little Italian woman who'd have smacked you across the head with a rolling pin as soon as she'd look at you. Stubborn, too. But," Colleen held up a hand, "would do anything for the people they love. That fierce sort of loyalty, if you know what I mean? Hurt my friend and I'll tear out your jugular type."

Lance's hand immediately shot up to press against his neck. Jesus.

"Katie's fiercely loyal and protective of Keith, because Keith is all she has as far as a friend. Things weren't easy for her in school. She's graduating college and she's only just turned twenty. She skipped grades in school, so she was always younger than everyone. We had to let her, though, because she got bored so fast. Her brain..."

Lance knew all this, so far. Keith had told him all about Pidge's genius and how she shot grades ahead, entering college at the young age of sixteen. This wasn't news to him, but he nodded, letting his hand drop to his side again.

"Anyway, you can imagine Katie had a hard time making friends. If you're sixteen, would you really want to make friends with the fourteen-year-old kid sitting next to you in calculus? Keith was her only friend, even though he was four years older than her. They spent one year in high school together. He was a senior and she was a freshman, but he was the only friend she had."

The picture started to become clearer to Lance, and he guessed where this conversation was going.

As if she could read his mind, Colleen said, "I see you might be getting it. Thankfully, Keith went to school here. They were able to stay friends, which did a world of good for her. She is so focused and smart, but Keith was able to get her to have fun and loosen up. Sure, Matt helped, but he's closer to Shiro's age, almost nine years older than Katie is. So, she is very loyal to Keith, because he's her best and pretty much only friend."

Lance, while he considered Hunk and Shay his best friends, had a large circle of friends both here, in San Diego, and Miami. He felt his heart constrict a little at the thought of having so few friends. Then again, from what he'd heard from Keith, his boyfriend also had a very small circle of friends. Pidge and Matt were the only friends Keith ever talked about. He had minor acquaintances at work, but it seemed as if Pidge were it. Lance, a sociable person, felt almost derailed as he truly thought about it the first time. He definitely saw what Colleen was trying to say.

"Katie was devastated when Keith took the job in Altea, and I know it was a difficult decision for Keith to go. Keith hated leaving his brother and Katie. I know he did, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity. It was too good, and I think it was a good idea for Keith to get some independence as well. Not that he couldn't have done great here, but I think this was something good for him. Obviously it was if he got to meet you."

Lance, of course, blushed.

"I think Katie feels this relationship pulls Keith further from her. And it does, in a way, but she also is having trouble seeing it can actually broaden her circle wider. She's a lonely girl, and afraid of losing her one friend." Colleen sighed, then. "This doesn't excuse her behavior, of course, but I hope it explains it. This is something Keith is going to have to talk to her about. She shouldn't be taking it out on you, but she is. I also don't think she knows how to fix it now that she's taken it so far."

Lance nodded, giving Colleen a weak smile, though he actually felt a little of the tension ease in his body. Understanding didn't exactly make it better, but it gave him a better insight and helped to let him know it wasn't all him.

"Shiro's problem is a little different," Colleen added, perking up Lance's ear again. "You do know what happened with their father?" When Lance nodded, she went on. "Shiro was...well, he was planning on going out in the world and doing great things. He was the hotshot football captain, most popular in school, a great boyfriend, had everything in the world sitting in his hands. And then Hank died. We were all devastated, of course. He was a kind man. And funny. Oh, our parties were so much fun," she smiled at memories Lance wasn't privy to. "Shiro was planning to go to UCLA with Adam in the fall, had all sorts of plans for himself. Living the full college life, of course. He gave it all up to raise Keith."

Lance knew the circumstances of Keith's upbringing, of course, but until this point, he'd only ever thought of it from Keith's perspective. A twelve-year-old boy losing his father, having to be raised by his brother. It tore his heart, of course, but he'd never considered the flip side of the coin. Keith had mentioned that Shiro was eighteen when their father passed away from cancer, and that Shiro was legal age to take care of him. He'd never thought about what Shiro had gone through, or what he'd given up.

Colleen nodded again. "I think you see now where I'm going with this. You're a smart one, Lance. Yes, Shiro gave up all his prospects to take care of his little brother. They always had a good relationship. Normal brother stuff of course. But when Hank died, Shiro became overwhelmingly protective of Keith. And you could understand, but still. He's dedicated to Keith in a way you don't usually see. He gave up UCLA and went to Garrison City for his degree, settled here so they could keep the family home. Adam left and they couldn't keep up the long distance thing, so he even lost that. He did all of it for Keith, and don't think for a minute he ever regretted it. He doesn't. Shiro is happy now and has made peace with how his life went. Not like he's leading a bad life now, with a good job and wonderful girlfriend.

"Keith is a young man, out on his own and twenty-four-years old, but Shiro still sees him as the little kid he promised to take care of all those years ago. Shiro has a good heart and he'll come around. He's as stubborn as Katie is, and I think he's embarrassed by how he's acted, and doesn't quite know how to fix it. Believe me, Allura is pissed at him."

Lance barked out a nervous laugh, not only at Colleen's choice of language, but also at the idea of Allura being mad at Shiro. Colleen eyed him knowingly. "Don't you feel guilty about that either. I know this seems like this whole mess has to do with you, and that you're the cause of all their troubles. You're not. This is between Keith and Shiro and Katie."

Lance nodded slowly, turning to look at the fish once again. His tension eased more and he felt for the first time that he could breathe a little easier. "Thank you, Colleen," he said softly. "You don't know how much it means to me."

"You don't have to thank me, hon. I wanted you to understand a few things. I love Keith as if he were my own son. We offered to take him so Shiro could still go to UCLA, but Shiro was determined. You didn't know the Keith before you came into his life, and we can see the change in him already. Not as if he was ever a bad kid or anything, but I haven't seen him as happy as he is now."

The smile that crept onto his face was his genuine one. They smiled at each other for a moment before Lance said, "I'm glad. All I want is to make him happy. Like he's made me."

"You were made and meant for each other, Lance. Don't let the stubbornness of two people get in the way of what you have. And once Shiro and Katie pull the sticks out of their asses, you'll find them to be as fiercely loyal to you."

He laughed again, his normal true laugh, and she joined him. As their laughs settled, she pushed herself away from the desk and came to him. The hug she gave him shot a burst of homesickness through him - reminiscent of hugs from his Mamá, his Abuelita, and Hunk's mom. He felt the sting of tears again, but controlled them. "Thank you, Colleen," he repeated.

She leaned back and reached up to pat his cheek. "Let's go out there and make those sourpusses even sourer. As much as she's pissing me off, I do love to agitate that daughter of mine."

Arm in arm, they returned to their loved ones.