Hey guys, I've had a horrible last two days- so my writing feels a little weird. I hope you still like it though and I might just be imagining things but here we go!
As Dravla had promised, they had gone to the beach.
Keith was almost surprised that it looked like any normal beach one would find on Earth. Golden like sand, blue water- Lance was ecstatic
"Beach! Beach beach!" he cheered as he ran past them, a pair of blue swimming trunks hugging his thin hips. "This is awesome! This-" he suddenly turned back towards them with a sour expression, "You better not be looking at my legs, Keith," he grumbled
The red paladin sputtered, "Stop instantly assuming I'm some pervert!" he yelled.
"I'm not assuming- I know you are!"
"How are you both still on this topic?' Dravla questioned. He was dressed similar to Lance and Keith- wearing nothing but swim trunks, his hair slightly pinned back to get it out of his eyes. While you wouldn't normally see them, his torso was littered in scars, each a tale of a different fight and battle.
His back was gruesome if Keith had to be honest. He wasn't sure what had caused it, but the jagged marks and burned skin were something that made his stomach churn.
He wasn't going to ask how he got them. That topic felt too heavy to bring up.
"Lance won't drop it," Keith insists.
"Keith won't stop looking at me."
'You are blind! You don't even know if I am looking at you!"
"I can tell!" he insists. "You can't help but ogle at this perfection!" he motioned to himself.
Keith turned away to fold his arms, huffing angrily. It wasn't like there was much to see anyway… the trunks went all the way down below Lance's knees, only revealing his well-sculpted calves. Not that those weren't nice to look at.
But that still didn't make him a pervert. So Lance was nice to looking- that didn't mean anything.
...Or maybe he was a pervert?
He had walked in while Lance was getting dressed yeah- but that was an accident. He couldn't help but stare at Lance's legs then.
But this time was different.
What he was able to see, and quietly appreciate, was Lance's back. It was lean, framed with perfectly toned muscles that coiled through broad shoulders.
Amazingly broad shoulders.
Keith couldn't even understand how Lance managed to look so thin under his shirts sometimes and still actually look so well built.
He had never been one to appreciate a person's back before but Lance was different in many ways like that.
"Careful!" Keith called in the distance, slowly moving down a hill of sand. It took only a second later for Lance to trip and roll a good couple feet. Keith sighs
"I'm fine!" He gets to his feet, bouncing with the energy of a child.
Ruru was running up right beside him, dressed in a cute orange swimsuit and her hair tied behind her in a curly ponytail," Lala! Ocean!"
"Ocean!" They chanted and ran right in without another word. Keith wanted to stop them, or at least stop Lance, who seemed to constantly forget he was blind and just ran ahead into so many different situations.
But if Keith had learned anything, it was that Lance held no fear to the water or ocean. Even an ocean from another planet that held who knows what within it's watery embrace.
"Aren't you going to join them, Keith?" Tellru inquired as she placed down a blanket, flattening it out.
"I'm not much of a swimmer," he says, placing down a few towels and a basket.
"Me too," Tellru chuckles, "Lance seems to be enjoying himself, though. I am glad to see him so excited. You both have had a tough couple of days- Dravla!" she suddenly yelled, "No hammer throwing!"
Dravla froze up like a child caught with his hand in a cookie jar. His arms were extended up and he was lifting Lance and Ruru above his head. He had been throwing them as far as he could into the water, then they would run back, and he would do it again.
It was some odd game.
"Come on, Tellru," Lance whined.
"No." she tsked at them. They sighed and huddled back into the water, giving her pouty faces.
"Honestly," she rolls her eyes, "I don't know who is a worse influence, Dravla, or Ruru and Lance."
"Dravla is like one big child…" Keith cut himself off when he realized Tellru might take that as an insult. He normally wouldn't care if he angered another person- but he felt this odd urge to get Tellru's approval. He craved her praise and gentle smiles like he had with his own Dad when he was a child.
He didn't understand it.
Keith was very relieved when she smiled instead of getting angry, nodding, "I couldn't describe him better. I fell for that childish side, though… he makes me laugh."
Keith shuffled a little into the blanket, giving her a curious look, "Is that the only reason you choose him as your equivalent?"
"Oh heavens no," she waved him off, "He is strong. Kind. He gets serious when it is needed but is loving every other moment of the day. He is-" she pauses her gaze trailing to him. The love that burns in her eyes is astonishing to Keith, "I am not even sure how to explain it- in truth, Dravla and I are so different from each other. But that is the great thing about it. He is everything I'm not, and I'm everything he isn't. We complete each other…" she turns away, smiling into her arm, giddy. "I apologize,"
"You don't have to," Keith says. It was… nice, seeing them. Seeing two people so in love, it just made him want to smile too. It reminded him of how his Father use to talk about his Mom. It was rare to get him to discuss her, but when he did, he glowed with joy- as well as sadness that she was no longer there with them.
Keith was so young then, but even he could see how much he had loved her.
"Keith!" Lance was scrambling towards them.
"Over here," he calls when Lance struggles to locate them. Stumbling through the sand with a silly grin, he drops to his knees and holds out his hand,
"What color are they?"
He had found shells. Beautiful purple shells that were vibrant and shined in the sun, "Purple."
"Here," Lance gives him one and another to Tellru.
"Thank you, Lance," she holds the shell with a fond smile. "I often use to collect these shells myself as a child. They would say that if you collected enough, you were blessed with a gift."
"How many did you need to find?" Lance asks. "And what kind of gift?"
"The gift could be anything," she says, "Something good, is all I knew. It could be from you receiving a delicious meal that night to becoming King of the land. The gift was supposed to be something that you would find amazing. I must remind you that it is only a legend. I believe you had to collect 100."
Lance was already on the move, tugging on Keith's arm, "Let's go!"
"It is a legend, Lance." Keith sighs as they stumble to the shore.
"We need all the luck we can get Keith!" Lance is feeling the ground. Knowing it would take him forever with his sight, and that he wasn't going to give this up anytime soon, he started to help him.
"What kind of gift do you think it'll be?" Lance inquired.
"I dunno."
"I would hope the team magically finds us."
"That feels like a stretch."
"Maybe…" Keith reached for Lance when he tone dropped a little,
"We'll get back to them eventually," he assures him, gripping his elbow lightly.
He snorts, "Yeah, maybe in 50 years."
"It won't be that long."
"You don't know that." Lance flicks some sand at him, smiling a little when he finds a shell. "This purple?"
"Yeah."
He puts it in a little bucket that Ruru leant him. "Say we were here for 50 years-"
"We aren't going to be here that long."
"But say we were. Think you can handle being my roommate for that long?" he grins cheekily. Keith makes a little noise of annoyance.
"I've already started to get use to your snoring."
"I don't snore." Lance laughs.
"Yeah you do."
"..." he frowns a little, "Do I?"
"Only a little."
"Agh," Lance curses himself. "Well, that will be something to work on."
"I don't think you can just stop yourself from snoring." Keith says honestly.
"I'll cover my nose."
"That will just make it worse. You might even suffocate," he makes sure to point that out so Lance doesn't attempt it.
"Hmm."
After a few seconds, a hand grazed Keith's. It was a delicate touch- one that Keith hadn't been expecting. It sent chills up his spine.
Lance tightened his grip, holding Keith there, "Hey."
"What?"
Lance smiles like he wanted to say something but held it back. He shakes his head, "Nothing."
Keith gulped and focused on the shells, trying his best to ignore the warmth of Lance's fingers on his own. He held his hand for days now, why was he suddenly self-conscious of it now?
"You are acting weird today," he muttered.
Lance brushed his thumb over Keith's knuckle, "Am not."
"You are," he makes sure to stop his voice from wavering- a blush making it's way down his face.
"Hmmm. I guess," he sucks in a deep inhale of that soothing ocean air. "I'm just glad we are here. Found another shell," he mumbled and placed it in the bucket. It took them an hour- a lot shorter then Keith thought it would take only because Dravla, Tellru and Ruru came to help them.
"100!" Lance proclaims. Nothing happened. He deflates a little.
"I doubt it happens instantly," Keith tells him.
"I said it was a legend." Tellru agrees
"Don't worry, Lance!" Dravla pats his back. "Give it some time! I once collected 100 shells and you know what happened the next day?"
'What?" he asks sadly- pouting like a kicked puppy.
"Tellru told me she was pregnant with Ruru." he gushed.
"Whoa!" Lance gasps in awe, perking up instantly, "That is the best gift ever!"
"Isn't it?" Dravla says in delight, hugging his giggling daughter.
'You never told me that," Tellru smiles at him.
"I was so happy I forgot to mention it," Dravla kisses her temple, "It was the greatest gift I could ever receive."
Lance adored this little alien family.
0000-000
"My sand castle is going to be the best," Lance declared.
"You can't even see it- It is just a big blob,"
"Best Blob in all the land," Lance nods.
Keith snorts a little, "...My blob is better,"
"You are making a blob too?" he gasps.
"I've never made a sand castle before- I don't know how to. So I'm going with a blob,"
"Blop," Ruru slaps some sand on Lance's leg.
"Don't bury me." he chuckles. She continues to put sand on his leg till it covered.
"Welp, guess I only have one leg now. Keith, you are going to have to carry me around now."
'I can if you want." Keith says. Lance had to pause to look in his direction. He had sounded so serious about that- did he actually mean that?
"Uh…"
"I was kidding," Keith says quickly.
"Were you?" he wasn't sure he believed him.
"I was," Keith says a little more insistently. "This is why I don't make jokes- no one gets them."
"Well, you just- you sounded so serious about it dude." Lance chuckles. "Like when I said I wanted to live in the ocean cause I love it so much- you got all huffy and started talking about how impossible it was without gills and started giving me details to why it wouldn't work."
"The ocean isn't a great place to live," Keith mumbles.
"It isn't that bad,"
"I disagree," he grumbles.
"How can you not love the ocean?"
"Simple- the kraken."
'Excuse me?" Lance snorts, choking on his own spit, "That isn't real, Keith!"
"That is what the government wants you to believe," he says, his tone dead serious
"Oh. My. God. Are you kidding?"
"No. It is a real thing, Lance."
"Is that why you refuse to go in the water?"
"..."
Lance wanted to laugh, but the idea was so ridiculous that he couldn't wrap his mind around it. The great and mighty Keith was afraid of some folk tale? "We aren't even on earth! There are no kraken's in this ocean!"
"What is a kraken?" Tellru inquired curiously as she brought them both drinks
"A giant sea beast,"
"Like a Safilcier?" she tilted her head.
Lance and Keith paused from taking a sip of their juice, "A what?"
"A Safilcier." Dravla answers, "It guards the coast." he glances at the sky, "It should be making its way around the area soon." he stands up and stretches his arm. "Here, watch- or uh, listen." he chuckles at Lance. Bringing his fingers to his mouth, Dravla whistles.
It is loud and piercing, echoing across the water and to the distance.
Standing, not sure what he was expecting, and almost dreading the sudden silence, Keith could see something towards the horizon.
Something huge was shifting in the watery depths.
Then it rose.
"...Kraken." Keith points at it.
This mass of terror breached like a fucking whale of all things and crashed down with a heavy thump. Keith was flapping his arms, in a quiet fangirl like panic, "Kraken is real," he mumbles breathlessly
"What?" Lance couldn't see it. "What was it? I didn't see it!"
"Kraken!" Keith starts shaking him. "I knew it! I knew it was real!"
"What are you talking about?!"
Dravla folded his arms and chuckles a little, "The Safilcier has been an ally of the royal family for years. The King often came out here as a child and visited it. He always brought me with him, and now I bring Ruru out here to visit it."
"Hello!" Ruru was calling to the distance.
"That thing still freaks me out," Tellru sighs, "But it guards us well."
Keith was still shaking Lance, his mental state broken. "Kraken. Kraken. Kraken."
"Dude, stop." Lance swatted at his hands.
"Kraken!"
"I said knock it off!" Lance tackled him after his tugged on his arm again.
"I knew it was real!"
"It isn't real! It doesn't count if it is on another planet!"
"It still exists somewhere!"
"Stop talking! I didn't see it, so it isn't real!"
"What?!" Keith gasped as they rolled down the sand hill, "You can't use that excuse! Everyone here saw it."
"No me- so it isn't real!"
"It is real!" They ended up plummeting into the water and Keith yelled. Lance wrapped his arms around his waist to keep him submerged for a few seconds, cackling when Keith threw them upward to try and throw him off.
"Yeehaw!" he roared like he was some bull rider.
"Get off!" Keith growled. They turned and rolled and at some point, they had ended up on the shore down from the others. Lance's legs were still wrapped around Keith's torso, arms braced to his chest. "The water is your friend, Keith!"
"The water is no friend of mine! It-" his breath caught in his throat when Lance leaned in, breathing heavy and smiling.
"It is your friend!" He kicked Keith suddenly and he fell backward into the ocean. Keith flopped violently and rose, yelling.
"Lance!"
Like bells, Lance laughed. It rang over the small waves to Keith's ear- like a soothing brush of air. He was close suddenly- his nose almost brushing Keith's.
"Hey." the grin was dazzling.
Keith straightened his spine, gulping thickly, "H-Huh?" realizing he was staring at the blue paladin's lips- which were so close to his own- he bit his lower lip.
"My bandages got wet. Did you bring some spare ones?"
"...Yeah." he whispered weakly. "They are with Tellru,"
Lance stepped away. Either he was forcing a smile or he really just wasn't aware of how close they were just now. "Thanks." he turned and started back up the shore line, somehow managing to find his way back to the others without Keith's assistance.
Keith was grateful for the chance to catch his breath and calm the pounding of his heart.
Just now he had thought something. Something startling and foreign.
He had wanted to kiss Lance.
0000-
"So, did Dravla find anything about who is out for my head?" Lance asked as he sat with Tellru, sipping on his juice. Keith was running up the shore line with Ruru, who was chasing him with a conch shell of all things. Dravla had already been caught by her and way laying face first in the sand like some dead guy.
Lance didn't understand what kind of game it was but it didn't matter to him.
"A little- but the kingdom is a large place," Tellru pulls out some fruits and hands it to him. "There could be many reasons someone is trying to… kill you," she says slowly. "Some just do not like outsiders. Some still believe you are a spy. It could even be about Keith."
Lance didn't like the sound of that, "Someone is trying to kill me because of Keith?" he questions.
"Well, yes. It is just a theory, but perhaps someone wishes for you to be killed so that Keith is placed back on the, as you, market. If you died, Keith would most likely be placed within the pure prizes within the arena."
"No." Lance shakes his head.
"Then stay alive," she chuckles, "Again though, it is only a theory. There are too many reasons for someone to want to kill you. Some…" she pauses. "There are many things."
"What?" Lance asked her. "What were you about to say?"
"There are those who gossip," Tellru says uncaringly, "I tend to just ignore them. It will put less stress on Keith and you,"
"They gossiping about Keith?' Lance frowns.
"Both of you,"
"What about us?"
"You don't need to worry about it,"
"Tellru, tell me."
After a few seconds, she finally says, "Keith is not an equivalent yet,"
"What- that again? I thought you said we wouldn't have to worry about this?" Lance demanded
"Many are understanding- but there are a few who doubt your words." Tellru sighed, "Many higher ups believe you only claimed Keith as your equivalent as a means of keeping him from the public eye. While you have earned your place, Keith has not- and if he is not seen as our equivalent many will wish for him to return as a prisoner until proven otherwise."
"No way!" Lance argued, "Keith is staying with me,"
"Exactly my thoughts, which is why- though you explained your culture to me-"
"I really didn't. You just assumed something weird-"
Tellru continued to talk as if she didn't hear him, "I must request that if you wish to keep your mate by your side-"
"Not my mate."
Tellru purses her lips, agitated, "Fine. Not your mate. But, if you wish to keep Keith by your side, you must prove to the citizens that he is truly your equivalent."
"Are you saying I have to-" Lance felt a blush creeping onto his cheeks, "That we-?"
"You do not need to lay with him to prove he is your equivalent- simply show your claim on him. Any sign of affection will do so long as Keith accepts it and denies any other attempt on him."
Lance wasn't sure he understood fully, "So like- signs of affections. What exactly do you guys consider in that department?"
"Perhaps say… to be blunt, you kiss him. If he returns the kiss and denies any other person who would try to, then it shows that while he isn't one now, he will soon be your equivalent."
Lance felt like he was choking on the air, his heart hammering, "So um… is there anything else I could do besides kissing?"
"Kissing would be the easiest way to get your point across."
"But is there any other way?"
"Do you not want this to be settled in a timely manner?"
"...But is there any other way?"
She sighed and listed a few things, "Giving him gifts, holding him in your arms in public, calling him your equivalent does great too- normal mate things, Lance!"
"It has been proven to me countless times that a lot of your culture's traditions and my culture's things are very VERY different! I don't know what normal is to you people!"
"Mating. Holding hands. Kissing. Loving each other. Telling each other that you love them, always being within close proximity of each other, hugging; do I need to list more?"
"N-No. I got it," Lance mumbled, frowning when Tellru emphasized a few of those things.
"Good." after a pause, she pats his head, "You will do fine."
"You have more confidence in this than I do,"
"Or perhaps I just see how you two act around each other," she says smugly.
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing~"
The rest of the day was spent in bliss. Lance was grateful for the distraction, but things fell instantly back into hell when the returned to the kingdom.
A crowd was waiting for them. An angry one.
("What is this?") Dravla demanded, stepping in front of all of them. A few Coeihns, a lot of older ones, were yelling at them. Tellru grumbled in annoyance.
"Honestly- the older generation, have they no sense of the change in times?"
"What?" Keith asked her, "What do you mean?"
"Well, it is only since the recent King came into power 30 years ago that outsiders were even given the chance to earn citizenship. Many of the older generation do not accept this new law. They are not pleased that Lance is now considered a citizen."
"He won fair and square." Keith narrowed his eyes.
"Well… kind of," Lance shrugs, recalling his fight with Dravla. Tellru quickly hushed him.
Dravla was still yelling at the crowd, demanding that they leave. Most refused to listen. A few of the guards had even been summoned to see what was happening. They approached Dravla and discussed things with him as calmly as they could.
They seemed to respect him and listened to what he had to say, but a few looked like they seemed to agree with the crowd at least a little.
Things started to escalate when the crowd saw Keith. They were pointing and shouting at him.
"What's going on?" Lance gripped Keith's wrist tightly.
"I dunno… They seem angry with me."
"Why? You got something on your face," Lance reached up to scrub his cheek. Keith leaned away.
"No." he huffs.
"We should get you both inside," Tellru says in a tone which made Lance realize that she understood what the problem was. Wondering if it had something to do with the conversation they had earlier, Lance frowned.
The people were beginning to push, a few even demanding Keith being taken away as a spy.
When a few began to approach, Keith lifted his fists and pulled Ruru to stand behind him. They were hesitant to approach
("Lance has won his proving and has chosen Keith as his Equivalent. You all speak of rules and laws- yet here you are, going against one of the very first ones! A person's equivalent is sacred and their actions with each other may remain private! None of you have a say in when Lance shall claim his mate or his reasons for not doing so yet! He is not a Coeihn and his culture does not apply as ours does!") Dravla's yelled.
("An outsider may not follow those rules, but they are still sacred to us! For all we know, he may have just claimed that pure as his equivalent to distract us from the fact that he could be a spy!") one yelled.
("He has yet to even show signs of claiming him! He disgraces us with his actions! How do we know they are truly Equivalents?!")
"Can't you do something, Tellru?" Lance panicked, even if he couldn't understand them. He could feel their anger.
"I told you before Lance- prove to them that Keith is your equivalent and not some spy and this goes away."
"What?" Keith turned to her.
"I- you-" Lance pulled at his hair, not sure what to do. Jumping at the sound of a crash, he could hear an uproar.
The crowd was starting to get violent and Dravla had to pull out his weapon. Ruru started yelling and a few guards ran forward to hold the crowd at bay.
"Dravla!" Tellru ran forward to help him, punching a Coehin right in the face when they slashed at Dravla's arm. She was like a crazed beast when Dravla seemed to be threatened.
That was all the more frightening to Lance that Tellru and Dravla seemed to be caught up in all of this.
"Keith!?" Lance clung to him, once again lost to what was happening, but frightened all the same.
Keith was really wishing he had kept his bayard on him today. "It's okay. Stay with me, it is okay." Keith told him, backing them up. He had to grab Ruru's hand to stop her from running to her parents in this mess. This was nuts! How could they stop this?!
Well… Lance had one idea.
One crazy, insane, and unthinkable idea.
He would have to kiss Keith Kogane.
No.
No, he couldn't do it.
That was too much of a pressure to put on him! A kiss was- it was huge! He couldn't just-
He bit his lower lip at the sound of the roaring Coeihns. This wasn't just going to go away. In fact, he was positive it would just get worse.
Kiss him. Just kiss him, Lance.
It took everything he had, but he swallowed down the embarrassment and fear.
"Hey…" he placed his hands on Keith's shoulder.
"What?"
"Keith-" he swallowed, "This is going to sound odd, b-but um…" he is failing towards the end of this, all his courage shriveling up. "I was talking with Tellru and she told me how to get out of this but- you might not- uh…." His hands were moving, shaking just like the rest of his body was. He was reaching, searching along Keith's jaw and cheek.
Keith tenses when Lance locates his lips by brushing his thumb over them- Keith shivered.
Realizing he found what he was looking for, he murmurs, "There they are…" they are so soft- like cotton. Lance's heart is racing at the thought.
"...Lance?" Keith asks, startled.
"I'm going to kiss you."
Keith freezes, eyes wide. Lance feels nervous at Keith's silence, wishing with all his might that he could see his face. "If that isn't okay-" He says with a not so very confident tone, 'You need to tell me- because if I don't do this I might just piss off the Coeihns because they have their eyes on you and-" he cuts himself off to slowly lean forward. Keith jumps a little, drawing in a little breath, "I don't want any of them to try and claim you as there's or take you away or try anything weird because I…" he cuts himself off not even sure what he was just about to say. Instead, he said, "I'm going to kiss you now." He waits a few seconds for Keith to say no. To push him away or punch or do anything to go against this.
He doesn't.
Lance grabs the side of his face and pulls him in.
Their first kiss was shared with a crowd screaming surrounding them, trying to rip them to shreds if they managed to get past the barricade shielding them.
It was shared with Lance's lips being chapped and Keith's being the softest thing in the entire universe.
It was shared with Ruru gawking at them with sparkling eyes, clapping a little at the sight.
And all in all, it was more of a peck than a kiss, if you had to ask. Nut something about it was exhilarating.
When they pull away, the entire crowd had grown quiet. Lance wondered what their expressions were… what Keith's expression was. Knowing, and hating that he would never know, he could hear the crowd beginning to disperse, going back to their lives as if nothing had ever happened.
This place was so weird.
They just gave up just like that? All that fuss and they just wanted Lance to give Keith a little peck? He knew Equivalents or whatever were important to this people but come on.
"Honestly...Was that so hard?' Tellru teases but she sounds breathless from the fight. She wanted to cackle at the sight of these strang off-worlders. That kiss had to be the most pathetic thing she had ever witnessed, but they were both so flustered from it. Keith was still standing there, caught in some trance, face flushed and mouth hanging open.
"Shut up," Lance grumbled at her, lowering his hands from Keith's burning face. "You wouldn't understand…"
"I don't." she agrees, 'But at least the conflict is over, for now. Are you both alright?"
'Yeah."
Keith takes a lot longer to reply, "...Y-Yeah."
"You two aren't hurt, right?" Lance asks, hating to think that they had gotten injured trying to protect them.
"They were a bunch of old fools- we are fine," Dravla says confidently. "Didn't get a scratch on me. And my love!" he turns to Tellru like a love sick puppy, "They way you swooped in and knocked them a new one- you stole my breath away!"
"Dravla," Tellru chuckles, kissing his cheek. "I would slay a thousand Radmarsts for you,"
"Yuck," Ruru sticks her tongue at them.
"Double yuck and I don't even know what a Radmarsts is," Lance says, feeling like he was listening to his own parents flirt with each other.
"It is a great best from the northern hills~" Dravla waves his arms around, "But that aside, I believe we have all had enough excitement for one day."
"I'm exhausted," Lance admits.
"Then we shall get you both to bed," Dravla ruffles his hair. "Come-" he pauses, "Keith? Are you alright?"
Keith doesn't reply instantly and eventually mutters something about being okay. Lance can't bare to look at him…
Wait, he can't see.
Oh yeah.
So he shouldn't be worried about looking at him.
He should just be worried about being alone with him- which is what happened as soon as they got into their apartment and the others left.
He could still hear Dravla rumbling voice down the hall, "What a beautiful kiss!"
"I thought it was kind of small," Tellru says.
"Kiss kiss!" Ruru says. Lance forces himself to drown them out, busying himself with making them a quick dinner.
Or at least getting out the food so Keith could make it for him.
Needless to say, the dinner was the most painfully slow and awkward thing he had ever been too. Neither of them spoke and just sat there.
The air was just too tense between them. If Lance knew it would be this way, he would have never kissed him in the first place. He wanted things to go back to normal with Keith- to talk and just be goofy with him. He felt as though he was losing that from what happened. He hates it.
"...Keith," he speaks up.
Keith sat upright, his voice almost robotic to hide any emotion in his tone, "Yes?"
"I- listen, I'm sorry. You don't have to think of that kiss as anything," he says desperately, "I just didn't want the Coeihns messing with you. You heard Tellru- this culture is kind of weird."
'Oh…" Lance wonders if he heard something like disappointment in Keith's tone, "No. No, no- it is fine. I understand. It was- it was just a kiss Lance."
"Yeah." he nods, "Just a kiss."
"It didn't mean anything."
"Nothing," he agrees.
Keith clears his throat, awkward and forced, "Besides it… It didn't really live up to what everyone always said about it." He was lying through his teeth, and he hoped Lance wouldn't notice. He was just trying to just lighten the awkward tension, but Lance didn't understand.
"What are you talking about?"
"The kiss… It wasn't anything that special. Kind of dry."
That should have meant nothing to him. But it did. Lance openly gasped, insulted, "Rude!"
"Well- what did you expect me to say?"
"Uh- that is was great, obviously!"
Keith was fuming, "What? Why would I say that?"
"Cause I'm a fantastic kisser,"
"Ooh-" Keith makes a noise of disgust, "Yeah right. Not from where I'm standing."
"You picking a fight?!" he rises to his feet.
"Not with a blind man!"
"Blind nothing, I can still kick your butt! You just can't handle these awesome lips-"
"Awesome is the last thing I would ever call them," Keith seeths.
"Like you were any better! You didn't even try! I at least put an effort into it," Lance says. It was true- Keith did just kind of stand there during the whole exchange.
"I- so what?! I'm not used to it! What is your excuse, you've apparently had plenty of practice unlike me!"
"Being a virgin doesn't excuse poor kissing Keith!"
"Don't call me that!"
"Virgin! Virgin!" he taunts.
"Lance!" Keith is stalking towards him, ready to throw down. Lance manages to find his way around the table to put some distance between them. Running aimlessly around for a while, knowing the layout of this room like the back of his hand, Lance avoided Keith like a pro.
At some point, Keith seemed to give up, "Let's just drop this okay?" he huffed.
"Fine… Mr. Virgin."
"You are pushing your luck," Keith says in a dark tone. Lance stuck his tongue out at him. Stepping back, the two went to separate sides of the room to cool off. Sitting away from the other for at least 10 minutes, Lance found himself biting his lip.
He can't' seem to get it out of his head though and keeps asking questions, "What did you mean, anyway?"
"What?' Keith grumbled.
"You said the kiss didn't live up to what others said. Like- did people talk about my kissing or something back at Garrison?" he had been with a few other students, but he had no idea anyone talked that deeply about how good of a kisser he was.
"No- About when you get kissed in general. It wasn't that big of a deal."
"Kissing is great." Lance says."You seriously telling me you didn't like it at all?" He tried his best to hide the disappointment in his tone.
Keith paused for a second too long,
"I-it was fine," he says despite having thoroughly enjoyed it. His pride just didn't seem to want to let him admit that, "I just...Don't understand why people make such a big deal for the first one."
"…"What?" Lance slowly gasps, dramatically lifting a hand to his face, "Say that again,"
"Didn't seem that great to me."
"After that."
'...Don't understand why people make such a big deal for the first one?"
"Was that your first kiss?"
"Yeah," Keith says slowly. Lance was downright speechless.
"I was your first kiss?!" he couldn't believe it. Had Keith never kissed anyone before? The guy was the top pilot at Garrison and he shouldn't even have to mention his looks! Everyone fawned over him like crazy! "How!? Didn't you date?!"
"No."
"WHY!?" Lance couldn't wrap his mind around it. Just how innocent was this paladin?! Was he even real?
Keith sounded a little off put, "I dunno- it was never something I thought about. I just wanted to be a better pilot. That is all I focused on."
"Unbelievable." Lance ran a hand through his hair. A regret was pulling at his gut, "I totally biffed it too…"
"Biffed what?"
"The kiss," he turned towards Keith, "Mstaan! Why didn't you tell me it was your first kiss?! I would have pulled out all the tricks!"
Keith cringed, "Tricks?"
Lance gets up, stumbling towards Kieth voice, determined. "Let me do it again."
Keith almost slipped off the chair, "What?"
"This is upsetting me- you gotta give me a do over," Lance couldn't stand for this. He wanted Keith's first kiss to be something he would remember- especially if it was from him! He didn't want it to be dry and nothing special.
"No way!" Keith scrambles out of his chair and in the other direction in a flustered panic.
"Come on dude! You gotta let me prove myself,"
"Prove yourself?' Keith echoed. "No!" Lance manages to corner him, swinging his arms around aimlessly. Keith ducks a little to avoid them, face feeling hot.
"You just said it wasn't a big deal," Lance pouts.
"That doesn't mean I'm just gonna do it again-" Lance snagged his arm and the two of them froze.
Keith felt- a thrill? The anticipation of what was about to happen was staggering. Why was he excited about this?
Lance hadn't moved, however. Only now in front of Keith, Lance's determined confidence failed him. "Oh um…" he steps back, "Wait no- sorry. This is probably weird."
Keith can't voice a response, his heart hammering a mile a second in his chest.
"I'll just- ignore me. Forget what I said."
Keith reaches out and stops him. Not sure what the hell he was doing, he says, "Wait…"
The blue paladin before him shivered a little. "What?"
Keith's voice is barely above a whisper when he says, "F-Fine." What was he saying? Fine?! It wasn't- what was his mind making him say?!
Lance catches his breath. "Fine?" he repeated in shock.
"I said-" Keith clears his throat when his voice trembles, "Yeah, it is fine. Just make it quick…"
"I'm… Okay. Okay yeah! I'm a pro." Lance assured him, feeling giddy. This was happening.
This was actually happening. He was going to smooch the one and only Keith Kogane.
He was going to full out sweep this guy off his feet with his kissing skills- that was a promise!
"So uh…" Lance reached out until his hands found Keith's shoulders. It wasn't until he was standing in front of Keith, cupping his warm and soft-skinned face, that Lance started to feel nervous. "Okay so um-" he licked his lips, "Just follow my lead."
"Stop talking and just do it," Keith whispered frantically.
Lance leaned forward slowly, hesitantly. With his hands on Keith's chin, he brought them closer, a little timid till his found Keith's lips with his own. Starting off the same as before, simply pressing his lips to Keith's, he began to move them.
Keith went rigid at the feeling, not expecting it as compared to last time. Slowly he began to mimic Lance, hands gripping his shoulders.
Feeling a little confident, Lance tilted his head a little, pressing deeper. The warmth and overall softness of these lips were numbing, turning Lance's legs to jelly- but edging him on with each little noise and brush.
Taking a chance, knowing if he didn't soon that he would back off, he gave Keith's bottom lip a quick delicate lick. As expected, the red paladin opened his mouth a little to gasp, and Lance's tongue dove in, sweeping into Keith's.
Keith made a little noise in surprise, tightening his grip. He felt heavy suddenly, and Lance felt as if he was supporting Keith's own body weight a little bit more with each passing second.
Keith made a noise in the back of his throat. It was quiet, barely there but…
Lance couldn't think.
The only thing that mattered was his tongue and Keith's tongue- swirling, pushing and pulling- hot and wet.
Pulling away, both panted heavily, lips tingling. Finding he could somehow chuckle a little through his uneven breaths, Lance asks, "So? How was that for a first kiss?"
He wandered and almost hoped that Keith was red in the face when he said, "Why the- the hell didn't you do that the first time?" he feels a sense of pride that Keith was breathless
"I'm not an exhibitionist when it comes to this stuff." He huffs.
"I don't know what that is." Keith's breathing is starting to calm down.
"Dude, seriously? Don't you know what an exhibitionist is? It isn't like it is a dirty word or anything." he pauses, "Well, I don't really think they just put it on normal spelling tests either, but still... How focused exactly were you in Garrison? Did you ever have a single normal conversation in your life?"
Keith didn't answer really, but Lance could tell he shrugged.
"You have so much to learn," Lance says with pity.
Keith frowns, "I didn't talk about any of this stuff except when it was a required class, okay?"
"Thank god you at least know what sex is."
A hand jabbed into his side, "Lance." He warned.
Wincing, Lance stepped back, "I'm just saying! It is almost bizarre for someone to be as unknowing as you are. You had to be curious about it at least at some point!"
"No, not really." He says bluntly.
"Dude, you are not normal. At all. I mean- you at least have some experience, right?"
"Depends on what you mean by experience."
Lance almost wanted to know if Keith had ever even… tried, anything before, but he felt like that was crossing a dangerous line. But the question on whether or not Keith has ever even tried pleasuring himself was still on the table. It was just hidden away by papers or whatever.
"Nothing, forget it." he found himself yawning, "Well uh-" Wondering if it was even okay to just go to bed after that, he stretches his arm over his head, "I'm beat,"
"We should go to bed,' Keith suggests.
"Couldn't agree more after today." As Lance crawled into bed, he fluffed his pillow- closing and opening his palms against it tightly, "So uh…" he cleared his throat awkwardly, "Do you um- do you mind sleeping-"
Keith was sliding under the sheets next to him.
Smiling a little, Lance laid down, pulling the blankets up to his chin. "Good night," he says.
"Goodnight,"
Lance pulls the blanket closer and smiles a little.
He kissed Keith Kogane.
He kissed the one and only Keith Kogane. At least twice.
Was that the gift he got for collecting those shells? It felt like a thing.
The next morning, Tellru approached them with the doctor. "Today is the day Lance."
He didn't need her to explain to know what she meant. It was time to try and open his eyes.
It was time to try and see if his sight was getting better.