Keith avoided him like a plague. When Lance's family came over for Thanksgiving, Keith was nowhere to be found. Lance really shouldn't have done that. (the kiss)

December

"You've been talking about him nonstop. Just admit that you have a massive crush on him, Lance."

"I – uh – no – ummm."

"See? You stuttered." Pidge said, twisting the green straw on her hand.

"Well, I mean, he caught my eyes from the first time we met, okay! What do you expect! I'm a weak man!"

"So? Ask him out." Pidge made it sound so easy! Lance huffed out at her.

"No way!" He shook his head. Without thinking, he reached over to yank the straw from her hand. It was getting annoying. "He blatantly told me I'm not his type – 'sides he's been too asshole-y lately, I don't know if my heart could even handle it!"

"Lance. You wouldn't know until you tried."

"Pidge. Believe me, I know." While Lance and Pidge were arguing, Hunk was watching them with growing anxiety. "I… I kissed him."

Pidge looked taken aback for a moment, her glasses askew. "You… what?! O – okay. What was his reaction?"

Lance exhaled through his nose and turn his head to his right, refusing to meet his friends' questioning gazes. He bit his lower lips involuntarily.

"Oh, Lance…" Hunk finally opened his mouth, spontaneously scooting closer to where Lance was sitting. Pidge furrowed her eyebrows.

"Don't 'Oh Lance' him, Hunk! Listen – If he hates you, he'd probably left your place already, Lance. You gotta talk it out with him, dude."

Lance twisted in his seat, facing Pidge. His face alight with anger. He didn't know why Pidge would say such a thing. "How am I supposed to 'talk it out' when he's doing his absolute best to try to avoid me?!"

"Maybe he's just shy?" Hunk tried.

"Yeah. Think about us, Lance. Do you really think you could make us listen to your hopeless pining adventure and not expect us to push you in his direction?"

Lance fisted his hands, his fingers shaking. "He has a crush on Allura's boyfriend, okay? How am I supposed to top that?! I'm just this… dumb skinny kid from Colorado who talks too much." He told her exactly what he'd been repeating to himself in his heart over and over.

Both Pidge and Hunk looked dumbfounded. There was a hefty silence before Pidge started talking again, slowly this time, "Lance, we all know that's not true."

"You know what? Just, Just forget it. Lance McClain has a crush on someone – boo hoo, big deal. Lance does that all the time. It's stupid and it'll pass." Lance waved his hand dismissively and melted against the cushion.

Pidge was stunned into silence. Finally! Hunk looked hurt though. Their stares boring holes in Lance. He leaned more and more into the chair, until he could pretend he didn't see them.

He wasn't angry at Pidge. He was angry at himself mostly, for what he did to Keith, for his selfish expectations. He supposed this is what they had been heading toward all along, from the minute he invited Keith into his house; inevitable heartbreak was all that awaited him. His unattainable dream.

Lance waited for Keith to come back until it was almost midnight. He was on his 3rd cup of coffee when he heard the familiar clatter of key unlocking. His muscles stiffened, mentally preparing himself for confronting Keith. What was he going to say to him? He had no idea, honestly. But Pidge's words kept repeating itself inside his head, and the last thing he knew he was standing in front of the counter at the middle of the night, fingers gripping his mug a little too tightly.

Keith's modest winter coat was drenched by the snow, his boots making wet patches all across the floor.

"Hey." He said, gruff voice floating within the tense air inside the room. "I made you coffee? But it's probably cold by now – "

"Thanks but I should probably go to bed…" Keith reached out to his doorknob, his movement sluggish.

"Keith." Lance's voice was firm, final. Keith froze. He tapped the still-full cup of coffee with nails, signaling him to come. Wordlessly, Keith slipped his boots off and crept to the kitchen area. He grabbed the cup, thankfully still warm against his chilly fingers and brought it to his lips.

"Thanks." He said after swallowing down the drink. It was stale – like Lance hadn't put any mind while making it. "I… um I have work early so…" he pointed at the door to his room, a crooked grin on his face.

Lance tsk-ed, narrowing his eyes. "How long are you gonna keep this up?"

Keith stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

Lance hardly ever showed deeper emotion beyond mild irritation. He showed a jolly, chirpy and polite interest towards his family and friends, and otherwise kept himself to himself. But today was different, Keith's words, his every movement, every sharp glare he threw his way, voiced their frustrations from their previous days and Lance just… wanted to explode. "Are you just going to pretend that nothing happened?"

"Because nothing happened." Keith answer was cold, slicing through the dry winter air.

"No – something did happen!" Lance yelled. "If you were against it you could've pushed me away but you didn't!" there was something in that shout, a pain behind it. Lance watched as Keith's eyes widened for a fraction of second before he willed it back to the same scowl Lance had grown accustomed to.

"It's better this way." Keith said, carefully. "To pretend." Every word that left his mouth only fueling the fire burning inside of Lance.

"Why did you say that? How could you –"

"Because I can't give you what you want, Lance!" Keith didn't just raise his voice, his muscles tensed and he slammed the mug down to the countertop. "You shouldn't expect anything from me! This… everything… is just momentary. I have nothing. I'm just a–"

"It's not that you can't… you're just not willing."

"Maybe you should stop acting like you know me!"

"Maybe you should stop thinking you're a burden, Keith!" Lance's voice seemed to shake the walls. Keith's face turned crimson. Lance knew that when tension is high he should be sensible instead of angry, but sometimes it just wasn't that easy with Keith. "That's right. I know what you thought of yourself, Keith. And that's not true. I never thought of you as one."

Keith stood with hard staring eyes that didn't blink. "You're delusional, Lance. You, with your wide, luxurious flat, your caring friends, and warm, gentle relatives – you think you understand me?"

"Keith – " Lance moved closer to him but he swatted his hand away. "God – just fucking listen!" Lance raised his voice and Keith visibly flinched. At that show of vulnerability, the fire in Lance's eyes died down.

Keith merely shook his head, breath coming out in short gasps. "Y-You should just stick to picking up whores off the bar, Lance, and leave me alone. Stop acting like you care when all you want to do is get in my fucking pants! I don't want you, Lance. I don't! I thought I made myself clear?" The words just flew out like he didn't even think about it. Lance's eyes enlarged in shock, mouth agape. Keith knew instantly from the look on Lance's face that he'd hit the mark. "You know what? Perhaps I should just let you have your way. Maybe then you'll finally realize that I'm not that worth it – "

"You know that's not what I…" Lance's voice was laced with hurt. "I do care about you."

Keith cast his eyes downward, watching the floor. His arms were shaking, but he hugged himself to try and stop it. When he finally answered, it was with a self-deprecating sneer. Lance hated that look on his face "You mustn't. You should've just let me freeze to death outside. It seemed less… problematical." He muttered quietly. "I'm sorry you have to deal with me. If I could stay at Shiro's place, I would – "

Lance banged his fist into a nearby wall, the sound of it got Keith to snap his head back upright. Before he could listen to anything else Keith wanted to say, he grabbed his coat and walked outside, shutting the door with a loud bang.

In that instant their relationship shattered into glassy shards. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Lance was ankle-deep in the snow when suddenly, he wanted to cry. The last time he cried was when he was 11 when his stupid bike was broken apart. He didn't even cry when Nyma dumped him in front of his friends on Valentine's day. Or when Plaxum slapped him behind the Christmas tree.

Why did he pick Keith up?

Why was he so concerned?

Lance was ankle-deep in the snow, nose red and eyes started to flood when he realized he had fallen in love.

It'll pass.