Merry Christmas!

No the story isn't finished, LOL. I think it has only one or two chapters left however, unsure as to which number until I start writing. So if I can write today, I will of course, and tomorrow definitely. Hope everyone one is having a good day, and those of you who celebrate other things, I hope it's an awesome lazy Sunday for you too!

Chapter Eight

Keith never cleared his mind, the closest he came to clearing it was admitting he'd been a fool to invite Granger to the Castle and he'd known it deep down all along. He kept thinking to initial decision, looking out the window after fighting off SimuLotor and Allura nudging his thoughts towards Lance. It'd been her intention anyway, but he hadn't wanted to allow it so he supplied the one guy he'd met who'd managed to remind him of Lance and forget Lance at the same time.

It was a feat. Granger had to be honored for that at least. Granger had reminded Keith of Lance from the moment he'd pulled Keith ass out of danger, sewed him up and insisted that they be allies. All before Keith knew his name or if he trusted him past the fact he'd saved Keith's life. But was it so Keith would trust him, or was it because it was who he was?

In that time Granger turned out to be reckless, a risk taker and loyal. He turned out to be nothing like Lance when it came to romance, sex or what he wanted out of a partner or relationship. He and Keith fought constantly about Keith not talking, not sharing, about the disappearing - What about being a fugutive didn't Granger get? What about them not actually being couple didn't Granger get, Keith had shouted a few times.

That one had always hurt Granger, Keith give him an inch for friendship, for loyalty because he was an ally and sometimes because he was lonely, and he wanted, no needed some companionship and Granger took a mile. He told Granger flat out the sex was sex, he didn't want any mix singles, yet somehow he had to be giving them out...

He wondered if it was Lance. Residual feelings, residual dreams. No, they'd never talked about building a home, but Keith knew neither one of them planned to leave Arus. No they'd never talked about adopting a kid, but Keith knew Lance was great with them. Was always outside with Hunk, not becoming their big brother or mentor like the big guy, but playing with them, plotting with them, building tree houses and getting caught with them out past dinner.

Keith smiled against his will, remembering how he'd been called down to a woman's house one evening, not understanding why an Arusian Civilian woman could, would or had ordered his presence. He got there and Lance and her son were sitting on the couch, both looking shame faced and the woman explained to Keith, how they had both lied to her about where they were going, and not only that they'd come back two hours late.

Lance had shrugged behind her, cocked his head at the thirteen year old boy who was red with embarrassment and possibly guilt. "He needed me," was all Lance mouthed.

Keith never got the full story, all he knew was something about catching the one red frog in the marsh, the mother afraid the kid would catch a cold, and the boy crushing on his guy friend and really needing someone to talk to about that. Keith only really cared about the last part, because Hunk had come forward and said that was why he'd introduced Lance to the kid.

Keith had let Lance off without a grounding, he didn't think the kid was so lucky, Quintus, Keith thought his name was. He was pretty sure Lance was still friends with him... Kid wouldn't be much of a kid anymore. Maybe he did mentor them, just not like the big guy, Keith thought thinking about how much better Lance was with the cadets.

He thought about marrying Lance. He had, he'd never said a word though because Lance wasn't someone you tried to chain up. Keith never felt sure he had a full hold of Lance, didn't matter how tight he held on, didn't matter how deep under Lance's skin his name had been inked, or how many times he covered Lance's skin with his mouth.

Guys tried to take him away, it wasn't Keith's imagination. It happened, over and over, again. In highschool, the one time Lance slipped. The Academy, here on Arus... Women too. Even when they knew who Lance was, who Lance was with, somehow it didn't matter - and Keith got it. He might ignore the other half too if he caught himself in the aim of Lance's smile.

And it wasn't that Lance wanted it to happen. Keith knew this, he knew Lance was being who he was. He flirted like he breathed. It was a natural state of talking. He charmed, he laughed, he ran his hand through his hair and became endearing after he'd screwed up royally. He turned it on, he could turn it off but it was there, on low level anyway because it was him. Who he was... Keith knew the difference, On Lance, Off Lance. In the middle. Pissed off. Vulnerable.

Lance had been vulnerable and pissed off last night, and no one had seen him since he left the dinning room. Keith was trying to not worry, trying to not care...

"Keith?" Allura was next to him on the table. It was late in the afternoon, the Autumnal Moon Festival was starting in two hours. Allura had a pile of papers with her, but she looked distracted and Keith could guess why. She'd been trying to corner him all day and he'd been avoiding her; he also was sure she was looking for Lance more than paying any attention to her daily duties.

"Allura, I don't want to..."

"I really don't care," she said.

Keith's eyes widened.

"It's almost Christmas. It's almost the Autumnal Moon Equinox. It's a time of Magic, and Lights and the Big Fat Red guy with the presents... I don't think you are sitting here brooding about Granger being gone."

"This is all your fault," Keith said.

Allura sighed. "I know. If I'd known you'd be so stupid as to invite another man here, I never would have nudged you. Idiot."

"We fell apart, Allura. I don't think we fix something that broke apart like how we broke apart."

"You two never broke apart, Keith."

Keith laughed.

"Oh, you laugh. Yet, last night. I, everyone, witnessed a fight about how neither you or he ended the relationship Keith. That sounds like two men, who didn't break apart. Something went wrong, something went awry... He wouldn't make the first move fix things with you when you got back. I don't know. I tried and tried on him. He kept saying he'd go to your door and walk away. He wanted to knock but he... he hid behind the fights about who is in the lead. But we've worked most of that out. There will always be bumps but we've got the chain of command worked out. Maybe you took my nudging towards Lance and went in the wrong direction but it opened the door Keith...talk to him."

"He's been coming to my door and walking away?" Keith said, his anger rising up again. "He couldn't hit the chime, just barge in like he always used too? If he can't make the move than why the hell should I?"

"That's what you take from what I said, that's all you take. You two and your prides. Fine neither one of be the first to risk anything, this one time, the two bravest men I know, both of you be cowards. Die alone, down the all from the arms you want wrapped around, all because neither one you can be the one to hit the chime." Allura got up, pulled the papers she holding to her chest. "Tonight the Festival starts, you will be there, with me, Larmina, Pidge and Hunk. And if Lance comes back, he will be there. I'm making it a Royal Order. Understood."

Keith felt his head nod, it was an automatic response to the term Royal Order, his mind was spinning at her words. At everything he was thinking about Granger, Lance, and he didn't want to remember the fight from the night before.

He'd been so angry, the idea of being married...so simply married, to have been Lance's husband, and never known it. It angered him because it wasn't something you did unknowingly. It mattered. He'd chosen the tattoo, he'd chosen to do that feet first and not really with a lot of thought. He'd never regretted it, he couldn't. Marrying Lance wasn't something that could be a happenstance. It wasn't serendipity, it was something that was supposed to be planned.

They'd never planned it.

~~.~~

"Where have you been?"

Lance jolted, all his nerves spiked and he jumped in his skin where he stood half in and out of the closet in his bedroom. He'd taken off on his Kessel, purposely taking two full tanks of reserve fuel from Hunk's garage with him. The last thing he wanted to do was return back to the castle too soon. Though, anytime would be too soon with Keith with another man inside of it. He'd told himself he could do the big thing, he could stand there and watch Keith move on. He was a man, he wasn't a coward. Hell it'd be one way to get past it, watch it no matter how hard it burned, how hard it made him want to punch things. How much it made him wish he could hate Keith, but that was impossible and he knew it.

Maybe he could've if Bandor hadn't let the Tattoo Marriage cat of the bag. Lance isn't sure, maybe something else would have hit the fan and made it too impossible for him watch Keith with that man. Moving on, making his choice. Reminding Lance that there was never any intent to marry, never any discussion to marry, and there was never any marriage, peasant tradition or not. Keith hadn't wanted a marriage was what Lance heard, Keith hadn't found the reveal kind of awesome... Allura's gift giving afterwards sneaky and adorable.

Keith had just been pissed, and then had the audacity to try to put their break up on Lance. On him. He wasn't the one who was mistrustful, he hadn't been the one making accustations that weren't true. He'd been no angel, but he never had been and Keith...

"Lance!" Pidge's voice this time.

Lance had come home, walked straight to the closet, opened the old shoebox he kept the most important things to his heart in. He ended up picking up a few pieces of paper he hadn't intended on picking up at all. But he'd seen them, the writing on them and his hands picked them up and then found what he'd been really looking for. He wasn't sure why he wanted it, or what he was going to do with it. He was angry about it? That was the thing, wasn't it. But now he wasn't alone, because his friends were behind him. He'd just gotten back, and they were right on his back. He pocketed the things, into the safety of his leather jacket and turned around.

"You guys do get this is my fucking private room?"

"You do get you've been missing since dinner last night, and it's almost time for the Autumnal Festival to begin, which is dinner tonight," Pidge said.

Lance shrugged. "I had some steam to blow off."

"Where did you go?" Hunk asked.

"Ended up just outside this tiny village in the Northern hills called Casdean, where I was lucky they had a shuttle so I could back here. I ran out of gas," Lance said.

"You stole two tanks of my fuel," Hunk said. "You owe me."

"I'll buy you more. I couldn't stand seeing him near that other guy, not, not... I just can't be near him with that guy, I don't care if Allura Royal Commands it, no way I'm hanging out with them tonight at the Festival."

"That guy, left," Pidge said, then he grinned. "Merry Christmas."

"Keith doesn't seem all that upset about it either. I mean he's brooding, but I think it's you brooding. It's him brooding, right? Looks like the Lance brooding," Hunk said.

Lance had to smile but he thought Hunk was crazy, there wasn't a Lance brooding versus another man brooding. Keith was probably brooding because he was pissed off, because he'd screwed up with the guy, because he was mad at Lance and because everything was all fouled up. "Not about me, he keeps telling me, he made his choice."

Pidge fiddled with his glasses, then he shook his head. "Uh, I don't think he really has made a choice. I mean he didn't stop Granger from leaving. Plus, it was really clear last night that he's still in love with you."

Lance hated it when his laughter was bitter and dark. But he couldn't stop it from happening when he was angry. He was a laugher, even when pissed off, even when the last thing he felt like doing was laughing. It wasn't his real laugh so maybe it didn't even count as one, Lance hoped so, as bitter laughter flew out of his throat at Pidge's words. "I must have missed that declaration over him being quite blunt over the fact that idea of me, him and marriage was the stupidest thing he ever heard."

Lance had to blink hard when Hunk's hand was on his shoulder seconds after the words left his mouth. Hunk was looking down at him with that face of his and shaking his head. "I saw you when they were explaining the tradition with the tattoos. It's a nice tradition, it fit you and Keith to a T, I thought so too... I don't know why he railed against it like he did. I mean, it was you guys, he really was. I know you liked it, you lit up like...well A Christmas Tree. Teasing Allura, to try deny how you felt..."

Lance had to avert his eyes from Hunk, he hated when the guy went great shoulder and wise on him. It wasn't a great combination. "Doesn't matter if I liked the thought or not. He was right, we had no intent then and after the fact when you're broken up it's kind of moot."

Pidge sighed. "Weren't you listening to your fight last night, Lance."

Lance looked up from his combat boots. "What?"

"Last night you and Keith, were fighting over the fact neither one of you broke up with the other. It ended with you stating your love for him. You two are not in fact, broken up."

"Then what the hell are we?" Lance asked.

Pidge shrugged, Hunk squeezed Lance's shoulder.

"I don't know, man. But I do know that Allura made it clear. You have to be at the festival with us. And it is a Royal Command, and I don't think you should ignore it. We saw her after she'd had words with Keith, she's kind of mad. You don't want to poke the lioness and it worse."

Lance rolled his eyes. Then he put a hand on Hunk's chest. "I need to shower, change..." he said.

"Yeah, yeah," Hunk and Pidge said in unison and they left.

Lance let out a breathe, he walked over his bed, pulled out the pieces of paper he'd taken out of the shoebox and sat down. He started to unfold them, to find the starting point, but then shook his head. He was being stupid, he didn't need a reminder of the past. It wasn't going to help anything now. If anything it'd just make him more angry, all that time, all those memories and they'd let all slip away without even breaking up according to Pidge.

"We're bright," Lance muttered, shrugging out of his jacket and tossing it on his bed, then stripping out of the shirt and jeans he'd worn to dinner the night before.

"Hi."

Lance turned, giving Allura a look.

She held up her hands.

"I'm fine," he grumbled.

"You're in one piece anyway."

"Allura..."

"You two are as bad as each other."

"I will poke you lioness or not," Lance said, sitting down to untie his boots.

Allura raised an eyebrow.

"Did they tell you Granger left?"

"Yes."

"I think Keith realizes he screwed up inviting him."

Lance wasn't sure what she meant, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. "I would have prefered not seeing him with someone else at all. Next time he wants to be polite, he can go to the guy."

"You know that isn't what I meant."

"Do I?" Lance said. "He keeps saying he made a choice. He's moving on.. not to mention his rant about us never wanting to get married..."

"You completely disagree don't you."

"What does it matter. We aren't together."

"Yet you never broke up."

"Yeah, Pidge ran that theory by me too. Yet, I sleep in this bed alone, every damn night."

"I kind of screwed up," Allura said.

Lance looked up from his now naked feet.

"I let slip how you've been to his door a few times and then walked away. I was trying to get through to him that you two are both being hard headed morons, letting your prides get in the way of what you really want. Pretending that chain of command arguments mattered more than what you really cared about. Never dealing with the arguments you two were having, that you sleeping separately in the first place... You two shouldn't be where you are. You should be together, and I wanted him to see how you both being so stupid."

"And you were stupid."

"He only focused on the fact that you hadn't knocked, hit the chime, or barged in like you usually do."

Lance didn't know what to do with that information. "If I did that he'd kick me out, or wait he might throw me down on his bed, then remember he doesn't want me anymore, then kick me out. You know I get a lot of crap for being to crude and ballsy, but he's damn mercurial sometimes, especially when he isn't sure what he wants but he's pretending he knows..." Lance trailed off.

Allura walked over and sat down next to him. "What?"

"Nothing," Lance said, though he knew now that Keith had never been sure about Granger. He'd been lying to himself, to Lance, to everyone and Lance should've known it the second Keith kissed him. He hadn't seen it because he was too angry, too mad at Keith for bring the guy here in the first place, for only planning to tell Lnace about him because it would be polite.

Polite. They'd been together since they were sixteen, for fucks sake. He deserved more than some polite's heads up. This reminded him of when he'd let that damn guy from the college who's name and face he can't even remember now kiss him during high school. He'd gone straight to Keith, confessed, apologized, gotten dumped and then watched Keith date someone else for three weeks. Until Keith gave up the idiocy, the revenge, the freaking spite...

Fuck had Granger been spite?

For what?

"Allura, I don't even know what went wrong?" he said.

"Talk to him."

Lance laughed, a little less bitterly than he had before but it was there. "Allura, he and I never did talking all that great."

"Maybe it's time you two learned!" Allura snapped. "You better hurry in that shower, we're meeting in the control room in twenty minutes."

"Okay, okay."

"Good," she stood up, and in the process knocked his jacket off the bed and onto the floor. Which knocked the box he'd pocketed earlier out, snapped the lid open and what was inside slid out and rolled on the floor stopping in front of Allura's foot.

"Don't..."

Allura picked it up, she held it up in front of her, between her and Lance. He could see her blue eyes through the circle of the ring. She held it and then she flipped it around in her hands, then she moved it closer, tilting it towards her. Lance closed her eyes knowing she'd spotted the engraving.

"Oh!" she said after reading it. "Lance, how long have you had this ring?"