Chapter Seven

It was past eight by the time Hunk pulled his truck back into the driveway, Pidge was drooling on Lance's shoulder, sound asleep, having bounced all over the Science Museum like a kangaroo on crack. At least, what Lance figured a kangaroo on crack might look like if they were a seven year old genius.

There was someone sitting on the front steps, Lance for a full minute fooled himself into thinking it could be Keith, who he was still itching to call. He hadn't figured on getting home so damn late, but then he realized it was Griffin and frowned. Hunk made a noise himself as he opened his door and pulled the sleeping Pidge into his arms. "Don't let him, whatever you do," Hunk mumbled.

Lance shook his head, not sure if he was shaking his head at Hunk's advice or at Griffin being there or both. He was tired from being up since five in the morning, he was antsy from wanting to do something all day and he still couldn't do it because now he had another visitor.

Griffin stood up as both he and Hunk approached. "Hey Hunk," he said. "Little tyke out cold? What did you two do to him?"

"Loaded him up on quantum physics at work on display at the Science Museum," Hunk explained. "Always over excites him and he passes out."

Griffin shook his head and glanced at his head. "Super-brained kids these days, huh?"

Lance nodded because he really didn't have anything to say, but he walked past Griffin to unlock the door for Hunk and open it. "Don't wait," he said lowly not knowing what Griffin wanted, he really had no idea how long it'd take for him to get inside.

Hunk nodded.

Shoving his hands into his jeans pockets, Lance turned back around and met Griffin's gaze. Griffin cocked his head toward's Hunk's truck and walked back down toward it, Lance followed him. Griffin pulled down the back and hopped up, legs dangling. Lance followed suit and waited.

"So, I overheard last night you might need a place to crash soon?"

Lance sighed. "Maybe, hoping not."

"My doors always open," Griffin said.

"Yeah, man, I know," Lance laughed, thinking of the revolving door of characters that he'd seen going in and out of Griffin's apartment above Riff's.

"Not what I meant, Lance. Really, for you, there is a whole room. That door that never opens, it's another bedroom. You can have it."

"I thought that was like a closet or something?" Lance said, kind of surprised by how serious Griffin sounded. He'd expected the offer of the bed, Griffin's bed, not a room. He didn't even know there was a room.

"No strings," Griffin said, hands up in the air. "Just wanted to put it out there for you, face to face, that's all. "And I don't do any shifty business in the apartment anymore, not after the last time."

Lance wondered at that but he didn't say anything. "That's a change, I mean, cops have raided your apartment more than once, man."

Griffin who was looking right at him, looked away. "Yeah, well, I decided to grow up, a little bit, not completely. Not selling anything anymore. Just buying, plus you know Riff, she was tired of bailing me out."

"Are you on the level, cause I can't afford to get caught up in some raid, or something. Not like almost happened last time. If Riff hadn't gotten me out of it by talking to that cop... I'd get kicked out of the Academy, one arrest is all it takes."

Headlights blinded them both, they both held up their hands, as Dai's truck, bigger than Hunk's came pulling into the driveway. Griffin blinked a few times and Lance did the same as he tried to adjust his eyes back to the dark, barely lit by the nearby streetlight driveway.

"Griffin?" he asked again.

"Yeah, kid, I promise."

They heard footsteps walking towards them, Lance looked up and then up when Dai appeared. Almost the spitting image of Hunk, except about a foot taller with lighter hair. He looked down at them and gave Lance a look that said. Why are talking to this guy? "Coming in soon, Lance?" he said out loud, crossing his arms against his chest.

Lance felt awkward, his own family never had taken care of him like this, but Hunk's Hunk's treated them like one of them all the time. It always threw him, made him feel really awkward and he wanted to ask why they bothered. "Soon, yeah," he said.

Katie came by, her head just reached above Dai's waist when she had heels on, which was often, she smiled hello to Griffin and crooked a finger at Lance. "I'll be inside, soon, Dai."

Lance sighed, Katie and her damn family too, all about the adopting him. He didn't get it. "Be right back," he mumbled and followed her. She walked into a patch of light, that the streetlight gave off, and she smiled up at him. "Dad said, Griffin came looking for extra work because he owes Riff more money than he work off for her? Do you know what that is about?"

Lance was surprised to hear that he shook his head and glanced over at Griffin. "No, nothing."

"Dad's always had a soft spot for Griffin, since he and Sara went to school together. He and Sara barely talk now but sometimes when he's really low he calls her. That's how he found out Dad was hiring. I just... I want you to be careful okay, something Sara said."

Lance ran his hand through his hair. "What?"

"Griffin talks about you a lot," Katie said.

Lance shrugged. "So?'

"Sara told me Griffin never talks about anything or anyone a lot."

Lance rolled his eyes. "She's never seen him go on about a good beer then."

Katie sighed. "Okay, don't listen, but I told her I warn you."

"I'm warned."

"He's good underneath the rough edges, just... you know he's...Griffin."

Lance shrugged not really sure what Katie meant by that. She sighed and turned, waving at Griffin as she walked by.

Lance made his way back to the truck but stood in front of Griffin instead of hopping up. "I'll have to think about it," he said. "But we're going to try to get roommates first, you know?"

"Yeah, of course." Griffin hopped down off the truck. "Want walk with me a ways?"

Lance shook his head. "No, I, uh I have this call I promised I make and Keith probably thinks I'm blowing him off it's so late..."

"Keith. Hot Asian guy from last night, right?" Griffin said.

"Yeah," Lance said, feeling suddenly shy. "So...I'll see you around."

"Bring him into Riff's next weekend, I'll give you guys free drinks."

Lance thought back to what Katie said about Riff but he bit his tongue. Griffin was a pretty prideful guy, he didn't want to put him on the spot. "We can pay," he said instead.

"See ya, kid," Griffin said, touching Lance's arm for a beat before leaving.

Lance watched Griffin until he disappeared around the corner, shook off the weird feeling that settled over him the entire conversation. He guessed it was worry due to Griffin's own weirdness and everyone warning him off from the guy. Not that he could blame him, just being in that apartment on the wrong night had almost cost him the Academy. It was always almost something costing him his future, Lance thought.

He pushed open the door and walked up the stairs straight into the kitchen. Dai and Hunk were talking over their days, each with a huge chicken leg in their mouths. Lance grabbed a beer from the fridge and then walked out onto the back deck. Pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket, pulled up Keith's name and hit call.

"Hello?" Lance tension in shoulders just release, it was that voice. The voice that he knew so well from over the radio, sniping right back at him about how he could out fly him with his eyes closed. Keith wished, Lance grinned.

"Hey, where are you?" Lance asked, sliding down so he was sitting on the deck, his long legs bent in front of him, he toed off his sneakers.

"Dorm room."

"Still wearing my shirt?" Lance asked.

"Uh," he heard Keith's breathing quicken, he could see the flushed cheeks and Lance sighed into the phone.

"You so are, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Keith admitted. "I just put it back on, I had to leave the dorm today, though."

"What did you do? I learned more about quantum phenomena than one ever need to know at the Science Museum today."

"Sparred with Sven, went to the library to look up sources on for my paper due for Global History class, spent most of the day there. Then I met Sven for dinner at Lena's."

"You two go to Lena's a lot."

"Amelia, Sven's crush works there."

"Oh," Lance said. "I get it then, what about you didn't you have any crushes you followed around campus. It's not Sven is it?"

Keith laughed and Lance closed his eyes, it gave him goosebumps, it was deep throaty laugh. "No, no crush on Sven. You're the only guy I've got a crush on."

Lance grinned. "Well, yeah, I am awesome."

Keith laughed louder. "Modest too."

"But seriously, no other crushes before laid eyes on me?"

Keith fell silent, Lance waited. "Hey, I won't tell a soul if it's embarrassing."

"Uh, I, um. Major Taylor is hot," Keith whispered.

"Yeah, he is, he's straight though, or immune to my charms."

"You didn't!"

"What flirt my ass with him, hell yeah, he's hot. And I figured it couldn't hurt right, the most teachers do when it gets to them is get all flustered and threaten you with detention for being a smartass."

"You're crazy," Keith laughed.

"Maybe," Lance said. "But my life is fun."

"You were at the museum all this time?"

"We pulled in around eight, I would've called you then but Griffin was outside."

"Hot bartender guy, he stalking you?" Keith asked his voice only kind of laughing.

"No, no. He's not an issue, Keith. Really. He was just being a friend. He and I are friends, more than... you know that other thing," Lance made a face at himself, what was he babbling. "He was just offering me a room."

"A room," Keith asked confused then he remembered. "Oh, yeah, the house situation with two of your roommates getting married?"

"Yeah, I guess Benjamin told him. Griffin and his oldest were friends back when they went to high school. He calls her when he's really down, guess he got in touch recently."

"You've got a pretty tight knit circle, huh?"

Lance shrugged, then remembered that Keith couldn't see him. "Not really. Sometimes...sometimes they make me feel awkward."

"Why?"

"I don't know, the whole tight knit family vibe freaks me out. I mean I'm grateful and all for Hunk, and his brother, Katie's nice. But it's just weird. I'm used to watching out for myself, you know?"

"I guess, sounds nice to me, I always wanted a brother or a sister. I've kind of started thinking of Sven as a brother. A really annoying one," Keith muttered, and Lance heard a rustling and something thumped. "Sorry, I just had an urge to throw a book at him."

Lance laughed. "Was he making fun of us?"

"Yeah, he was."

"Next week, we should come back here, we can crash on the couch in the living room. No will bother us until morning."

Keith was quiet for a beat or two, Lance held his breath. "Next week huh?"

"Yeah? You want to right? Go out, come back here?"

"Yeah," Keith said low and breathy directly into Lance's ear, which went directly to Lance's dick.

"You are too sexy," Lance groaned.

"I am?" Keith said making it sound like accusation against Lance.

"Yeah, next flight class, I'm going to have issues flying while doing my usual banter with you."

"Oh God, no...you can't. I'll crash. I will crash for real this time," Keith laughed.

Lance laughed. "No way, you're too good for that."

The door to the deck slid open, Dai looked out at him, Lance held up his hand. "Hold on a second, Keith," he looked up. "Yeah?"

"Remember you have to be at the scrapyard by five tomorrow, you're covering my shift and doing yours. Get some sleep."

Lance nodded and sighed. "Hey, Keith I was just reminded I suck for being a nice guy."

"How does that work?"

"I have to get up even earlier than we did today, tomorrow for work. Covering for Dai so he can do wedding stuff with Katie."

"Oh, right and building the archway."

"Yeah," Lance said.

"Okay, so..."

"I'll sleep in your shirt," Lance said.

"Yeah."

"And nothing else."

"Uh," Keith breathed.

"Night, Keith."

"Yeah, you too."

Lance forced himself to hang up, he closed his eyes, and he sighed. It felt like it was taking years for the weekend to end and get to Monday when he could see Keith again. He stood up and made his way down the all to his room. Hunk was on his bed, reading one of his text books. Lance groaned, he needed to study too, do some homework. "Crap, I forgot about homework, I'll have to bring it tomorrow."

Hunk laughed.

"It's not funny," Lance undressed down to his boxers, then pulled on Keith's blue shirt, climbed into his bed, and kicked off his boxers and tossed them onto the floor.

Hunk gave him a look.

"I made a threat on the phone, I'm keeping it."

Hunk rolled his eyes.

"Next week can you cover for Saturday, at the scrapyard, so I can see Keith?"

Hunk eyes left his book. "You really are serious about Kogane aren't you?'

Lance nodded as he beat his pillow into submission.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks," Lance said and started to reach to turn off the light closest to his bed.

"What did Griffin want?"

"To offer me the other room in his apartment."

"He has another room?"

"He says he does."

"I thought that was a closet."

"Me too," Lance said with a shrug.

"Huh," Hunk muttered. "I really hope you don't have to take it."

Lance didn't say anything, he had a bad feeling they were going to get to keep the house after Dai and Katie got married and moved into their own place on their own. It was just going to be the way it was. Hunk and Pidge would be okay in the dorm without him, Lance thought. Besides the only thing he really cared about right now was figuring out how to see as much as Keith Kogane as he possibly could.