Notes: SnarktronForce Ladies, BBQ things we discussed, next chapter. Sorry. Everyone else, this chapter is a lot tamer than the last two were, sorry but don't worry Lance and Keith will be alone again. :-) Hope everyone enjoys.

Chapter Sixteen

Keith was timing it.

They'd checked out of the bed and breakfast and started walking back a little bit after eleven, Lance had grabbed Keith's hand in his, as he always did. And as it always did Keith's heart would stop and restart faster. It kept surprising him that Lance, this guy, this amazing hot, smart, funny, crazy guy wanted him - Keith Kogane. He'd squeezed Lance's hand back and allowed him to lead him, only because Lance knew the way better. He would rather take the lead, to be the one to pull Lance home. He blushed at the thought, Lance knew this as he noticed Lance wasn't leading the way obviously. It wasn't at all like the trip to the bed and breakfast, not hands on and bossy. And full of Lance's voice in his ear, turning him on even more than Lance's hands all over his body.

It'd been about a minute and half of silence between them now, Keith knew it would be soon. It was a comfortable rhythm: Step, step, a shared smile, step, step...

"Do you surf?"

Keith felt a swell of happiness rise up as Lance spoke. Keith liked the silence, it was comfortable and not awkward. He'd always wished for someone he could have comfortable silences with and with Lance he'd found it. It was like the handholding, it was simple and easy and it'd meant more than he wanted to dwell on. No for once Keith just wanted to enjoy it, to savor it, to love it. But it was also totally endearing that Lance couldn't go more than a minute without making a sound.

"No," Keith said, giving Lance a laugh and a smile at the notion. His eyes falling on the surfers that Lance must been watching to evoke the question.

"Hmm," was Lance's reply and then he fell back into silence, his eyes moving off the ocean and toward the stairs they were coming upon.

Keith remembered the stairs. In fact, he was impressed with himself, how much of the route he found familiar despite the fact he'd been without sight for the walk. Especially given he'd felt uncomfortable and out of his element. His only peace had been Lance's voice, because he'd never shut up, and his strong hands touching him, holding his hands, and when he wasn't his fingers pressing hard into his hips. Lance telling him with touch that he'd never let Keith fall. He trusted Lance. It was a new feeling, to trust someone so much, so soon. Keith looked over at Lance, Lance caught his gaze and he licked his lips. Keith smiled, he liked this walk more, he loved it. It was quiet, the comfortable silence a dream come true. Even when his boyfriend intruded on the peace with his words.

Palms pressed tight together, step, step, a gaze with a smile and a wink, step, step...

"Do want to learn how?" Lance asked, still on the surfing.

"No," Keith said, laughing on the inside.

"Yeah, me either," Lance said.

Keith bit the inside of his cheek. It was uncanny, one minute and a little less than thirty seconds, every time. Keith squeezed Lance's hand as they hit the bottom of the stairs, Lance glanced over at him and grinned. Keith held his gaze for a beat, looked away. He waited, enjoying the companionable silence.

Step, step, glance, he squeezed Lance's hand again and moved forward taking the lead.

"Where are you going?" Lance asked.

Keith stayed silent and he kept his lead. Enjoying the fact he could create the words that came out Lance's mouth so easily. He remembered the walk from the sound of the ocean. It was closer now, less than ten feet away. There was a nearby road and Keith remembered the sound of the cars, and the sounds from the restaurant that they were currently passing. After they passed the restaurant it was a straight shot back to Lance's place.

Keith grinned. Step, step, he and Lance caught each other's gaze, step, step...

"You managed to memorize the route while blindfolded didn't you?" Lance asked.

Keith shrugged. Lance shook his head at him. "You're not real, there is no fucking way you can be real" Lance said, studying Keith with wide eyes and an even wider grin before falling silent again.

Keith shook his head and noticed Lance had moved closer to Keith's side, his grip on Keith's hand was harder. Keith didn't think Lance was trying to start a conversation when he spoke, or that he really wanted to break the silence between them. There was something in the tone of Lance's voice when he did speak. His voice was lower than usual, like he might break the spell, his words more measured out less rambling. There was a weight to the silence, between them a charged energy, that was part of the silence. It buzzed there while Lance managed to keep his mouth shut and it made Keith believe Lance enjoyed peace as well.

Step, step, glance, smile, step...

"Hey, that cloud looks like an antelope," Lance blurted out.

Keith laughed. "Lance?"

"Yeah?"

"It's okay to be quiet."

Lance laughed. "I'm trying, it's nice, it's all sunny, it's not too hot, we...yesterday and this morning were...I don't have words for it, it was fantastic. And this is too and I like this, just being with you. It's good, it reminds me of this morning, I was watching you sleep."

Keith blushed, his free hand went to his hair for a second in a self-conscious gesture. He'd been embarrassed to walk into in the bathroom and see what he'd looked like. Upset Lance had seen him such a mess, even though Lance had insisted he found his bedhead sexy. "I guess if you can't stay quiet, we can talk about clouds," Keith said.

Lance shrugged. "It does, well it did look like an antelope," he said peering up at the sky.

Keith laughed. "It's just I find it absolutely adorable you can't stay quiet, for over a minute. This is the real reason you're always in my ear in flight training right? An excuse to talk?"

Lance laughed, deep and throaty and he winked at Keith. "You found me out, I'm a compulsive talker, can't help myself, I have to talk. I could try to go two minutes...for you could I try, I know you like the quiet."

Keith was surprised by the offer, he hadn't meant for Lance to make any such offer at all. He liked, no he loved Lance's voice. He could go all his life with it in his ear, at all hours and never tire of it he was sure. Keith stopped walking and gripped Lance's hand. "No. No, never stop talking," he breathed out more than spoke.

"Okay, never. Talk, talk, talk," Lance said, "Piece of cake."

Keith smiled and turned to keep walking but he saw the house and wave of sadness overtook him and he stopped walking. "Wow, they already have grills up. Four?"

Lance followed his gaze. "Yeah. Chicken, ribeye steak, grilled vegetables and fish, all get their own grill. The Garrets take their BBQ very seriously. You'd think they were from Texas or something rather than around here. I think it's because they all need to eat so much, I don't know. I mean Hunk's the tiniest, if you don't count their mother."

Keith laughed. "So the rest are Dai's size."

"Around that, bigger, taller... really, Dai's in the middle."

Keith felt small imagining it, he wondered how it'd feel surrounded by it, his eyes caught a messy head of brown hair down by the water line. "Pidge?" he asked, pointing over.

Lance followed the line of sight. "Yeah, let's go see what's he's doing and find out who is in the house already," Lance said and he squeezed Keith's hand but stayed still.

Keith grinned, the pulled Lance behind him as they made their way down the hill they were on, down toward the House and the piece of private beach that belonged to the tiny place. It was a great place, Keith found himself hoping that Lance, Hunk and Pidge would be able to stay there. He didn't want to think about them having to leave. Especially if it meant Lance would have to move in with that bartender, he squeezed Lance's hand and thought, mine.

~~.~~

Hunk Garrett walked down off the back deck, hand shielding his eyes from the sun as he look for Pidge down by the water, and he grinned as he saw that Lance was back. Pidge and Keith Kogane seemed to be sparring, intrigued instead of calling Pidge in like his mother had told him too he started down toward the water to join them.

Lance was sitting in the sand, knees up, toes in the sand, his sneakers off to the side, leaning forward and watching the sight in front of him. Hunk slowed his walk a bit, taking in the picture of Lance watching Keith with Pidge. Lance looked still, at peace, he was watching both of the, he heard him call out a few suggestions to Pidge. Hunk then looked over at Keith, it was the most sure he'd ever seen the guy. He looked relaxed, steady, rock solid as he went through the moves, motions and sparring with Pidge. Martial Arts where his element, Hunk thought, as he shook his head. Lance had come home and said he was going with Keith Kogane...

Lance had come home with a new guy or girl as a date since the day Hunk met him, if he came home without a new number or a date lined up it meant he had a cold or the flu. Hunk watched the days progress with a bit of shock. Lance seemed serious about the guy, he talked about him nonstop, he wanted to call him all the time, and before Hunk new it his serial dating roommate had a boyfriend.

Keith seemed okay, Hunk had much chance to talk with him though, see what he was like past the rumors he knew from school. Keith was quiet whenever he was in the house, or in their shared classes. He was the complete opposite of Lance from what Hunk could tell, Lance seemed so smitten though, he hoped they'd work out. Keith seemed steady, responsible even, someone he'd never thought he'd see Lance with. It was better than any of the other men Lance had seemed to gravitate toward. Hunk had never liked any of the other guys who came to the house. It was as friends, with benefits, Lance had a knack for casual sex that Hunk knew he'd never understand. If he had a one night stand, he never expected to see the girl again, Lance he made friends with them. The guys though he hung out with, sometimes he kept sleeping with them. Griffin had always bugged Hunk the most, a guy with good intentions who always seemed to make the wrong deal a devil.

And in a few weeks Lance would probably be bunking in the guys spare room, he hoped Keith would take away any chance of anything else coming from that... Hunk also hoped for a miracle they could keep the house but he was pragmatic guy. It wasn't going to happen.

He plopped down next to Lance on the sand. "What's going on?"

"We got to talking with Pidge, and he asked Keith for some help with his moves. He keeps getting slammed in his Judo class."

Hunk nodded. "Yeah, he's almost one big bruise."

"He also claims Baltans are supposed to be Ninjas."

Hunk sputtered. "What?"

"It's true. All Baltans are Ninjas and Scientists. Every Baltan family has their own Ninja legacy, a family secret training ritual. As an orphan I have none. But will you teach me, Keith? I need to know?"

Hunk watched as Keith looked at Lance, he felt Lance fidget beside him and then nudge him hard with his elbow. Hunk nudged him back harder and Lance tipped over into the sand. Pidge started to laugh as Keith came over to help Lance up, who spit out some sand before he bust out laughing hysterically. "Watch your strength, dude!"

"Sorry," Hunk shrugged.

"Keith, I am waiting for my answer, please?"

Hunk watched as Lance looked at Keith as he whacked sand off his right side. "It can't hurt right, I mean weren't you a blackbelt by his age anyway?"

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Sure, Pidge. I'll be your Master."

Pidge grinned. "Awesome. Because I'm already a kickass scientist."

"Language!" Hunk said.

"Seriously, there is not enough soap in the world to get him to stop swearing at this point," Lance muttered.

"Tsuyoshi Fabian Garrett, Lance Charles McClain, bring Pidge into this house now he's been in the sun way too long!"

Hunk and Lance both winced, Hunk went to start gathering Pidge's sand toys and he had to laugh as he heard Keith say, "Hunk's mother pulls the full name on you?"

"Uh, yeah," he said. "Come on, Pidge, let Hunk get your toys, let's go introduce Keith to Sora."

"Sure," Pidge said and Hunk turned in time to see Pidge grab the hand that Lance didn't already have in his grasp. Keith looked down at Pidge with wide eyes for the briefest of moments but then said nothing and the two of them let Pidge lead the way into house.

Hunk decided he liked guy, maybe he'd be good for Lance. But not at the moment, because Lance was paying for leaving him with Pidge's toys, the little genius had brought out ever single sand toy and some non-beach toys it seemed he own and then not used any of them and collected seashells it seemed. Hunk sighed and started to put the collected shells into a plastic bucket for the kid to keep them.

~~.~~

Lance popped open two beers, and made his way back outside to the corner of the deck, he, Keith, Hunk, Pidge, Sven and Amelia had taken over as their own. He grinned as he sat down in the chair he and Keith were sharing, he wrapped his body around Keith from behind again and dangled the beer in front of him. Keith took, Lance whispered in his ear, "having fun?"

Keith leaned back to whisper his answer. "Yeah," he said, sounding surprised.

Lance laughed and shook his head; he'd go into that more later when they were alone, he knew the story Hunk and Pidge were telling everyone. After all it was about him. They were trying to embarrass him, which wasn't going to happen. He had no shame. Keith though it was hard to tell was listening to every word about the story intently, about the first time Lance and Hunk were left alone in charge of a very sick Pidge. It was a wonder the kid was alive to tell the tale, Hunk didn't come out of the tale smelling like roses either but Lance knew he'd handled it badly, in fact he'd totally freaked out and left for a few hours, leaving poor Hunk alone with Pidge. Until his guilt got to him and he came trudging back, tail between his legs with the latest paper on String Theory for Pidge and a remote controlled truck for Hunk as bribes.

"Hey!" They'd gotten to the part where he'd snuck out the window. "I always said I am not qualified to raise a genius."

"Neither of you two are," Pidge said. "I think sometimes I am raising them, I tell Hunk when to go shopping, Lance when to go bed, Katie and I do the accounting together. And Dai came to me for advice on his proposal to her."

Sven choked on his beer, Amelia had to start pounding his back, but he kept coughing and coughing. But Hunk, Hunk fell out of his chair, onto a weak board of the deck, and right through to the sandy ground underneath. Everyone stood up, jumped back from the hole and then peered down. Hunk looked up and yelled. "What about Dai coming to you about proposing to Katie!"

"He wrote her a series of Haikus that ended with the proposal but he didn't want them to be trite, or silly so he came to me for help," Pidge yelled down into the hole.

Lance buried his face into where Keith's neck and shoulder met, inhaling hair as he tried not laugh hysterical and get control of his voice. By that point people had run under the deck and onto the deck, carefully.

"Tsuyoshi, are you all right," his mother yelled, peering down.

"I'm better than okay, Ma," he yelled up.

Dai was next to him, put his hand on his shoulder. "You sure? What happened?"

"I hit that weak board with my ass."

"Language in front of Pidge," Sora Garrett said.

Lance laughed. "Sora, we don't need to need to worry about Pidge and language. He's a poet among us mere mortals..."

Hunk beamed. "A regular Arakida Moritake, aren't you bro?"

"Who?" Dai said.

Keith started laughing which Lance found awesome and then he couldn't stop, which made Pidge start to giggle, though Lance was pretty sure the kid didn't get why he and Hunk were so happy at Dai's expense, not yet anyway. Keith shook his head at him, smiling and Lance nodded. "I told you, Garrett family BBQ's rock."

"This is pretty fun," Amelia said. "Sven is wondering what he missed while he was suffocating, as am I?" she said.

Sven nodded and took a careful sip of his beer, Lance laughed. "Pidge, tell them about the Haikus, while all three of you carefully walk around the hole Hunk made with his ass."

"Lance Charles McClain."

"Sorry, Sora."

"Callen is giving the signal that he, Haru and Tarou are done with the food. You and Keith bring the table on this deck down to the ground with the others. No one will be eating on this dangerous deck..." she shook her head. "Laughing about falling through the floor, only my thickheaded children and their friends."

"Aw, that's so romantic," Amelia said. "I think it's sweet he wanted it be right so he asked Pidge for help."

Lance shook his head. "Katie thinks he wrote it, Pidge, how much did Dai really write?"

Pidge pushed up his glasses. "Well, his ideas were in the right direction but his wording was.. well... I wrote about 95% of them."

Lance had to put his head down on Keith's shoulder again, as he shook with laughter. Hunk came up. "Mom said we have to move the table..."

"Get off this deck you'll make us all fall down!" Lance shouted.

Keith started to laugh again, he'd gotten himself under control, Lance counted that as a score. He sighed and turned to Lance. "I need you to let me go, got to hit the head."

Lance nodded, kissed him hard and fast first though. "Don't take too long, but long enough to get out of moving this."

"No, no, wait for me," Keith said, looking at the table.

Lance rolled his eyes. "Sven you have suffienct air to help us move this?"

Sven nodded and picked up the corner opposite from Lance, as Hunk hefted up the other end, while Pidge climbed onto it and sat in the middle indian style. "What are you doing, you think this is your carriage, kid?" Lance said.

"Sure," Pidge said.

"He don't weight nothing."

Lance shot Sven a look. "Fine with me," Sven said.

So the three of them carefully, carried down the table as Pidge tried to stay sitting on the middle, Lance laughed as the kid had to jump off and do a somersault to save his seven year old pride so he too didn't land on his ass in the sand. "Good landing, squirt!"

"Where did Amelia go?" Lance asked, realizing she was gone.

"Pidge come on, we have to wash our hands before food," Hunk said, grabbing Pidge and hoisting him onto his shoulders before Sven could say anything.

"She went to the bathroom," Sven said.

Lance nodded and sat on the picnic table top rather than the bench. "How is it going, you know with her? I hope you didn't think I butted in too much..."

"I did think you butted in too much, until she said yes, then I was kind of happy you did." Sven sat down next to him. "Why did you do that?"

"I hate watching people pine. I don't know what it is. I do it do strangers too. I grab them at bars, when I see two people checking each other out, but they don't go talk to each other. Grab 'em make them dance. I mean seems lame to me to be attracted and do nothing. I mean if I'd known Keith was so hot...would've been with him a hell of a lot sooner. I just never laid eyes on him before. Seems weird, you know, but it's true. I hate being grateful he almost crashed into the moon but there you go."

"Keith's doesn't much, I mean at all. Amelia set up on a blind date once but beyond that you are the only guy I've seen him date," Sven said.

Lance looked Sven in the eyes and kind of wished he hadn't. Sven's voice was soft, his accent made him sound a little bit goofy to Lance's ears, used to Californian and mid-western accents, but his eyes. They were like the sharp edge of a knife, looking right into his soul, Sven meant business into the lead up to you-hurt-my-friend-I-hurt-you. Lance made the decision to wait Sven out.

Sven held his gaze. "Keith's not just some guy. He's going to go somewhere when he graduates. This war, he'll not fight it he'll up us win it, finding a way to stop the Drules with force or diplomacy. I know he's studying it for that reason, anyway. So, don't take him for granted and don't mess with his head, or hurt him by treating him like he's some disposable..."

"I'm going to stay with Keith forever," Lance interrupted, because he couldn't even hear someone imply he would ever think of Keith as disposable. It was impossible, Keith wasn't someone who you met, looked into his eyes and touched and then forgot about. Sven was right, Keith wasn't an average guy, he was the guy going somewhere. A lot like Pidge, they both had that extra special something that made them better than the average guys around them. Lance swallowed. "Or, until he realizes he's too good for me. And if, if I do hurt him... Gut me."

"Hey, Lance," Tarou Garrett shouted. "We need your help with the bonfire."

The shout from Tarou kind of undermined his last statement to Sven but Lance meant it, he would let Sven literally gut him and leave him for dead if he hurt Keith. "I mean it," he said because he could tell it hadn't sunk in yet. Before he stood up to help the with the fire.

~~.~~

Keith was shocked to find Amelia had waited for him to come out of the downstairs bathroom, he smiled shyly at her as she played with her hands a bit before looking at him. "I just, I wanted to know if you're still mad at me."

"Mad at you?"

"About Clive?"

Keith shuddered.

"Yeah, I know, I'm so sorry but my parents guilted me into it and you were the only gay guy who was unattached I could think of..."

"I'm not mad at you, I'm happy that your family's genetics were kind to you," he said in all seriousness. "Is that why you waited for me?"

"No, it's Sven."

Keith nodded.

"How much, I mean how much does he like me?"

Keith looked at her, he was wondering why she was asking a question with such an obvious answer but maybe it wasn't obvious to her. Also he had no real idea what Sven thought about in his head, in his private thoughts. Keith knew Sven had eyes only for her and had for over two years. It was a crush that bordered a bit on obsession except that Sven didn't stalk her or anything, Keith didn't think them eating at Lena's counted. They were friends as well, and Sven told him he feared they were in the friend category a place that meant a relationship with a woman was doomed. Keith didn't get it.

"I really think you should ask Sven, Amelia," he finally answered. Sven's secrets were his own to tell her. What he knew, he had no right to tell.

Amelia sighed. "You're right. It's just, someone told me recently they think Sven's in love with me, and it made me see things differently and I'm..."

Katie suddenly bounded down the stairs. "Oh, I'm sorry did I interrupt something, I just really need to pee, please tell me noone in there."

"Noone is in there," Keith said.

Katie put her hand on the door, then she looked at Keith again. "No, you're not Lance," she laughed and opened it.

Amelia started laughing. "Oh my God, I can so see him doing that to people," she said. "I'm sorry Keith, you're right, I'll just talk to Sven."

Keith nodded and they started the walk back outside, they found where the table had been moved too, Keith felt guilty that he'd missed it but he knew Lance wouldn't wait for him. He sat down and realized Lance wasn't there. He was about to ask Sven where he was but Amelia and he were walking away from the table. Guess she was going to have that talk right away then, Keith though. He felt movement around him and Pidge was on his right and Hunk on his left.

"We like Lance," Pidge said.

"He can be impulsive," Hunk said.

Keith grinned, thinking of some of Lance's impulses, which started him blushing and he cleared his throat. "I like Lance too," he said to Pidge.

"Be nice to him or when you train me I'll kick you in your penis," Pidge said.

Keith bit his tongue so he wouldn't laugh. He nodded, soberly and seriously. "Yes, Pidge."

Pidge grinned then took off.

Hunk busted out with a guffaw that made Keith's hair move on his shoulder, Keith had laugh a little bit but at the same time he could see Pidge doing it. "He would though wouldn't he?"

"Pidge is hardcore when he has to be, yeah," Hunk said.

Keith nodded. "What is your threat?" he asked.

"I don't have a threat. I like you, Lance has been happy since you two hooked up. He's been calmer, well for Lance. It's a slight change but there is less restlessness going on. I've never seen him like this, it's good. And you seem steady, smart. You won't let him take dumb chances, do anything stupid. Thing is he might not take as many as those with you around. He hasn't since you two hooked up. What I wanted to do was warn you about Griffin."

Keith felt his blood go cold. "We've met."

"Yeah, Griffin, he's always around. He and Lance, they were together not as boyfriends or anything but for awhile. Did Lance tell you about the, the time..."

"Yeah," Keith said, thinking about the time Lance almost lost his whole Garrison career as a pilot before it started, because he would've been arrested if Riff hadn't stopped it. All because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. "He told me. He thinks he's going to end up living there. I hate it."

"Me too. Why I wanted to warn you. Griffin, he means well. I, uh, I think he's love with Lance. It's the way he looks at him when Lance isn't looking."

"I know. He pretty much told me, without telling me..." Keith grimaced. "I hate him."

"Lance likes him."

Keith sighed. "I know."

Hunk nodded. "Look I just want you to know, Griffin isn't a threat but he's a screw up, we need to keep an eye on things if Lance ends up over there. Now my stomach is roaring for some food, and it's ready to go, grab a plate and go get what you want," Hunk said as he stood up.

Keith stood up, he scanned the area looking for Lance and found him by the bonfire, standing looking up at the sky. He looked gorgeous, the fire glowing behind him, lighting him up with orange-glowing aura, Keith felt his mouth go dry and he walked over to him and slipped his fingers against Lance's own.

"Stars are gorgeous tonight," Lance said.

Keith looked up and there was a blanket of a million stars above them, Lance was right the sight was beautiful. "Yes, they are."

"I want be up there, right now. I wish I had my own fighter, that I could just go out whenever I wanted to. Just like when I get urge to ride the Kessel, you know? I'd grab you and we could fly."

"I'd like that," Keith said. "Hunk said the food is ready, to grab a plate."

"Hunk has a plate?" Lance said. "Crap, we have to go before there is no food left!" he laughed and pulled Keith with him as he took off toward the grills.