Chapter 11: Are You With Me?

Notes:

Sorry this one is a bit short (the length of most of my chapters.)

This one is right before a bit of a time skip, so I ended it there. v.v

Art from the chapter before:

Tea Party and Ugly shirt are at my Tumblr: replace * with a .

[ madame-kiksters*tumblr*com/post/170251280311/scenes-from-keith-the-cat-chapter-10-i-especially ]

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Keith had received a warm welcome from the family when Lance explained his living situation, rather, the lack thereof. Lance's mother had scolded him gently for not telling them sooner and received a pat on the shoulder from Lance's dad before he received a nod of encouragement.

Like that, Keith was officially a part of the McClain's household.

That night, Lance whispered to his mother's ear over the children, and so, was loud enough for Keith to hear, that he wanted to speak with her privately.

André was quick to drag him away before Lance's little sisters could grab him.

"So you were living in the woods the whole time?" André asked with bright eyes.

"Uhh, yeah." Keith answered distractedly, he was curious about what Lance was speaking to his mother about, especially when he heard her raise her voice.

"Was it hard?"

Keith turned his attention back to the young boy in front of him as the yelling quieted down. "It was better than living in the desert. At least there's readily available water."

André's eyes grew twice their normal size as he seemed to stare at Keith with a sense of awe. He'd now achieved hero status in the ten-year-old's mind.

It wasn't too much longer before Lance and his mother exited the room. The woman looked upset, and Keith took a step towards her out of concern. She caught his eyes before she approached him and gave him a hug.

He carefully returned it as he gave Lance a confused look.

Lance didn't look at him, but his mother soon scooped him into the hug as well. Keith's face was pressed against Lance's chest and he tried to hide the blush before Lance's mother released them both.

"What's going on?" Keith asked, and Lance simply pulled him along to his room claiming that he needed to talk to him.

Lance tugged Keith inside of their now-shared room and sat Keith on the bed before he paced his bedroom floor.

The older boy stopped in front of Keith so suddenly that the younger almost flinched.

"I've decided you're right. There isn't enough room for us both to live here. So…I'm moving out." He announced, and Keith stood immediately to protest.

"No, Lance! Stay with your family!" Keith stomped his foot and glared. "I'll go back to the desert before I make you do something like this."

Lance raised a brow, and as usual, focused on something other than what Keith wanted him to.

"You lived in the desert?" The taller boy shook his head in disbelief. "Please tell me you had a house there at least!"

"Sort of?"

"Sort of!" Lance yelped.

Keith wrung his hands as he was suddenly put on the defensive. "It was more of a shack…but it had a bathroom! And a living room. Uhmm, sometimes the TV even worked!"

"Unbelievable." Lance sighed with a tired smile before he fixed Keith with a fond look.

Keith felt his brow wrinkle with confusion.

Lance stepped towards him cautiously until he was in Keith's space. "Before I was interrupted." He glared playfully. "When I said I was moving out…I intended to move out and share a place with you."

"What?"

"That is…if you wanted to?" Lance asked hopefully, and Keith felt like his head was going to start spinning from the sudden shift of conversation.

"I…wouldn't your family miss you? Wouldn't you miss them?"

"I can always visit them. Besides, I'm pretty sure they're sick of me by now." Lance chuckled weakly before his throat closed.

"It doesn't seem right to just leave…especially because I know it's because of me."

Lance gave a frustrated glare. "Look. I'm moving out. Regardless of if you stay here, leave, or do whatever. My question is this: are you with me, or not?"

"Lance! This isn't fair!"

"Life isn't fair." Lance answered simply, and Keith flinched back like he'd been burned.

The younger boy had known that for a long time now, but to hear someone like Lance say it to his face…it hurt him.

"Lance…" Keith tried to reason with him one last time.

"I've made up my mind. Now answer."

"I…" Keith stared into Lance's eyes trying to beg him, he met a steely wall of determination behind blue eyes. He bowed his head as he answered. "Okay."

Lance nodded at Keith's answer before he smiled and let out a shaky sigh. "Okay…"

"Lance?"

"Yes, Keith?"

Keith looked up once more and caught Lance's gaze.

"Thank you." He felt the gratitude swell inside his chest, and it nearly brought tears to his eyes. He wasn't usually this emotional. Something about Lance just brought out this side of him. It was oddly comforting to know he could be weak around the other boy.

Lance nodded before he turned away from him and sat in front of his laptop. "It's fine, now let's start looking at listings."

Lance had bookmarked a few local houses and apartments that were within his price range. Which wasn't much.

"I can help pay, Lance." Keith offered gently for the fifth time.

"No, it's fine. You don't have a job, do you?"

"I can always just get one. But, Lance… I wasn't talking about that."

Lance sighed before he spun his chair around slowly to face the shorter boy. "Then what were you talking about?"

"I was talking about the money my parents left behind. How else do you think I was able to live so far out in the desert and manage to find you? Or to afford the necessities while I lived out in the woods? Charity and good will? No. I have money. So quit treating me like I'm some penniless child."

"Keith, that's your parents' money that they left for you." Lance seemed to know without Keith ever having told him, that Keith's parents were dead.

"What better way than to help me find a place to live?"

Lance pouted. "It just doesn't seem right."

"Move over!" Keith demanded as he shoved Lance, and the chair he was sitting in, away from the desk playfully. "I'll buy this place with only my own money."

"Keith!" Lance laughed as he tried not to topple over from the sudden movement. It wasn't often that Keith was playful, so he would be sure to soak it in as much as he could.

"Lance!" Keith yelled in the same tone mockingly, his eyes remained on the screen as he scrolled through the listings.

He settled on a small apartment that was close enough. It would be an hour's drive to Lance's house, but it seemed to be in a decent neighborhood, was affordable, and was closer than other locations.

It was even pet friendly!

He searched for a purchase button and was dismayed when he couldn't find one.

"Lance…how do we buy this place?"

Lance burst out laughing before he realized Keith was serious, then he laughed even harder.

"Lance! It's not funny! How do I buy it?"

Lance only continued to laugh.

Notes:

Big chapter coming up next!

I hope you all enjoy it!