Chapter Text
Keith knew where the Altea was.
He made a habit of memorizing all the good coffee shops in every new city they went to, and the Altea made the best London Fogs.
But Keith could care less about the drink as he made his way down the sidewalk towards the cafe, eyes glued to his phone as he navigated Google Maps.
Not that he needed it, but one could never be too careful, and the last thing Keith wanted was to get lost. Especially today.
Today was important.
As Keith rounded the corner and the bright white sign of the shop came into view, his eyes immediately fell upon the figure of a boy lounging lazily against the side of the building, his own attention on the phone in his hands.
Keith froze, his feet rooting in place as he recognized that same brown skin; same mess of dark hair and-
Those eyes!
It had been nearly a month since Keith had met Lance at the concert that had been held in this very city. Nearly a month since they had bumped into each other, or rather, fell into each other; chests colliding and arms protective and warm.
Keith hadn’t expected to ever see the boy again, and yet, by some wonderful twist of fate, they had managed to track one another down. Sure, the internet had done a great deal, and Keith doubted he would ever have been able to find out who Lance was on his own, but he liked to think that the universe had been planning this all along.
Coran was right.
Keith watched from his place on the sidewalk, body unable to move as his eyes roamed over the frame of his saviour.
They’d been communicating back and forth almost every day since Keith had found the guy, and had even partaken in several Skype calls when time allowed, but nothing could compare to the real thing.
I forgot how tall he was.
And those legs…
And no amount of FaceTiming could have ever prepared Keith for when Lance glanced up; face breaking out into a now familiar wide grin as he raised his hand in an enthusiastic wave.
Oh my god he’s so attractive…
And then Keith’s feet were moving, and Lance was running the remaining distance; the gap between them closing until they were standing directly in front of one another. There was a beat of silence in which eyes roamed over faces, and then Lance was grinning again.
“Hey.”
Keith blinked, his gaze having lingered a moment too long on Lance’s lips, and he was met with the most beautiful blue as his eyes flicked upwards, where a wicked gleam was dancing across dilated pupils.
“Wow,” Keith breathed out. “Snapchat kills the quality of your eyes.”
A flush emerged on Lance’s cheeks, and he ducked his head bashfully.
“You tryin to make me blush?”
Keith folded his arms over his chest and smirked triumphantly.
“What if I am? Looks like I’m winning by the way your ears are steaming.”
Lance’s mouth fell open, but the corners of his lips were turned up in amusement.
“Oh, well,” he scoffed, and then leaned forward so their faces were mere inches apart. He lowered his voice to barely a whisper, and Keith had to remind himself how breathing worked. “Two can play that game angel.”
Keith had heard Lance use that nickname on him countless times now, but there was something about hearing the word in person that had an entirely different effect. He felt his face heat, and bit his tongue nearly in half as his heart threatened to jump into his throat.
Oh god…
Lance was laughing, seemingly at the expression on Keith’s face, and then his arms were wrapping around his shoulders, and Keith found himself thrust in deja vu as Lance pulled him in for a tight embrace.
Keith didn’t remember it feeling so warm.
And he didn’t recall Lance smelling so good.
Holy fuck I’m in heaven.
And then his own arms were coming up to circle around Lance’s back, and he sighed contently as their bodies molded together perfectly.
I never wanna let go…
But Lance’s sudden giggling had Keith’s curiosity overpowering his desire to remain where he was, and he leaned back after a moment to investigate the cause of it.
Lance stared back, a lopsided beam making his eyes crinkle at the corners as his shoulders shook slightly with glee.
“Sorry,” he managed to get out, “I just realized I really like hugging you.” He started giggling again, and tossed a hand over his mouth to try and stifle the sound. “I don’t know why it’s so funny! I think I’m just really happy!”
Keith was grinning back, and playfully nudged Lance’s shoulder as he shimmied passed him and towards the cafe door. He held it open, gesturing for Lance to go in with a dramatic wave of his arm.
“C’mon you goof, I’ve been waiting for this tea for weeks now.”
Lance huffed, placing both hands at his hip delicately as he raised an eyebrow at Keith.
“Tea? You came all this way just to get tea !? Wow.” He brought one hand to his forehead in woe. “And here I thought I was special or something.”
Keith didn’t hesitate as he reached out and took a hold of Lance’s free hand, pulling it close to his face and planting a light kiss on the back of his knuckles. Lance was watching him with a look of shock that quickly transitioned into one of absolute adoration, and before Keith could talk himself out of it, he entwined their fingers together and pulled Lance in close.
“Of course you’re special. Otherwise I wouldn’t have agreed to this date.”
Lance was speechless; his mouth opening and closing a few times like a fish out of water, which Keith found entirely too cute.
I like when he gets flustered.
Definitely gonna remember that.
“Well in that case,” Lance mumbled after a moment, and squeezed their fingers together. “Let’s make it a good one.”
He led Keith into the cafe; the smell of coffee beans and pastries filling his nose as his eyes wandered down to where their fingers were laced securely at their sides. He smiled to himself, and made sure to ‘accidentally’ brush up against Lance’s shoulder whenever the opportunity arose.
They ordered their drinks and chose a table near the back window, where the shop was less crowded and the mid-morning light shone through and bathed them in warmth. Not once did their hands part, and Keith was eyeing them fondly once again as they rested on the table between them.
“So, loverboy,” Lance’s voice brought Keith’s attention back up to his face, where pieces of sky were staring back at him tenderly. “How long are you visiting for?”
Keith hummed to himself as he thought.
Lance knew the majority or what his job entailed, and had been over the moon to hear that he knew Allura on a personal level. So much so in fact that Keith had been a little bit jealous as Lance bombarded him with questions about the rockstar.
That hadn’t lasted long though, and Lance had quickly picked up on Keith’s downturn in mood and ensured him that he was the only star he wanted.
It made Keith’s chest flutter just to recall.
Still though, it had been hard at times to think their relationship would go anywhere, considering they were only able to contact each other via social media and phone calls, but Lance had reassured him that he would wait.
His exact words had been: ‘I already fell for you angel. Don’t think I’ll be giving up so soon.’
So they made it work. And once Allura’s tour had finally come to a close, Keith had bought the first bus ticket back to Lance’s hometown, where they had planned their official first date.
But Keith hadn’t really thought about anything beyond that.
“It depends,” he admitted, and saw Lance’s smile fade slightly. “With the tour just ending I think I’ll have a few weeks off. Maybe working on new set designs and stuff like that. Could be longer, could be shorter.” He shrugged. “It really all depends on Allura.”
Lance was clearly not happy with that answer.
“Ugh, that woman is slowly slipping down on my list of favourite people.” He took a sip of his coffee and huffed irritably. “Why can’t she just give you time off and let you date me in peace.”
Keith felt his cheeks heat.
Date…
Technically that’s what they had been doing. Or at least, that’s what Lance liked to call their planned phone calls and Skype chats. But it hadn’t felt... real per say. Not like it did now.
We’re on a real date. Holding hands. Drinking coffee and tea and engaging in pleasant conversation.
I’m on a date with Lance!
“Maybe you could come with me,” he thought out loud, and Lance tilted his head questioningly.
“What was that?”
Keith took a deep breath. It was something he had been considering for a while now, especially after hearing what Lance was studying at school.
Their crew could always use another sound technician, and Lance’s apparent knack for music editing could prove useful in some of Allura’s newer tracks.
She had seemed interested enough when he had brought it up a few days prior, and Shiro had been supportive of his idea as well. It was risky though, and Keith had wanted to wait and see how their first date went before inviting Lance along to join their crew.
But I already know how I feel about him.
I already know that I want him to stick around.
So he said as much.
“I just,” Keith stared down at the table as he organised his thoughts. “We could use someone like you in our team. And if you wanted, you could possibly join us, you know? Allura was keen on it when I mentioned what your degree was in, and I know the others would likely feel the same. So...I guess, you could come with us, if you wanted. With me.” He glanced back up into Lance’s eyes, noticing how wide they had gotten as he spoke. Was that because he was shocked? Freaked out at the offer? Or was it something else?
Keith didn’t have to ponder long.
“Are you offering me a job angel?”
Keith paused, thrown by the question, but then nodded slowly.
“Uh, yeah. I guess so.”
Lance grinned, leaning back in his seat and thus tugging on Keith’s arm in the process.
“So this is an interview then?”
It was Keith’s turn to be shocked.
“This isn’t an interview! It’s a date!”
“What’s the difference?” Lance teased, and Keith lowered his eyebrows in challenge.
“One ends in a handshake.”
Lance quirked an eyebrow; grin growing crooked as he rested his elbow on the table and fiddled with Keith’s fingers in his own.
“Oh?” he asked, and then lowered his head so they were eye-level. “And what does the other end in?”
Keith didn’t hesitate.
“A job.”
Lance scoffed loudly, clearly having expected a different answer, and Keith felt laughter bubble inside him. He giggled at Lance’s expression, then swatted away the sugar packet that the boy tossed in his direction.
“Ha. You’re hilarious. My boyfriend is a riot.”
Keith froze.
Boyfriend?!
Is that what they were?
Lance noticed his immediate change in demeanor, and quickly elaborated.
“Woah, sorry. Jumped the gun a bit there. I mean, I want you to be, but if you don’t want that then that’s cool. We can take it slow. I know it’s only the first date and all but I feel like I really want this to keep going and I just...wow ok now I’m rambling. That’s never good. Did they put an extra espresso shot in my drink or-”
Lance didn’t get to finish that thought. Instead he was silenced as Keith lurched forward, closing the remaining gap between them and planting a light kiss on Lance’s cheek. It wasn’t much; just a simple peck of lips against skin, but it did the trick, and Lance immediately shut up.
Keith pulled back with a shy smile, and was relieved to see the blush that crept into Lance’s cheeks.
Oh thank god. I wasn’t sure that would work.
It was satisfying to know he could silence the boy so easily though, and Keith let his smile turn into a playful smirk as he leaned back in his chair.
“I thought I was your angel,” he stated simply, and Lance had to clear his throat before answering.
“I was under that impression as well,” he managed to get out. “But now I’m thinking you may be the devil in disguise.”
Keith scoffed.
“Devil? How so?”
Lance nibbled at his lower lip; a nervous habit Keith had noticed him do on more than one occasion.
“You just stole our first kiss.”
Oh!
Oh damn that’s right!
But Keith was grinning.
“Did I?” he mused, and Lance nodded sheepishly. “Well, then it’s a good thing you’re my boyfriend. You can steal it right back.”
Again Lance’s face changed colour, and Keith didn’t think there was a more lovely shade of crimson in all the world.
I love when he does that.
And I love when it’s because of me.
“Is that a challenge angel?” Lance asked after a moment, and Keith raised an eyebrow knowingly.
“Maybe,” he replied, and watched as Lance pulled his phone from out of his pocket. He held it up in front of them, the camera app open and facing towards them. “Wait, what are you doing?”
Lance waggled his brows.
“Do it again, but this time for our fans.”
Our fans?
“What are you on about?” He asked instead, and Lance explained.
“We owe it to the people of the internet, don’t you think? They were the ones to bring us together in the first place, so I think it would be neat to post a photo of us.” He paused, lowering his phone slightly as he turned to stare at Keith. “Unless you don’t want to.”
But Keith was already shaking his head. Over the month that had passed since the surfacing of the videos and the wave of popularity that had surrounded both boys, Keith and Lance had been relatively ignorant to the demands of the people. They hadn’t supplied them with any new information besides that one tweet of Keith’s Lance had replied to, and he knew it was driving them insane.
As it was his inbox was jammed packed with questions from total strangers asking if he and Lance had met up or spoken...and he hadn’t given them anything. But Lance was right. Had it not been for the internet, he doubted he would sitting in the cafe holding the hand of his ‘concert stranger’.
The least they could do was post a selfie of themselves to show the web that their efforts hadn’t been in vain.
“That’s actually a good idea,” he admitted. “I like it.”
“Awesome,” Lance grinned, and raised the camera once again. “Just a peck on the cheek, like you did before.”
Keith rolled his eyes, but was already leaning in to do as Lance asked. Too late he realized Lance’s true plan though.
In the split second it took to take the picture, Lance changed position so that his face was now directly in front of Keith’s. But it was too late for him to change course, and instead of a quick peck on Lance’s cheek as Keith had been planning on, their lips met, and Keith’s heart rattled excitedly in his chest as warmth spread throughout his body.
He’s kissing me!
On the mouth!
But those were the only well-structured thoughts that his mind was able to produce. Keith felt his instincts take over as his brain filled with fuzz, and his eyes slid shut as he leaned more heavily on the table, jaw tilting upwards to better accommodate the shape of Lance’s lips.
He heard a muffled groan, but he wasn’t sure which one of them had made the noise. It didn’t matter though.
He’s kissing me….and I’m kissing back!
And it’s amazing!
Keith couldn’t keep the smile off his face, try as he might, and before long their lips weren’t fitting together quite so nicely, so he pulled back.
Blue eyes were blown wide, expression wild and cheeks rosy as Keith stared back into Lance’s face.
“Woah,” was all the boy said, and it made Keith’s legs weak. And then a wicked grin was curling Lance’s lips up at the corners, and he brought his phone down to see the photo.
Oh god I totally forgot he was doing that!
“Beat that loverboy,” Lance declared proudly, holding out his phone for Keith to see. He had captured the perfect moment: right when he had turned so that Keith’s incoming kiss landed on his lips instead of his cheek. Lance’s eyes were squeezed shut tight; his ears dark burgundy as his upper torso twisted to accommodate the sudden shift in his position, but somehow the picture had remained in focus; crisp and unblurry.
It was cute, by all accounts, save for the look of absolute surprise on Keith’s face as he realized too late what had transpired.
“You can’t post this!” he whined, zooming in on his face with two fingers. “I look terrible!”
Lance scoffed.
“That’s a filthy lie. You look amazing and I’ll cherish this photo forever. Our official first kiss, stolen by Lance.”
“You know,” Keith grumbled back, “we could stop trying to steal kisses from one another and just do it properly. I’ve been thinking about kissing you for almost a month now, and this stupid table is keeping me from doing it the way I want to.”
Lance eyes jerked up to his face, where they remained for the duration of a solid minute. He recovered after that, and fanned his face theatrically before taking a sip of his coffee.
“Keith, angel, you’re going to be the death of me I swear.”
“You regretting our date?”
Lance quirked an eyebrow before leaning forward across the table; voice lowering to barely a whisper.
“The only thing I’m regretting is the time and location.”
It was Keith’s turn to stare.
Holy FUCK.
Ok, yup, set myself up for that one, but goddamn!
But two can play that game.
“Well, I’m nearly done my tea if you had something else in mind,” Keith murmured back, and was pleased to hear Lance’s soft chuckles as he leaned back in his chair once again.
“How about we just sit and chat for a little while longer.”
Keith hummed to himself as he toyed with Lance’s fingers.
“You stalling?” he teased, and Lance huffed.
“I’m trying to show some self-restraint. Momma always told me a three date minimum.”
Keith burst out laughing, earning him several odd glances from the other customers in the cafe. He didn’t even bother trying to stifle the sound though, and instead let his head fall lightly to the table as his shoulders shook with glee.
“It’s the truth!” Lance went on. “She would skin me alive if she found out I wasn’t chivalrous. I have a reputation to uphold here!”
Keith couldn’t answer. He was too busy trying to balance breathing with laughing, and before long Lance was giggling as well. Soon the two of them were happily snorting away in their small corner of the shop, drinks cooling as they sat neglected.
When Keith was finally able to recover, he brought Lance’s hand to his lips and planted a small kiss to the back of it, as he had done at the beginning of their date.
“Alright then,” he sighed contently, “I can respect that. But does that mean I don’t get to kiss you again until we’ve had three dates?”
“I sure as hell hope not,” Lance stated hastily, and Keith bit back another grin.
“Good, because I was eyeing up several spots on the way over here that would be ideal for making out, and I’d hate to see them go to waste.”
“Keith!” Lance squeaked, and hid his face with his free hand. But not before Keith was graced with another wonderful flush of cheeks.
Oh I’m getting good at this!
He couldn’t keep the beam off his face this time, so he took a swig of his tea and let Lance try and regain some of his composure before going on.
“Alright I’ll stop, for now,” he promised, and Lance let his hand fall back to the table. “But you should post that picture.”
“You want me to? I thought you didn’t like it?”
Keith shrugged.
“Changed my mind. Besides, we can always take more.”
“Oh I plan on it,” Lance vowed, and pulled up his Twitter account, where he attached the photo and then glanced up at Keith. “What should the caption be?”
Keith thought for a moment.
“How about you just leave it blank, and only use that hashtag. What was it again?”
‘Oh my god yes!” Lance quickly typed out the message, and showed the draft to Keith. There, right below the picture of their ‘first kiss’, were three tags:
‘ConcertStrangers’
‘FinallyFoundEachOther’
and,
‘ThanksInternet!’
Keith smiled and nodded. It was perfect.
“I hope you’re ready for the influx of notifications that’s gonna bring,” he said, and Lance shrugged comically.
“I’m tagging you in it as well so I won’t have to deal with it alone.”
“Oh, gee. How thoughtful,” Keith mumbled, and Lance snorted.
“Anything for you my angel! Besides, we do sort of owe it to them. I would never have found you otherwise.” He saw Keith’s mouth open with a reply but didn’t give him the chance to speak. “Yeah, yeah, you found me first I know. I would have eventually though.”
Keith grinned.
“Probably. I think the universe was on our side for this one.”
“We were definitely fated to be together,” Lance agreed. “I knew it from the moment you fell right into my arms.”
“And I knew it from the moment you nearly fell flat on your face,” Keith jested, and Lance stuck out his tongue.
“Yeah well, we can’t all have the grace of the angels. All that matters is that you caught me.”
Keith nudged Lance’s foot with his own, and before long their legs were twining together beneath the table, much the same as their fingers above it.
“And I’d do it again and again, if it meant getting to hold you in my arms,” he cooed, and yep, Lance was squealing again.
Oh boy that’s never gonna get old.
But instead of reply with his own flirtatious comment, Lance simply extended his hand so that it was in hovering in front of Keith’s face.
He glanced at it in confusion, then back up into Lance’s face.
“What’s this?”
“Well, you offered me a job before, working with Allura and that. And I already lost you once, so I don’t want to do it again. So this is my trade.” He cleared his throat all business like, and Keith bit back a snort. “I’ll join your team in exchange for two more dates. After that you get to decide if you really want to do this or not.”
Keith blinked.
“Do what or not?”
“You know,” Lance huffed out, “like date me and stuff. Make it official. Become my boyfriend and give me kisses and all that lovey-dovey stuff. I would only wanna go on the road with your crew if you were mine to call my own.”
“Lance,” Keith started, but shook his head slightly as his lips curled up in a smile.
I already made my decision.
But he didn’t say that. Instead he took Lance’s extended hand and shook it once.
“Deal.”
Lance beamed, his teeth blindingly white and gorgeously contrasting his darker skin. It was positively radiant, and Keith could feel himself glowing in the light Lance gave off.
He was already looking forward to many more days of seeing that very same smile; of getting lost in those blue eyes, wondering how the sky had become trapped within them.
“Well then my angel,” Lance whispered fondly, and Keith felt his insides squirm pleasantly at the tone. “Let’s start planning those dates.”