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Their "date" went great.
Lance took Keith for coffee first, even remembering that Keith didn't put milk in his coffee and liked to take almond milk instead. And Keith was impressed how much Lance was able to talk without it being either annoying or boring.
Lance told him about his favorite coffee drinks and somehow managed to talk about music only seconds later, even comparing foods and musicians. Weird but also very cute, Keith thought as he listened to Lance ramble with a smile.
"Empanadas have to be the Beyoncé of my favorite foods. I like a lot of food, don't get me wrong but you can never go wrong with some empanadas. Especially the ones my mom makes. She really is the best. And burgers are probably the Shakira because from time to time, there is some weird shit going on like those soccer songs she publishes but I swear to you, my hips don't lie when it comes to some good and classic burgers. Man, I just love food."
Keith laughed. "Yeah, me too."
Even if Keith wasn't much of a talker himself, he enjoyed listening to Lance talk. It wasn't only Lance's smooth lips that kept his attention but also his soft voice.
The Cuban had a great voice and Keith really liked the sound of Lance talking bits and pieces in Spanish when he tried to explain something but couldn't find the correct English word to translate it as and thus said it in Spanish but to Keith, all of it seemed Greek.
They walked through the streets, sipping on their drinks and soon entering the small park. Keith came here often, listening to music, going on a jog or just meet with his friend. And Lance seemed to like the park just as much.
"Usually, Hunk and I study out here a lot. I mean, I like the green space we have on campus but nothing compares to the real thing. It's as if I would eat fake Oreos. They are okay and affordable because I eat a lot of them but they can't compete with the real thing, you know?"
Keith couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Almost in shock, Lance stopped walking, close to dropping his cup. "What is it?" Keith asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Your laugh. It's beautiful!" Keith could feel his ears turn red. "Uhm, thanks." Getting compliments was weird. He was completely fine with giving compliments but receiving them made him blush like a teenager in love.
They continued their way, Lance quickly rambling nonsense again.
"When I was younger, I wanted to be an astronaut but now I just think that space is scary. That's weird, I know. But I would also not be able to leave my family behind me like that. Family is everything to me." And if he wasn't mistaken, Keith could see some tears welling up in Lance's eyes.
"Well, the only real family I have is my best friend Shiro. I also have a cat named Bucky who keeps me company," Keith said, feeling the need to share something personal with Lance.
Even though they never spoke in person with each other before and only chatted a bit, he felt really close to the Cuban.
He felt safe and calm in his presence, not pressured to do anything he wasn't ready to do. It felt great and he wanted to feel this way more often. Maybe there was a chance that he and Lance could go out again. He really hoped so.
"Oh, that sucks," Lance admitted, glancing and Keith from the side.
The boy had a gorgeous facial structure and beautiful dark hair. Keith Kogane was a freaking Adonis.
"Wait. You know Shiro? Like, Takashi Shirogane? The boyfriend of Matt Holt?" Lance asked as he dumped his empty cup of coffee into the next bin.
"Well, yeah. Do you?" Keith emptied his cup as well before also throwing it away, quickly burying his hands in his pockets as he had no idea what to do with his hands now.
"Of course. I mean, he is one hell of a man. Matt is such a lucky guy."
Wait. Was it possible that? No. Probably not. But Keith was going to ask Lance anyway. "You're gay?" When Lance looked at him weirdly, he added:"Not to be offensive, though."
Lance laughed.
"No. Well, not really. God made women and it delights me. God made men and it delights me. When it comes to war I fight for Dorne, when it comes to love – I don't choose sides."
"Did you just went completely Obery Martell on me?" Keith asked, his jaw dropping.
Lance was bi and had a great taste in TV shows. And he loved food and music.
Even if the music wasn't really Keith's cup of tea.
But could Lance be any more perfect than that? Probably.
"You watch Game of Thrones?!" Lance almost screamed, startling some of the people around them. Keith shrugged.
"Yeah, sometimes. Matt his the hugest fan of the series I know. It's kinda scary and he makes me and Shiro watch some episodes over and over again because he wants to show us the effects and costumes and explains literally every single detail. I don't even have to ask my questions. There would be no chance to do so. But I don't mind because he looks so happy and I want my friends to be happy. I also enjoy the show on my own now and then. The variety of conflict, history, and characters is what really draws me in. It's so much fun to watch."
Lance giggled. "The problem with Matt is well-known around our group of friends. He is also the one spoiling the newest episode for everyone. And I just really like Oberyn. Or well, liked him. Shows today need more gay, bi and trans people. Heck, I would watch the shit out of a sitcom featuring gay teenagers trying to get their life together. Because the struggle is real, you know."
Keith nodded understanding. "I know," he almost whispered, remembering his own struggle with finding out who he really was.
Growing up in Texas, coming out as gay wasn't easy and he struggled for years as he tried to keep his feelings hidden, closing himself emotionally off from others. But thanks to Shiro and Matt, Keith was able to finally accept himself.
The only thing missing so far was a boyfriend. Of course, he had kissed some guys and gave one or two blowjobs and even was on the receiving end but it never developed into a relationship.
But the men he met so far were way too old for his liking, had bad breath and way too much hair on their back and chest.
Most of them were just looking for a quick session and not so much cuddle and talk. And Keith liked both cuddling and talking. Maybe talking a less more but he wanted a boyfriend who knew at least something about Shakespeare or any other great author like Oskar Wilde or Goethe. Was that too much to ask? Because apparently, it was.
"I get it, there are many gay couples on TV but mostly just for the views and to please the audience. If they're looking for someone who is willing to smooch some cute boys on camera, I don't mind. I also don't mind smooching cute girls. Just give me some accurate representation," Lance groaned.
By now they've reached a small lake in the middle of the park and sat down on a small stone wall close to the water.
Keith watched the ducks for a while before he turned to look at Lance and caught him staring. Both of them blushed and looked away again.
"You're absolutely right, by the way. I've watched many TV shows and movies in my life but there never was a gay character I could relate to. Of course, you can't capture everyone's story in just one person but some accurate representation would be nice. It's always either a total disaster or a rainbow paradise. But sadly, there are way more stories to tell than can be told."
Lance watched Keith closely, looking at his lips moving and his eyes trace their surroundings while he was talking. Keith always seemed to be playing with something as well.
Interesting, Lance thought.
"So, you're gay then? Sorry if I'm jumping to conclusions here."
Keith smiled gently. "Yeah. I'm gay."
Why was he talking so openly about his sexuality with Lance? Since when was talking about yourself openly with others a thing for Keith Kogane?
"That's so cool! You should join our LGBTQ+ meetings sometime if you want. Maybe you meet someone you like," Lance said with a grin and winked at him. With a blush, Keith lowered his eyes. "I already like someone so, uh, yeah. Maybe I'll come by if I have the time to. But back to why we're really here."
Keith opened his bag and took Lance's notebook out of it, handing it to its true owner. "I accidentally wrote some stuff in it. I hope that's okay. Otherwise, I could buy you a new one if it bothers you too much."
Suddenly there was way too much information for Lance to process.
1) Keith liked someone.
2) He had Lance's notebook and now expected Lance to return the notebook as well.
3) There was something written into his own book. Something written by Keith.
4) Fuck. Keith was way too cute.
"Oh, don't worry. It's fine because I doodled something into yours as well." Lance took his own notebook from Keith and handed him the other one.
Lance opened the book and looked through it and there indeed was something written on one of the pages. "You really like Shakespeare, huh?"
Keith scratched the back of his neck. "Weird, I know. I just really like the way he writes about the different aspects of love in his sonnets. Writing completely timeless stories that will be appealing to people even hundreds of years after your death is pretty impressive, don't you think?"
With a nod, Lance closed the book again. "Not as weird as me doodling you into your own sketchbook, heh. I'm incredibly sorry about that."
Curious, Keith opened the notebook and was immediately blown away at how good Lance was at whatever he called doodling. This was freaking insane.
"Creepy, right?" Lance laughed nervously. Keith shook his head.
"Definitely not. I love your drawing technique. This is so good, wow. I'm amazed. Compared to you I'm garbage with what I do," Keith said, still admiring the drawings of himself.
He never really liked the way he looked but Lance's art made even Keith see himself as beautiful. And even as something special and worthy of being drawn by such a talented person.
"What exactly do you do, Shakespeare?" Lance asked, resting his chin on top of his hand, glancing up at Keith trough his eyelashes.
"I write poems and songs. Nothing special to be honest. I'm probably not that good anyway," he answered with a shrug.
"Nothing special? Are you shitting me right now? This is amazing! When I was younger, I always wanted to play the guitar but I we never had enough money for me to have one and as the years passed, I just gave up on my dream."
"Well, I can teach you if you'd like. I have a guitar at home and some easy plays for beginners. If you bring me a piano, I could teach you that as well. I might not be the best teacher but I'm willing to try my best," Keith offered with a smile.
He wanted to see Lance again and if that was his chance then he wouldn't say no. Not even in his dreams. "You really would do that for me?" Lance asked, eyes wide.
"Should I pay you something? Anything? Take you out for lunch or dinner or just coffee once a week? I could also paint you something if you prefer that," Lance offered, clearly excited.
"You don't have to give me anything in return, Lance. I like what I do and don't need any payment for it. Really," Keith said, putting his notebook back into his bag.
"But I'll take you out for dinner and lunch anyway because you are a great person and I like talking to you." Lance crossed his arms in front of his chest and grinned while Keith blushed.
"I enjoy talking to you too," Keith mumbled, looking away from Lance with a shy smile. Genltly, Lance took Keith's hand into his own and squeezed it.
"Let's get something to eat," he said and got up, pulling Keith with him.
They were still holdings hands when they started to walk but neither of them minded that much. The Cuban enjoyed the warmth and softness of Keith's hand.
Plus, it fitted perfectly into his own hand. Smiling, he lead the way to a small Korean restaurant.
"You like Korean food?" Keith asked, confused. As a Korean in the United States, he usually never went to Korean restaurants because non of his friends, except maybe Shiro, liked the food and he didn't want to go alone either.
"Yeah. I mean, I actually would eat everything someone offers me but Korean cuisine is pretty amazing. And you're Korean, right? I thought that you might like it here. But we can go somewhere else if you don't like it here."
Keith couldn't help but smile at Lance. He was so generous and kind. Fuck.
"No, it's fine. I just don't know many people that like Korean food," Keith said with a shrug.
"There is also a place that offers Korean barbeque, we could go there instead because here they have normal dishes," Lance offered but Keith shook his head.
"This is completely fine. Now let's get some food before we're both starving," Keith laughed and pulled Lance with him into the restaurant.
It was a small but comfy restaurant with Korean music playing in the background and the walls and tables decorated with diverse Korean items.
Even though he didn't grew up in Korea, Keith felt right at home. They sat down at a table next to the window and looked at the menue. Keith was amazed by how many dishes they actually offered.
While they were still looking for what to eat, Lance already ordered them something to drink.
After recieving their drinks, both of them ordere their food.
Keith would go withbibimbap anf miyeok guk and Lance ordered himself japchae, manduguk and kongjaban.
It was a lot of food but both of them had a huge appetites and were willing to share their food as well as taking leftovers with them. Soon, their food arrived and the table was almost too small for all the dishes to fit on but with some arrangement everything worked out.
Taking his first bite, Keith closed his eyes and moaned quietly.
There was simply nothing that could compete with Korean food. And rice had always been his favorite food especially since he and Shiro used to eat it almost everyday and that's why he enjoyed his food even more.
He could simply never get sick of it.
While he was eating, Keith didn't caught Lance staring at him, jaw dropped. Hearing Keith moan was something that sent a shiver straight down his spine.
Shit.
During their meal, they talked about college, friends, books, and music.
"What kind of music do you listen to?" Lance asked as he finished up his dumpling soup. "Classic bands like Nirvana, The Rolling Stone, Queen and such. But also metalcore and alternative rock. The music I write on my own is more on the accoustic side since I either play them on my guitar oder on the piano. What Shiro likes to annoy me with is Korean or Japanese pop. I mean, I like the music videos but it's not really my cup of tea but I don't completely hate it."
Of course, Keith was soemone who didn't listen to songs on the radio, Lance thought, taking a closer look at the other student again. He dressed in black, had piercings and wore a freaking beanie and had some festival braceletts on both his wrists.
Also, Keith had a lip piercings as well as two piercings on both of his ear lobes and a helix on the left ear as well. Lance wondered if any of them hurt when he first got them.
"And you like music like Shakira and Beyoncé, right?" Keith asked, resting his cheek on his hand while smiling charmingly at Lance.
"Uh, yeah. But I also like Panic! at the Disco," he admitted with a shy smile. "Oh, let me guess. Girls/Girls/Boys is your favorite song," Keith stated with a laugh.
Lance blushed. "Guilty," he said with a nervous smile. "Hey, nothing to be ashamed of. The song is bomb, don't worry. I like it too," Keith said comforting and reached over to touch Lance's hand, shuddering at the contact.
"Brendon is one of the modern gay icons in music and I love that. He is just so accepting and his songs really hit home," Lance told Keith and gently wrapped his fingers around Keith's hand without even realizing it.
"Have you listened to twenty one pilots yet? I think that you would like them as well if you're looking for meaningful lyrics. I had a phase were I would listen to their music all day long and cry my eyes out," Keith said honestly. "But don't worry, those times are over," he quickly added as he saw the way Lance was looking at him.
"So you've had ... depression?" Lance asked, his voice low. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to, though. No pressure."
Keith smiled. Why was Lance such a perfect person?
"Don't worry, it's alright. Well, I've had some issues with my mental health in the past, yeah. But thanks to therapy and medications I'm feeling a lot better. Also, through all of this I found my love for poetry and song writing. It's such a great way to express how I feel and process triggering events and cleaning my mind off of any bad memories or thoughts," Keith responded.
He was fine with talking about his mental health and able to discuss it without falling back into the pattern of seeing himself as not worthy enough. Lance listened to him and kept eye contact the whole time.
He was amazed by how honest Keith was with him about something so personal. With his own history of anxiety and eating disorder, Lance knew how exhausting it could be to free yourself from poisenous thoughts and recover, and sometimes speaking about it was uncomfortable and hard.
"I'm glad that you're feeling better and thanks for you know, sharing this with me," he said with a smile. "You wanna go somewhere else or did you have enough of me for today?" Lance asked as he paid for their food (he insited on paying for both of them and Keith gave up eventually).
"Depends on wether or not you want to spent more time with me," Keith commented with a smile which caused Lance to blush slightly.
They got up from their seats and left the restaurant, their fingers soon interwining.
Aimlessly, they walked through the streets for a while, stopping now and then to take a look at store windows until they ended up in the park again, sitting down on an empty bench close to a big apple tree.
Since the sun came out behind the clouds, Keith took off his flanell and beanie, leaving his hair to point in every direction possible.
Lance giggled. "Nice hair," he said with a grin causing Keith to groan and try to fix his hair.
While Lance was watching him, he spotted something on Keith's arm. "You have a tattoo?" Keith stopped fixing his hair and looked at Lance and then down at his arm.
"Oh, yeah. Actually more than one since I really would like to have a sleeve one day."
Extending his arm, he allowed the Cuban to have a good look at his tattoos. Lance hadn't seen them before because Keith usually wore long sleeves. A shame, if he was honest. "I could tell you about them if you like but that would probably bore you."
Lance shook his head. "Not at all. I love tattoos but I'm too scared to get one myself," he laughed. "Please tell me about them, I really would like to know what they mean to you," he then added.
Keith nodded:"Okay. So, the first tattoo I ever got is the word hope in Korean." He pointed on the small tattoo on his inner wrist.
It looked simple but Lance knew what is was for. He knew that hope meant so much more than just, well, hope. "It was a birthday present from Shiro," Keith told Lance and smiled fondly at the memory.
He just turned eighteen and was super excited because he always wanted to get tattoos as soon as he was old enough. And to start it off, he wanted to get something small but meaningful. Something that would remind him of the good things in life every single day.
"The next tattoo I got only a month or maybe two after the first one. This time I had to pay it on my own but since I can remember I saved money for that exact purpose."
Lance laughed as he tried to imagine a little Keith who was so determined to get a tattoo that he saved money for it rather than buying something like candy. He could never be so diciplinated.
Keith showed Lance the lion head tattooed on the under side of his forearm.
"It symbolizes strength, justice, courage and wisdom. Thanks to this tattoo, I'm reminded everyday that I am worth it and strong enough. From time to him, he refer to him as my guardian. If you want to laugh at me, go ahead."
Lance stared at Keith, jaw dropped.
"That's so cool! Oh my god, I love that. And why should I laugh at you? Lions are badass. Just like you," he said, gently putting a hand on Keith's leg, both of them smiling.
Keith showed Lance some smaller tattoos, his zodiac sign Scorpio, two crossing arrows, a triskele, a feather, a semkiolon and an oak leaf.
Lance was amazed by how many tattoos were on Keith already and how much meaning each of them had to the other.
The last bigger tattoo was black and white cherry blossoms. And Lance loved this tattoo probably the most.
Just something about the artist's style really got to him. He gently extended his hand and touched the tattoo, almost afraid of startling Keith. But Keith didn't mind. Lance's fingers were soft and so gentle against his skin, sending a shiver down his spine.
"For me personally, they symbolize education, love and well, sexuality. I got it when I started to slowly find out who I truly was and realized that hiding my true self was unbeliveably stubid," Keith told him with a laugh.
And Lance loved everything about that moment right here – the sun shining through the trees, Keith's warmth beneath his fingers, the feeling of inked skin and Keith's joyful laugh.
They sat there for a bit longer, talking about everything that was on their minds.
And the Korean just felt so save when he was around Lance. He would lay down his life in front of Lance and he really, really would like to kiss him right now. But he didn't.
Instead, Keith took Lance's hand casually into his own and since the other didn't pull away, Keith knew that maybe, just maybe, it was okay to feel this way.
Maybe something like love at first sight or soulmates really existed. And he was more than willing to give all of it a try.
After two hours of just sitting and talking, Keith stood up and pulled Lance to his feed, their faces almost colliding- and up til now, neither of them had realized the actual height difference.
Lance was obviously taller than the Korean and seemed to enjoy that.
"Oh fuck off," Keith murmured and pulled Lance with him back towards campus.
They walked in silence but it wasn't uncomfortable. But rather the opposite. Just being with Keith was better than saying all the words possible or his abuelita's empanemas or spending the day at the beach with your friends. Lance could continue this list for probably hours.
It was amazing how relaxed he was around Keith and how easy it was for them to talk.
Usually, a first date or whatever this was, was rather awkward and stressed but not with Keith.
The other also seemed to be rather calm and looked like he was enjoying himself and Lance was more than just glad about that. Knowing that Keith felt good made him feel even better. Eventually, they had to part since Lance lived on the other side of campus.
Standing in front of each other, their eyes met and almost in sync, they moved closer until their lips met. Their kiss was a bit messy but absolutely perfect in its own way. Keith brought his hands up to Lance's neck, needing to stand on his tiptoes to properly kiss Lance. The Cuban however, wrapped his arms tightly around Keith's middle, holding him close. It wasn't a passionate or sloppy kiss.
It was a Lance-and-Keith kiss.
Something neither of them had experienced so far. Seperating, both were a bit out of breath and giggled.
"I like you," Keith whispered, his eyes moving from Lance's lips up over his gorgeous face to his eyes.
"I like you the most-est. And you know what? You are the perfect height for me to rest my chin on your shoulder without breaking my neck."
Keith rolled his eyes. "Stop it, stupid. You're ruining the mood," Keith mumbled, letting go of Lance's neck and crossing his arms in fron of himself.
Lance only laughed.
"You're really hot, shame about the personality," Keith added, grinning up at Lance.
"Keeeith, that's so mean!" The taller boy pouted causing Keith to laugh out loud. "Idiot," he said before kissing Lance again.
Smiling, Lance returned the kiss, his hands now placed on the other's hips. "I don't want to let go of you. You're so warm," Keith whispered, resting his head over Lance's fast beating heart. "Then come home with me because I never wanted to cuddle a person as much as I do right now," Lance suggested, fixing the beanie on Keith's head.
"But I have to text Shiro first so he can take care of Bucky. You're sure that I won't bother you?" Keith asked, looking down at his feet.
"Oh, Keith. Believe me, you could never bother me. Let's go, okay? I probably have some empanemas in the fridge as well so you can try them if you want and we can watch a movie and cuddle all night long." Lance dragged Keith with him and Keith willingly let Lance lead the way, a big smile on his face. If this was what happiness felt like, he wanted to feel it more often. And preferably with Lance.
Lance's shared apartment with Hunk was twice the sice of Keith's own. Taking off der shoes, Keith pulled his phone out and sent Shiro a short message.
To: Shiro
From: Keith
Please take care of Bucky. I'm at Lance's
Lance dragged him into the kitchen and made hot cocoa for them, spraying whipped cream on top and adding some marshmallows. He then opened the fridge and got some empanadas on a plate and quickly heated them up a bit in the microwave. And whatever they were filled with, Keith loved them, moaning as he took a second part.
Lance watched him, blood rushing to his cheeks. Keith's moan was everything. Such a sweet, forbidden sound. They shared empanadas as they listened to some music from Lance's phone and exchanged soft kisses that tasted like whipped cream and cocoa. And as Lance had promised, they soon sat on the sofa, Keith wrapped up in a cozy blanket with some more hot cocoa and a movie on.
Ironically, the movie was called The Notebook. And Keith had to admit that he kind of liked it, especially because Lance was cuddling and kissing him on the face and neck while also playing with the other's hair. Keith realized again how weak he was for Lance.
Even though they didn't know each other for that long, they had an undeniable connection and neither of them could remember a time where they were more at peace than during the last few hours. And maybe it was love and maybe it was something else. Maybe it was rushed but maybe it wasn't. As the credits started to roll, Lance pulled Keith closer a last time and gently kissed him on the lips, licking over them with his tongue and causing them both to chuckle.
To Keith, Lance's arms felt like home. And it was a feeling that he wasn't used to but he wasn't afraid because with Lance, everything seemed to end good.
"It's getting late. I probably should go home," Keith said and stood up from the sofa, stretching his tired body.
"No, please stay," Lance begged, taking Keith's hand into his own and pulling him back down onto his own lap.
"Stay," he then said and pulled Keith closer to him until their lips met again. Keith felt like he was on fire, his arms soon wrapped around Lance tightly.
"You smell nice," Keith mumbled, burrying his nose in the crock of Lance's neck. The other smiled and relpied:"And your hair is so soft."
Keith slowly started to dooze off so Lance gently kept him awake with gentle kisses. "Let's go to sleep, Keith," he said, his voice low and soft.
"No, you're way too cuddly and comfy," Keith yawned, closing his eyes again. The other chuckled and shook his head. "Unbelivable," he muttered and simply stod up with Keith still in his arms. The smaller onew yelped and held onto Lance even tighter.
"Lance, what the fuck?!" But Lance only laughed as he carried Keith over to his bedroom and then sat him down on the bed.
"You wanna sleep naked or should I borrow something?" Lance asked and opened up his wardrope, roaming around, looking for something Keith coul wear.
"I just need a shirt or something ... if it doesn't bother you," Keith said, kneeding his fingers.
"Why should I be bothered by my cute boyfriend wearing my clothing?" And at that comment, Keith blushed furiously.
Lance just called him his boyfriend.
With a smile, Lance handed Keith a shirt and then started to strip down his own clothes. "W-Where's the bathroom?" Keith asked and jumped up.
"Down the hall on the right," Lance answered and opened his pants. Within seconds, Keith made his way down the hall and entered the bathroom, locking the dorr behind him. Safety first.
Taking off his pants, shirts and socks, he thought about the day. Kinda incredible how much just happened. Putting Lance's shirt on, Keith couldn't help but breath in its smell. Lance just had this unique smell and Keith could drown himself in it.
After another minute of simply thinking about his boyfriend Lance, Keith walked back into Lance's room. "You look really cute in my shirt, I like that," Lance said with a smile and Keith pushed some loose strands of hair behind his own ear in emberassement.
"You think so?"
Compliments just weren't his thing. Keith just hoped that Lance wasn't joking because otherwise, he would definitely kill him later.
The Cuban lifted up the blanket, inviting Keith into his bed. The boy followed suit and laid down, cuddling up to Lance. With a smile, Lance put the blanket over the both of them properly and then pulled Keith a bit closer.
"I really look forward to holding you in bed like this more often," Lance mumbled into Keith's dark hair honestly.
"And I really look forward to being hold in bed by you like this."
Before he dirfted off to sleep, Keith whispered:"I'm so glad that we swapped notebooks."
With a smile, Lance placed a last kiss on his head. "I'm glad too, babe."