Work Text:
Thirteen Years Old
The first thing Lance noticed about Keith Kogane was that he had the the worst hair he had ever seen in his life, even worse than the time Hunk got gum caught in his hair and tried to repair it himself. No, Keith Kogane had a mullet despite being decades away from the time period where having one was considered cool. Lance could not figure out how someone had let the kid develop such a horrendous hairstyle.
The second thing Lance noticed about Keith Kogane was that when Ms.Wallace introduced him to the class he looked like he would rather be anywhere else. His eyes were stubbornly glued to the ground, refusing to make eye contact with anybody in the classroom. He was fidgeting with his shirt and looked painfully resigned with the situation. When he finally was allowed to take a seat (choosing an empty desk diagonal from Lance’s) he sat down as quickly as he could and rested his chin in his palm and immediately started to focus on Ms.Wallace’s lesson.
The third thing Lance noticed about Keith Kogane was a few hours later in the cafeteria. Lance’s mother had given him enough money to buy a slushie from the snack line that day but when he returned to his lunch table he found Keith Kogane sitting in his spot at the lunch table wearing headphones.
“Hey Hunk,” Lance whispered while begrudgingly sitting next to his friend rather across from him. “Why is the new kid sitting in my spot?”
“Oh I invited him!” Hunk responded happily. “He looked a little lonely at the opposite end of the table and I figured he could use the company.”
“That does not excuse why he is in my spot Hunk,” Lance said with folded arms. “Who does he think he is?”
“It’s not really a big deal Lance,” Hunk said nervously.
“Maybe not to you!” exclaimed Lance. “Hunk you’re my best friend and I love you but there’s a very balanced system in middle school!”
“Is there now?” drawled Hunk.
“Yes! And Mullet over here is tipping the scales of the entire system! If he sits in my spot it makes me look like a pushover, allowing another kid to steal this spot next to you. And the next one and the next one! Hunk, if you allow Mullet over here to sit in my spot soon I’ll be the one looking lonely at the opposite end of the table. Or worse, the opposite end of the cafeteria!”
“Lance I don’t think it’s that deep,” Hunk said with a roll of his eyes.
“Trust me pal it is. Robert told me all about it when he was in seventh grade.”
“Robert also told you-,”
Suddenly there was a loud cough that caused both Lance and Hunk to jump up from their seats. Keith was looking at the two of them rather boredly, headphones off to the side and arms crossed. Lance gulped when his eyes fell on him and narrowed a bit.
“Look, if you don’t want me to sit here you could have just said something rather than acting like an asshole.”
“Fine, I don’t want you to sit there. Can we please switch spots?” Lance asked through narrowed eyes and grit teeth.
“Sure,” Keith shrugged.
The two boys stood up and made their way around the table to sit down in their respective spots. When Lance was settled again he saw across from him Hunk looking alarmed at the conversation that had just transpired and Keith looking downwards with his headphones on once more. Lance glared one last time at his new classmate before taking a sip from his slushie and launching into a conversation with Hunk.
Out of everything Lance had noticed about Keith Kogane that first day he missed three important things. Number one was that the t-shirt he was wearing was from Lance’s favorite cartoon, similar to the one Lance was wearing himself. Number two was that while Keith was wearing headphones there was no evidence to support the idea that he was actually listening to music on his phone. Number three was that as Lance began to talk animatedly to Hunk he failed to notice that across from him Keith was sparing glances at him every so often.
Fifteen Years Old
“COACH HE CHEATED!”
“I DIDN’T CHEAT AT ALL! YOU’RE JUST A SORE LOSER!”
“I AM NOT!”
“ARE TOO!”
“AM NOT!”
By this point both ninth graders knew that there would be no intervention but that did not stop them from arguing about the outcome of their dodgeball match. Lance could see off to the side that both Pidge and Hunk were holding their faces in their hands in a mixture of disappointment and annoyance with their two friends. Nevermind their exasperation, Lance knew that somehow Keith had managed to cheat and was determined for someone to be on his side.
“Pidge! Hunk!” he called. “Tell Keith that the only thing filthier than his cheating is his mullet!”
“Oh my god Lance just get over it!” Pidge yelled. “I didn’t skip a grade just watch you two fight all day!”
Lance groaned and Keith smirked at him. Lance stuck his tongue out childishly in response before breaking out into a small smile himself. Both he and Keith knew that despite their petty arguments (especially ones in gym class) they both enjoyed the friendly rivalry that came out of being each other’s friend. While it may not have initially started out “friendly” throughout the course of seventh grade the two boys slowly grew used to each other’s presence in class and at lunch. Though they had fought over grades, skills, and different opinions the two of them eventually entered into an unexpected friendship. Lance had been in denial when Hunk first brought it up to him (“How could I be friends with Keith? He’s insufferable!”) by the time seventh grade ended he had earned an invite to Keith’s house to celebrate the fact that his older brother was heading into his senior year of high school. Upon his arrival he had been pleasantly surprised to find out that Keith was also friends with Pidge, a cool girl who despite being younger by a year and nearly a foot shorter knew how to sweep Lance’s leg out from underneath him (which she had kindly demonstrated upon Keith and Hunk’s insistent badgering).
What had solidified and convinced Lance that he and Keith were absolutely friends had come later that night in the basement of Keith’s house while Pidge and Hunk were sound asleep in their sleeping bags. The two boys were next to each other unable to sleep and had begun to chat amongst themselves about different memories they shared from the school year (“Remember that time you snorted milk out of your nose?” Lance had asked. “Remember how you fell off your chair because of how much you laughed at me?” Keith responded.) and the common interests they both shared.
However, what served as the final testament of their friendship was when Lance got up the nerve to ask why Keith had the last name Kogane while everyone else in his household had the name Shirogane. Lance had not known whether or not that question was too personal for Keith to share but was surprised when the other boy sighed and quietly began to explain that he had been adopted. To Lance’s shock Keith had been in the foster system since he was six and when he entered sixth grade the Shirogane family had taken him in as his new family. They had been respectful and understanding of Keith’s wish to be homeschooled even when they announced to him that they wanted to make him a permanent member of the family. When all the paperwork had gone through and his adoption made official the new school year had already begun causing him to enter late as a new student. Upon Keith’s story coming to a close Lance launched himself at the boy, wrapping him up in a hug and apologizing for being an ass all the time. Keith had laughed and returned the hug while assuring Lance that Keith was equally an ass towards him.
Their bickering and determination to outdo each other in every aspect had become a defining feature of their friendship that stuck with them even now that they were in high school. When the two boys made their way over to the bleachers next to Hunk and Pidge they were smiling and imitating each other from the argument they had been having minutes prior.
“I don’t get you guys,” said Hunk. “One minute you’re arguing like you hate each other and the next minute you’re laughing like you love each other. Can’t you just pick one?”
“No can-do Hunk,” Lance smirked while dramatically laying himself across the Pidge’s lap before being shoved off by her. “Love and hate are two sides of the same coin.”
“Did you read that off a fortune cookie or something?” the shorter girl questioned.
“No!” Lance gasped. “How dare you assume such a thing! Hunk tell her that my insightful words have been spoken many times.”
“I could bro but…” Hunk drawled.
“Et tu Brute?”
“It’s okay Lance,” came Keith’s voice. “I know that you didn’t get it from a fortune cookie.”
Lance turned him and grinned. “Thank you Keith! At least you underst-,”
“You got it from that episode of Space Wanderers.”
Lance turned red while his three friends burst out into laughter. He knew it was useless to argue back at this point so he resigned himself to shoving Keith, making the black haired boy giggle even more. He convinced himself that his face turned even more red due to the embarrassment and not because of Keith’s joyous laugh.
Seventeen Years Old
(11:07) huuuuuuuuuuunk
(11:08) huuuuuUUUUUNK
(11:09) HUUUUUUUUUUUUUNK
(11:10) Yes Lance?
(11:11) HUNK! BUD! MY MAN! I NEED HELP!
(11:11) Please tell me nobody is injured or dead. I can’t deal with injuries or death dude.
(11:12) what? nobody is injured pal. i need an advice sorta help.
(11:13) Does this have something to do with a certain person?
(11:13) A certain person that is in our friend group?
(11:14) With black hair and “the cutest laugh I have ever heard”
(11:14) …
(11:14) … maybe
(11:16) WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO
(11:17) Alright casanova what do you need advice for. Wooing?
(11:19) I’m right aren’t I?
(11:20) shut uuuuuup hunk this is serious
(11:21) Ok ok I’m shutting up now. Ask away.
(11:25) well you obviously know that i like a certain someone. i just know that you’re the only one of us currently with a prom date and i don’t want my first date with this someone to be prom because i want to make it clear that it isn’t a ‘just friends’ thing but i don’t know what else to do! what if this someone only likes me in a friend way and prom is my only chance at a date even if he thinks its just friends ughhhhhhhhh hunk you need to help me
(11:25) *it’s
(11:27) Lance take a deep breath you’re going to get yourself worked up.
(11:29) I’m being 100% honest with you, if I had to guess I’d say that Keith has liked you for quite some time now. I know you only came to terms with the whole “crushing on one of my best friends” thing a few months ago but like the friendship thing in seventh grade it’s been there between you guys a while.
(11:31) i wanna believe you but i’m just me hunk
(11:32) Lance Sanchez do I need to come over and read you the “100 Reasons You Are Amazing” List? Because I will.
(11:35) Lance you are a smart, kind, caring, and funny dude. It’s why Pidge, Shiro, Allura, Keith, and I are all friends with you. It’s why we’re best friends. You’re an amazing person and we all see that. Keith especially. He looks at you like you are every star in the sky. I see it, Pidge sees it, Shiro sees it and he’s doesn’t even live here anymore!
(11:37) fujkin stop im gonna cry
(11:38) i’ll do it. i am going to tell him how i feel.
(11:40) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(11:45) hey mullet come over tomorrow afternoon
(11:47) Why?
(11:48) i haven’t made fun of you in person since friday
(11:49) Lance it still is Friday
(11:50) keithy pls it’s gonna be sat. in 10 minutes
(11:51) Fine I’ll be there by 1 pm.
(11:52) yayyyyy!!!
(11:52) sleep well mullet
(11:52) <3
(12:10) <3
Sure enough Keith was a man of his word and was at Lance’s doorstep at 1:00 exactly. Lance knew that Keith was always punctual, it’s one of the things he both loved and hated about him. He loved it because it meant that Keith was reliable, someone he knew he could always count on to be there when he needs him to be. He hates it because he is really not prepared to spill his entire soul out in front of his friend of five years.
“What’d you want to do anyway?” Keith asked while making himself comfortable on Lance’s bed.
“Oh you know…,” Lance began with a wave of his hand. “The usual.”
“The usual?” Keith smirked. “Like watch Space Wanderers?”
“Yes!” Lance answered quickly. “Yes exactly! Let’s watch Space Wanderers!”
“Lance are you feeling okay?” Keith asked, raising a hand to Lance’s forehead and wrinkling his nose as he pulls it away. “You’re kinda sweaty.”
“I’m fine!” he squeaked. “Let’s just, you know, turn on the show!”
“Alright weirdo.”
Lance set the show up, not really paying attention to what season or episode he had just selected. He was too focused on trying to maintain a sense of dignity around Keith, if he can’t pull his act together Keith just might leave in fear of getting himself sick. After pressing a few buttons the show finally begins and Lance begins to settle on the bed next to Keith. It’s after Lance finally calms himself down and focuses on the show that he feels the weight on his side. Turning slightly he can see that while Keith is still sitting upright on his own he is essentially putting all of his bodyweight on Lance by leaning into him.
Alright Lance you can do this. He’s seen this show a million times, he’s leaning on you, things are great. Just tell him.
Despite his brain yelling at him to just get it over with and confess his mouth remains unmoving. He silently sits on his bed, not laughing at the usual jokes on screen or commenting on the characters and animation. He prays to god that Keith doesn’t pick up on his out of character silence but in all honesty he knows that his friend isn’t stupid and has probably figured out that something is up.
When the episode finally finishes Lance makes a grab for the remote to start the next one. He’s too slow and Keith snatches it up and turns off the television, choosing to turn towards Lance and glare at him.
“What’s up with you? This is the quietest I’ve ever seen you besides from when you sleep.”
“Ew Keith you watch me when I sleep? Who does that?” Lance awkwardly laughed.
“Lance I’m serious,” Keith said while narrowing his to an even harder glare.
“This is how you first looked at me.”
“What?”
“When we met in seventh grade,” Lance began. “You glared at me and then I said something stupid and you glared at me even harder.”
Keith’s face turns a bit pink and Lance takes that as a good sign. He takes a deep breath before continuing.
“And then you stopped glaring at me so much as the year went on. I mean you did of course, but you also began to look at me with wide eyes of exasperation.”
“You’re an exasperating person,” said Keith without any of his usual bite.
“I know I am! But you put up with me anyway!” Lance exclaimed. “You put up with me no matter how much I tease you or argue with you or make you worry about me.”
“Y-Yeah cause we’re friends.” stuttered Keith.
“I know and cherish that more than anything else,” he said while taking Keith’s hands into his own. “And that’s what makes this so hard for me. I don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize this friendship.”
“If you’re talking about what I think you are then there is no way in hell you are jeopardizing this friendship.”
And then Lance leans forward and finds that Keith is already waiting for him in the middle. Their lips brush together gently and it’s better than anything Lance has dreamed up or imagined. It’s soft, and hesitant, and right . And the best part about it is that Keith is kissing back, his hands moving to the back of Lance’s neck to gently tug at his hair. Lance is pressing down and suddenly he is on top of Keith who lets out a noise that sends a shiver down Lance’s spine when he collides onto the mattress. They stay like that for some time, pressing soft kisses to each other’s lips and learning slowly what the other one likes and doesn’t like. Eventually Lance pulls away and holds himself above Keith, gazing down at the boy’s red face and just kissed lips.
“God you’re gorgeous Keith,” Lance sighs with a winded voice. He lets out a small snort when he sees that the comment has made Keith’s face flushed and red.
“Shut up you’re the gorgeous one.”
Lance tries to make it look like Keith’s comment has not absolutely wrecked him inside but judging by the smug look the boy under him is now sporting he hasn’t done a very good job. He groans and falls back onto Keith’s torso, feeling the vibrations of the boy’s laugh underneath him.
“Lance be my boyfriend.” Keith asks once he finally settled down from the laughter.
“I haven’t even taken you out on a date yet!” cried Lance.
“Are you rejecting me?”
“No!”
“Then I guess you just settled it then,” Keith sighed contently. “We’re boyfriends.”
Seventeen and Seven Eighths Years Old
“Lance have you ever used a condom before?”
“Fuck off.”
Twenty One Years Old
Lance sat on the bed with his back up against the header. He knew that whenever Keith got home from class he was going to kill him, and then hide his body so that nobody could ever find it. And Lance really could not blame him at this point, after all Lance was supposed to be the level headed one out of the two of them not the impulsive one! Keith was the one that got all impulsive, which is why Lance worried about him half of the time.
(4:18) Lance I don’t think Keith is going to murder you
(4:18) YOU DONT KNOW THAT PIDGE
(4:19) YOUVE NEVER SEEN HIM MAD BEFORE
(4:19) Lance I’ve known him longer than you and I’ve seen him mad quite often
(4:20) Like there was the time where I dumped a bucket of ice on him when he was fourteen and got Matt to record it for me
(4:20) Or when he first realized his crush on you so I used to tease him whenever he talked to me by saying “oh hey lance” whenever he was in the middle of one of his “pidge he’s adorable i’m going to die” spirals
(4:21) okay first off where the fuck is that video? second off hunk did the same thing to me and i cannot believe you two. third off you might know pissed off keith but you don’t know mad keith
(4:22) Difference?
(4:22) pissed=mad in the moment and quick to get over. mad=he is going to not speak to me for three days before i finally cave and apologize or he blows up at me for something stupid like forgetting to wash a work shirt and ughhhhHHHHHHHHH PIDGE HES GONNA KILL ME
(4:24) Lance honestly I don’t think he’s going to be that mad. Who knows maybe he’s finally calmed down from all the work and school stress and has had time to consider everything you guys argued about the other day.
As Lance goes to type a response he hears the jingle of keys and a door swinging open.
(4:25) FUCKING SHIT PIDGEY HES HOME EARLY
Lance’s entire body tenses as he hears his boyfriend set his bags down and call out for him. He silently wishes that maybe if he’s quiet enough Keith will think he has gone out and won’t come into their-.
“Lance?”
Lance looks up and standing in the doorway is Keith, hair pulled back and a tired look on his face. It takes a second to register that in Keith’s arms is an orange kitten. It takes another second to register that Keith is staring wide-eyed at the sleeping white kitten in Lance’s lap.
“In hindsight I totally did not expect you to come home early babe,” chuckled Lance nervously. “Especially holding the very thing you yelled at me about the yesterday.”
“I left class early and met up with Pidge to talk because I had upset you. And she helped me sort out the pros and cons of getting a cat and took me to the animal shelter,” Keith explained.
“I talked to your brother and Allura today. Shiro told me that you were just stressed and had expressed beforehand that you wouldn’t mind getting a pet. He told me that Allura’s godfather, Coran, had a cat that had just given birth and so she brought me over the one she thought I’d like best.”
Keith walked over and slid onto the bed next to Lance, resting his head on his shoulder and putting the ginger kitten in his lap. The two of them sighed simultaneously and took a glance at each other.
“I’m sorry for being an asshole for the last few days. I shouldn’t have blown up at you last night when you were just trying to help,” Keith apologized.
“It’s okay babe, I know you’re stressed out with your degree and work and me pestering you about a cat probably wasn’t the brightest idea.”
“Doesn’t mean I should yell at you like that. I just got upset cause I know you get lonely sometimes and we’re both so busy now and we don’t see each other as often as we are used to so the fact that you were talking about wanting a cat made me feel even shittier about not spending as much time with you lately and it’s dumb that I took my own guilt out on you,” rambled Keith.
Lance leaned down and pecked Keith on the head. “It’s okay Keith. As long as you let me keep Blue I’ll be alright.”
Keith smiled and looked at up at him fondly. “You named her Blue?”
“Yeah, why?” Lance questioned.
Keith smiled even wider and let out a soft laugh before leaning up to whisper in Lance’s ear, “I named her Red.”
It wasn’t long before Lance began to laugh along with him.
Twenty Six Years Old
Lance knew by now that it did not take much stimulation to overwhelm Keith socially and that he should have expected him to pass out in the hotel room rather than stay up, have sex, and cuddle. Still he had had a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, because it was their first night as a married couple Keith would have found the energy not collapse into a pile of tired mush. He wasn’t mad though, how could he be? He had just had one of the best nights of his life! His friends and family had all come and witnessed him get married to someone he has loved for years now. They both had cried, as did their closest friends and relatives, during their vows and Lance will never forget the sound of Keith’s choked sob of happiness when Lance pulled him in for their kiss.
Though he knows he has to get up early tomorrow to make the plane for his and Keith’s honeymoon, Lance can’t help but ponder the idea of staying awake all night holding Keith’s hand and getting used to the weight of the rings on both his and his husband’s finger.
Thirty Years Old
When Lance walked through the door he was not expecting Keith to launch himself at him. Luckily, Lance adjusted quickly and was able to save himself from falling over and instead just backed himself into the door a bit.
“Mullet, not that I don’t love the affection, is there any reason you decided to fling yourself at me. I get I’m irresistible but this is a lot from you.”
Keith pulled away with a radiating smile that still made Lance’s heart melt. “I got the email today,” he grinned.
Lance’s eyes went wide. “And?” he asked.
“And we’re approved! Lance we’re going to be fucking parents!” Keith exclaimed while wrapping Lance up in his arms once more.
“Baby the only parent you’ll be fucking is this one,” Lance smirked.
The only thing more surprising than Keith flinging himself at him was the matching smirk he was sporting and the fact that he was now pulling Lance down the hall and into their room.
When their daughter arrived a few months later Lance swore he had never seen Keith so happy and had never felt more in love.
Forty Seven Years Old
“Papa stop,” Isabella whined. “You’re gonna embarrass me in front of the family.”
“Oh so the proud seventeen year old can hug her Aunt Pidge but not her father?” Lance asked.
“Accept the fact that I’m just cooler than you,” Pidge called from the side.
“It’s true Lance,” Keith called from the bottom of the dogpile he and Shiro were trapped under. “Pidge has-ouch-always been the cool one.”
“I can’t hear you over the sound of you and your brother being assaulted by our son and nephews sweetie!” Lance called.
“Fuck off Lance,” groaned Keith.
Fifty Six Years Old
Lance has come to terms with the fact that it is significantly quieter now that both his daughter and son have officially moved out. The thing that Lance has not come to terms with is that he is unabashedly old looking when he sees himself in the mirror. Wrinkles have finally settled in around his eyes and his once medium brown hair has now faded into a grey almost fully. If this had been a few years ago he would have dyed it out of sheer desperation to maintain some of his youth but knows now that it’s just a natural process.
(Plus if Keith still tugs on his hair when they kiss like they’re he can’t bring himself to change it.)
Sixty One Years Old
Seeing Keith once again hold a baby brings a wave of nostalgia and happy memories flooding back into Lance’s mind. The fact that he and Keith are both grandparents, grandparents that are good enough at handling kids that their daughter is okay with dropping the twins off at their house is heartwarming.
“Bet you didn’t think you’d be doing this again babe,” said Lance as Keith sat their grandson down on the kitchen counter to change his diaper.
“You know if I had I would have kept the changing table,” Keith responds with glare. Luckily Keith does remember that having a baby around means he has to put his hair up unless he wants little hands to grab it.
“You should put your hair up more often when there aren’t kids around. Makes you look fifty-five instead of sixty-one.”
“You just still have a thing for my hair.”
“Maybe I do.”
Keith turns to size Lance up before leaning upwards and to kiss him on the cheek.
“Good.”
Seventy Eight Years Old
Lance sighs as he wakes up that night to find the usually warm spot empty. He had anticipated this happening, it used to happen much more often when they were younger and when Keith was especially stressed. Lance slowly climbed out of the bed and made his way out of the room and downstairs where he could see Keith sitting on the couch, looking at a photo of him and Shiro from when they were children. He made his way over to his husband and sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist.
“I know how hard this must be. I just want you to know that even if he is gone, he loved you more than anything else in the world.”
Lance’s chest ached when he saw the tears that had been pooling at the corner of Keith’s eyes finally started to fall. Lance had done all his crying earlier at the funeral because he knew that tonight he would have to be there for Keith. He stroked his husband’s back for a bit while the sadness built up from today finally spilled out of him. When it seemed that Keith was done letting out his grief Lance stood up and walked over to the DVD player they had. He already had the disc he wanted booted up so it was just a matter of pressing the buttons.
On the TV was Lance and Keith’s wedding dance. Shiro was giving his last toast to the two newlyweds and was ordering them to get on the dancefloor. When the sound of the piano started to play through the TV speakers Lance made his way over to Keith and extended his hand.
“May I have this dance?” he whispered.
Keith accepted his hand and stood up, he placed his hand on Lance’s shoulder while Lance’s hand fitted on to his waist. And as the music began to play throughout the living room the two older men began to sway to the rhythm.
Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?
Eighty Eight Years Old
The third to last thing Lance noticed about Keith was that his hair was still so beautiful, even if it was still cut into a mullet. It was even more beautiful than the time Hunk had helped to style it for Pidge’s wedding. Even though they were a century from a mullet being in style Lance would swear that no haircut had ever looked more beautiful than it did on Keith Sanchez-Kogane.
The second to last thing Lance noticed about Keith was that he had his full attention on Lance. His hand was clutched around his husband’s and he was staring intently into Lance’s eyes as he whispered ‘I love you’ while Lance tried not to cry. His breathing was calm and steady and he looked calmingly at peace with the situation.
The last thing Lance noticed about Keith came a few hours later when Lance realized he could not bare the thought of sitting across from Keith. He carefully stood up and laid down next to his husband on the hospital bed. He saw as Keith opened his eyes one last time, not to glare at Lance, but to smile at him with bright eyes for the final time.