Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

1.

Keith would’ve loved to tune out Coach Kolivan’s speech about the team’s performance.

It wasn’t like he was lazy; he made sure to always be in the loop and take charge. After all, he was proud to wear the captain’s armband, and they wanted to start the new season with a bang.

But that afternoon, his mind had been drifting.

When Kolivan finally dismissed the team, everyone headed to the locker room.

The Practice session had been harsh. Keith’s muscles felt sore, and he really needed to wash all of the sweat off before changing back into regular clothes. He was going back to Lance’s room and wanted his friend to be satisfied with his appearance. Only because Lance had fussed over him the one time he’d felt too tired to shower after a workout.

Keith sighed under his breath when the stream of hot water ran down his skin.

As always, he used a simple 2-in-1 shower and hair product for athletes. Lance made a fuss over it before, but there was nothing wrong with the product. So what if it was supposedly bad for his hair? It had a fresh smell, was practical, and saved space.

Besides, Lance liked the scent on Keith. He thought he was sneaky when he nuzzled his nose into Keith’s hair or the collar of his varsity jacket at any opportunity. But Keith noticed; and felt his chest swell with an odd satisfaction.

Once he was done in the shower, he dried off and walked back to his locker to get dressed. He packed up his gym bag and grabbed his red and white varsity jacket. His hand made contact with the cold metal of the locker wall—the hook was empty.

“Where’s my jacket?” Keith voiced his confusion out loud.

Rolo said, “I don’t remember you wearing it before practice.”

“I wear it all the time.” Keith frowned. “Who stole it?”

“I doubt anyone did. Definitely none of us.”

“Yeah, you probably left it somewhere or didn’t even wear it today.”

Keith still found it strange, but there was no use trying to argue with the guys. None of them had a reason to steal it; everyone had their names on it, after all. And outsiders couldn’t get to the lockers just like that.

He shouldered his bag and left.

Outside, Lance was leaning against the wall, smiling at the soccer players walking out. Keith’s lips curled up as if on autopilot. Lance always had that effect on him with just his presence alone, and his smile had the power to brighten up any mood.

His posture was relaxed, hands in the pockets of his jacket. Stars in sky blue, pastel pink and white showed on a sliver of brown skin between red and white. He always wore this bracelet to show his pride, but something was different with the picture.

Lance stepped forward to meet him, and that was when it clicked. He was wearing a red and white varsity jacket. The jacket of the soccer team.

And there was only one player it could belong to.

“Oh,” Keith said lamely. “That’s where my jacket went.”

Of Course. Sitting back-to-back on Lance’s bed earlier, he’d lost track of time. Lance had to shoo him out because he was running late for training—and in his hurry, he’d only grabbed for his gym bag.

“Yeah. You left it on my bed earlier, so it’s only fair I get to wear it.” Lance grinned innocently. “Why? Want it back?”

“Nah. Keep it.”

Truth be told, sometimes, Keith had these thoughts flashing in his mind, what it would be like if Lance wore his jacket. Now it came true, and his heart performed somersaults in his chest. The excitement added to the warmth he felt whenever Lance came to the soccer field for him. Those were normal feelings you had for a close friend, right? Because that was all that they were. Friends.

“Awesome.” Lance grinned and fell into step right beside him.

Their hands brushed. It would’ve been so easy for Keith to link their fingers, to gently caress Lance’s knuckles with his thumb. But he didn’t make the move.

Lance continued chatting. “You know, I should snatch your clothes more often. Red looks better on me than I ever thought it would.”

“Yeah, it does,” Keith agreed without thinking. “It looks amazing on you.”

“Is that an invitation to borrow from your closet whenever I feel like?”

Glancing over, he found Lance looking at him with one eyebrow raised.

He shrugged. “Sure. Do what you gotta do.”

“Nice. I can totally pull off the edgy jock look.”

Keith chuckled. “Except everyone knows it’s mine because my name’s on it. And I’m not edgy.”

“Still looks great on me. And yes, you are. You’re the edgiest jock, ever.”

“I’m not edgy!” Keith huffed. “Can’t argue with the rest, though. You look great in anything.”

There was a cough behind them. Keith and Lance both turned around and found the other players looking at them in amusement.

One of the guys said, “Look, we’re happy for you, but you two are giving us diabetes.”

“Yeah, not everyone here is into PDA. Get a room.”

“What? What’re you talking about?” Keith asked.

“We know you’re dating, but there’s a time and place for everything.”

“We aren’t dating!” Keith and Lance both said at the same time.

The moment they realized they’d done it, they looked at each other, then hastily looked off in different directions.

The guys just gave them unimpressed stares.

Keith huffed. “Come on, let’s go.”

Without waiting for a reply, Keith grabbed Lance’s hand.

“That’s not very convincing, you know!”

“You aren’t helping your case!”

He tried to ignore the guys’ shouts as he and Lance left them behind, but he wasn’t succeeding. Their words hit him right to the core.

The idea of him and Lance dating—a light and fluttery sensation in his stomach. It only intensified when he felt the soft skin of Lance’s hand the entire way.

When he finally let go of Lance’s hand as they reached his room, his chest ached.

He tried to push the thoughts to the far back of his mind. For now, he had to focus on doing homework.

2.

Ever since that afternoon, Keith’s teammates would keep teasing him about Lance. That was all fine, he could shrug it off. He wasn’t bothered save for the confusion about his body’s sensations.

No one else assumed he and Lance were dating—or so Keith thought until he met up with his friends a few weeks later.

They wanted to hang out in a lounge room of the dorms with coffee and snacks. Lance had yet to join them. None of his friends asked about what to order for him; he didn’t point it out.

When it was Keith’s turn in line, he got a large iced coffee and two donuts. One of them was Lance’s favorite, and they both enjoyed the drink. He could share the extra.

Finally, the group sat down in armchairs around a table. Keith didn’t join the conversation right away, instead waiting for Lance to arrive. It was odd; he always made sure to send a notice if he couldn’t make it. There had been no text nor missed call.

But finally, Lance arrived—and squeezed himself right next to Keith.

He huffed out a breath but shifted immediately so they could be comfortable in the armchair. They often shared a seat; Keith liked how their thighs touched whenever they sat so close.

“Oh, you’re here,” Pidge said.

“Hello to you, too,” Lance said. He sounded just a little annoyed. “I got held up. Anyway, have anything for me?”

“Nope,” Allura replied. “You’re late, and we didn’t know what you wanted.”

“What? That’s not fair!” Lance whined.

“We actually thought you weren’t coming at all,” Hunk admitted.

“I can’t believe you’re so heartless. I thought we were friends.”

Lance’s tone was exaggerated and overdramatic for show as it often was. Still, Keith noticed his voice was just slightly off, felt the smallest tremble against his own body. He was mad at the others for not considering Lance and making him upset. Now, he was glad for his forethought to order double.

But he felt he couldn’t say it outright, that he had to be casual even though he bought the extras for him.

He slid the near-full iced coffee and one of the cream-filled donuts to the side. It was the vanilla one with the most sugary icing and sprinkles—Lance’s favorite.

Lance looked at him in surprise.

Keith held his gaze. “Here you go.”

“Are you sure?” Lance asked.

“Would I offer otherwise?” Keith countered. He went on to joke, “You already share my clothes, why not my food and coffee?”

“If you put it that way…”

Lance smiled and took a long sip from the iced coffee before taking a hearty bite from the donut. Keith took the cup back and drank from it like it was totally normal to share from the same straw.

“You know that’s like an indirect kiss, right?” Lance said nonchalantly.

“Really? Guess we also share kisses now.”

Lance giggled, and Keith smiled. Warmth spread all over his body, knowing that he had drawn this sweet sound from Lance. Making him laugh or smile was an awesome feeling.

“Anyway,” Lance said between subsiding giggles, “friendship ended with all of you. Except for Keith. Keith is now my best friend.”

Keith had been so drawn in by Lance’s presence he had nearly forgotten their friends were around. This happened with increasing frequency.

“Don’t you mean boyfriend?” Pidge deadpanned. “He already had the big upgrade.”

Lance’s voice was squeaky when he said, “What?! No! When I say best friend, I mean best friend!”

Allura and Hunk gave unimpressed looks.

Allura said, “You share armchairs—which not even Hunk and I do, I might add. Lance keeps taking Keith’s clothes, most of all his varsity jacket, the epitome of cliché boyfriend jacket. Now, you share food and talk about kisses.”

Hunk concluded, “Those are all pretty clear signs of dating each other. We would know; we went through most of these. The ones that apply, anyway. I’m not a jock, so I don’t have a varsity jacket for Allura.”

“We aren’t dating!” Keith and Lance exclaimed at the same time.

Like before, they met each other’s gaze, only to look anywhere but each other a second later. Keith took another sip of iced coffee. He thought he saw a faint blush on Lance’s face.

“Whatever you need to tell yourselves to sleep at night,” Pidge said with a shrug.

Keith didn’t know what everyone was on about so suddenly. All he knew was he felt warm and happy with Lance. His heart started beating faster, a fluttery feeling spread through his chest and stomach whenever he just thought about him. It was like the rush of adrenaline of a soccer match, but so much sweeter.

And Keith had a feeling that Lance felt the same way.

But that was the deep comfort they shared, right? Just because they were this close didn’t mean they were dating or thinking about it.

At least that’s what Keith needed to tell himself so he could sleep at night.

3.

One night with spring right around the corner, Keith was out late.

The soccer team had been scheduled for extra training sessions lasting well through the evening. It wasn’t uncommon; important games were coming up.

Coach Kolivan always drilled them to practice hard at all times. Keith had no issues adapting to his philosophies. After all, he’d worked out every day ever since his teens, hitting the gym and lifting weights even in his free time.

When he walked up to his bike, it was already dark.

“Hey, Keith, wanna join for a round of gaming?” Rolo asked.

Keith didn’t mind hanging out with the guys after training even on a school night, but he shook his head. “Nah, I’m off to pick Lance up from his evening class.”

“Ah, of course. That’s why you bring your bike on Thursdays nowadays.”

“Yeah. Just wanna make sure he gets home safe.”

Keith stowed his bag away and retrieved his helmet to put it on.

“You really go out of your way even though our campus is known for its safety,” Rolo observed.

“Yeah, that’s a lot of effort for allegedly not dating,” another voice chimed in.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Keith asked defensively.

“Oh, nothing. Say hi to your boyfriend for us!”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Keith shouted at the retreating forms of his teammates.

He groaned when he heard them cackling.

After many weeks and well into the next semester, the soccer team, as well as Keith and Lance’s friends, remained convinced the two of them were dating. Keith wouldn’t be surprised if, by now, the entire campus thought they were an item.

But they weren’t!

Sure, Keith openly admitted now he would like it if they were dating, but they were just dear friends who were really touchy-feely with each other. Lance took his clothes nearly every day now. And Keith liked treating Lance to meals, readily gave his jacket to make sure he was warm, and was happy to pick him up from class at night.

He enjoyed going out of his way and doing little extra things for Lance. He loved spending any bit of time with him that he could. Making Lance happy and ensuring his comfort filled Keith with such warmth and satisfaction without compare.

Even if he tried to rationalize it in front of anyone else.

Finally, Keith revved up the engine.

When he reached the destination at the other end of campus, he stopped near the entrance. He got off the bike and leaned against it. The lecture wasn’t over yet; the soccer team was done sooner. He could be the knight on a shiny motorbike for Lance without making him wait.

This had been a thing since the semester started, but Keith pulled out his phone to text Lance. He did it every time just to let him know he was there. Lance always sent back a string of kissing cat-face emojis without a word. Keith smiled fondly at his screen, butterflies on the loose in his stomach.

The wait time wasn’t too long. Finally, Keith spotted Lance walking along with some classmates. His smile instinctively widened as Lance waved with a bright smile of his own.

The girl walking next to Lance lightly clapped his shoulder. Her voice carried over to where Keith stood.

“Your boyfriend’s picking you up again? Wow, he’s a keeper.”

“He’s not my boyfriend. And besides, he’s center-forward, not keeper.”

“I’m not talking about soccer positions, silly.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

Lance picked up his pace and surprised Keith with a tight hug in greeting.

“Hey,” Lance breathed against his ear, causing a warm shiver down his spine. “Thanks for coming by bike. I’m tired.”

Keith chuckled. “I figured. Let’s go home.”

“Yeah.”

Lance stepped back so he could get the spare helmet.

Scanning Lance’s look more closely, Keith noticed he was only wearing a light shirt. The elegance of the sky blue garment coupled with one of Keith’s sweatpants was charming, but…

He frowned. “Why didn’t you bring a jacket?”

Lance shrugged. “It’s long-sleeved. It was warm when I headed out earlier.”

“That was in the afternoon.”

“I guess I forgot because the sunshine was nice and toasty.”

Keith wasted no time unbuttoning his jacket and shrugging out of it so he could hand it to Lance. “Here you go.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine, thank you.”

Keith’s lips quirked up. “You snatch it pretty much every day, and suddenly you don’t want it? I’ll remember that.”

“I didn’t say I don’t want it!” Lance huffed. “Fine, I’ll wear it. But don’t complain if you end up sick and unable to play soccer later.”

He took the jacket and put it on, buttons all the way up. As always, it made Keith’s heart perform somersaults.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Besides, I have a warm turtleneck sweater. I don’t get sick that easily, but you are weak to the cold.”

“You aren’t immune forever, though, and I don’t want to hear complaints when I nurse you back to health.”

“Why would I complain? You already fuss over me all the time, just like I do over you.”

Loud giggles sounded from the nearby parking spaces. Keith ignored them and motioned for Lance to mount the bike with him.

“Ready?” he asked when they were both seated properly.

“Ready,” Lance replied, his arms wrapped tightly around Keith’s middle.

“Let’s go.”

Keith revved the engine up once more and took off.

He loved riding the bike with Lance. Sometimes, he indulged himself imagining Lance would lean his cheek against him if the helmet wasn’t in the way. He would love a nice cuddle session in a position like this while watching a movie on the bed.

When they arrived at the dorms and were about to part ways for their rooms, Lance started to unbutton the jacket. Keith stopped him.

“Keep it,” he said. “You can wear it again in the morning.”

“Okay.” Lance smiled. “Good night, Keith. Sweet dreams.”

Keith returned the smile. “You too, Lance. Sweet dreams.”

He stood and waited for a moment, watching Lance’s form retreat. His heart sped up when Lance turned his head and waved with a bright smile before stepping in. Keith waved back and finally entered his room, a bittersweet taste as he imagined going in together.

And he indeed had sweet dreams that night, as he did so often lately, of all the things he already had with Lance, and all the things he still could if they were dating.

Not that they would anytime soon.

4.

At last, it was time for the final match of the season: the game against Galra, Voltron’s rival team. This game would decide who won the cup. The whole school was excited, anticipation had swung around the week leading up to it.

Keith had always played well under this kind of pressure, and he would work his hardest to bring victory for their team. It was a home match, which always served to boost the spirit.

He was headed to the soccer field with the rest of the team when he heard a voice call, “Keith! Wait!”

Though he knew Lance’s voice right away, he turned around to see him jog toward them. Keith signaled for the others to keep going while he waited. He was curious to hear what was the matter this shortly before the match.

Lance finally caught up and came to a halt right in front of him.

“What’s up?” Keith asked.

“Your ponytail is a mess,” Lance said in the familiar, affectionately fussy tone. “Turn around and let me fix it.”

Keith huffed but did as he was told.

“Did you run all the way just to fuss over my hair like you always do?” he asked while Lance’s hands worked with his ponytail.

Something was off—different than the hair tie he was used to. When Lance was done, Keith carefully brought a hand up to his hair. He felt smooth, vaguely star-shaped material beneath his fingertips. Eyebrows creased, he turned around. His gaze flickered to the bracelet on Lance’s wrist before meeting his eyes.

As if reading his unspoken question, Lance explained, “Red and blue stars, because, you know. A hair tie for good luck.”

“Oh.” Keith smiled warmly and summoned every ounce of affection into his voice. “Thank you, Lance. I’m sure it’ll help me win.”

Lance shuffled one foot and fidgeted with his bracelet. “There’s something else. Another good luck charm.”

“What is it?” Keith asked, ever curious.

But Lance didn’t reply. He leaned forward—and kissed Keith on the lips.

For a good second, he was too surprised to react. His mind was reduced to static noise and running through a million thoughts all at once.

Lance was kissing him. His lips were softer than anything he’d ever felt, and Keith wanted to melt into him, pull him closer. He wanted this moment to last forever.

But just when he’d started to kiss back, Lance pulled away. Keith’s attempts to follow his lips were in vain, his arm hanging in the empty air. The person he was longing to hold, had held just a second ago, was now a step away.

Lance’s face looked flushed, and his voice was squeaky. “So, uh, yeah. I’m gonna be right at the front to cheer you on. You better win this for me!”

Without leaving a chance to reply, he ran off to the entrance for viewers.

Keith grinned from ear to ear. He was vibrating with excitement. A good luck kiss from Lance. The exact meaning was still in the air, but what did it matter right now?

“You bet I’m gonna win it for you,” he vowed even though Lance was out of earshot.

When he turned to join his teammates again, he saw that they weren’t too far from him—and everyone gave him amused, knowing grins. Not just the team, the trainer staff as well.

“A good luck kiss from the boyfriend, huh?” Shiro was the first to speak the words everyone must’ve been dying to say. His voice was teasing, but there was a glint of nostalgia in his eyes.

Keith sighed. “We aren’t dating.”

There was a chorus of, “Sounds fake, but okay.”

He picked up the pace to walk past everyone. “Come on, we have a game to win.”

“You sure are motivated, knowing that your boyfriend is watching.”

“Yeah, I want to win this for him.”

“How romantic.”

Keith just huffed as they all went to their lockers to get changed.

While warming up, he let his eyes wander the bleachers. Lance was right in the front row near one of the goals. In front of him, a hand-painted banner to cheer for Keith and his team.

Keith smiled even though he knew Lance couldn’t see it. In his heart, he hoped they would get to play the second half facing that side. Scoring a goal of victory right in front of Lance? Talk about the ideal scenario to impress his hopefully-boyfriend.

It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm, but not too hot; perfect conditions for the viewers. Keith could play in any weather, but it was picturesque: clear blue sky while Lance cheered him on with his bright smile. More than ever, he was pumped for the game.

Finally, it was time for kick-off. Everyone shook hands. Lotor, the Galra team captain, wore a smug smirk. Keith gave him a nod, though his face remained neutral. Their grip was firm; neither wanted to back down from the challenge, both wanted victory for their team.

By a stroke of luck, Keith was the one to pick sides. And so, his wish came true—they would start out defending the goal where their friends were, then play against it in the second half. Now, he just needed to score.

He knew that the Galra team, dressed in purple from head to toe, were a dangerous opponent. But Voltron’s red jerseys matched their passionate spirit.

And today, Keith had a reason to win beyond just the competition.

As expected, the match was tough. Lotor was the first to score for Galra and had many close chances. Keith equalized before the halftime whistle, but the tension in the locker room was high.

Before the second half was about to begin, Keith had to re-do his ponytail.

He held the hair tie of red and blue stars between his fingers. Was it handmade, like a match to Lance’s bracelet? His heart soared at the thought and because it was a gift from him.

Without thinking about what he was doing, Keith touched one of the blue stars to his lips before tying his hair back.

His eyes searched the crowds for Lance. He felt he could hear his voice over the noise: calling his name over and over, that he could do it. His resolve strengthened anew.

“That’s a lovely little accessory you have there,” Lotor called out to him from the other side of the halfway line. “Never thought you were the type to dress up all pretty.”

“I’m not,” Keith called back. “It’s a gift.”

“Oh? Girlfriend? Boyfriend?” Lotor asked, one eyebrow raised.

“My special person, and his good luck charms will bring about your defeat.”

“We’ll see about that when we get there!” Lotor yelled over the sound of the whistle.

The second half continued much like the first.

Galra were as aggressive as ever, but Voltron played with newfound energy. Keith, especially, played with a fire burning strong. Out of everyone on the field, he had the most chances now, even if the Galra’s defense managed to stop and disrupt. But he knew that he would make it, sooner or later.

He had to.

As the minutes ticked closer toward the end of playtime, the game got messier.

Keith was running close to the goal with the ball, ready to aim, when he was fouled. It wasn’t enough to injure him, but straightaway, the referee pointed at the penalty spot. Keith stepped up without hesitation.

He touched his hair tie with the tips of his fingers. Sought out Lance’s face in the crowd. Breathing in, he took a run-up—and hammered an unstoppable shot. The ball soared into the net, straight past the goalie.

The cheers were deafening. Keith’s teammates came running to celebrate his goal with hugs and a clap to the back. The remaining minutes passed like in a trance.

At last, the ref blew the final whistle. The opposing players shook hands over a good match.

But most of all, Team Voltron celebrated their victory. They walked along the bleachers to greet their cheering supporters.

When they reached the side where their friends and partners were, Lance was right there, leaning over the fence. Keith didn’t think about what he did next. He reached out, but not to take Lance’s hand. Instead, he cupped Lance’s face—and kissed him straight on the lips, right there, for the world to see.

The moment felt infinite to Keith. Every nerve in his body was attuned to the sensation of Lance’s soft lips moving in sync with his own, of Lance’s skin and hair against his fingers.

When they parted for breath, Lance looked dazed but smiled from ear to ear. Keith’s grin felt like it was permanently stuck on his face. Winning the match and kissing the boy he loved; life couldn’t have been more perfect.

Keith could’ve gazed at him forever, but a shout of his name brought him back to reality.

“You can kiss your boyfriend all you want later!” Kolivan reprimanded.

“We aren’t dating!” Keith said on reflex.

His chest ached the moment the words left his lips. It didn’t escape his notice that Lance only spoke at the end of the sentence, his voice low. Glancing back over his shoulder, he found Lance’s expression crestfallen. His heart sank.

He had caused this.

Their kiss had carried so much heart, everything they’d longed to express. Yet, the words had slipped out.

The denial was the wall of defending players, and he’d messed up his free kick. He needed to make up for it now.

He and Lance both needed to put their feelings out in the open when they could talk in private.

But an opportunity wouldn’t come for a while. The celebrations continued, and the team had to go shower.

Walking out of the locker room, Keith wore the circle of red and blue stars like a bracelet, on display above his fingerless gloves.

5.

To celebrate their victory, Rolo’s friends threw together a party. Everyone was excited to go.

Keith hated parties, at least the type that went to the extremes and with too many people. But as the captain and scorer of the decisive goal, he agreed to join when his teammate relayed everyone the details.

Even if he’d wish to celebrate with Lance, just the two of them in the quiet comfort of one of their bedrooms.

When Keith met up with his friends after finishing up in the lockers, he gave Lance a soft smile. Apologetic, reassuring, hopeful.

Lance smiled back, matching softness, and snatched Keith’s varsity jacket right from his arm. It was a relief; a sign that everything was alright despite the slip.

But the hope to spend the party close together dissolved when Lance slipped from his sight once they reached the location.

So instead, Keith leaned against the wall in the far back of the room, surrounded by other introverted jocks. Shiro was with them despite graduating long ago. He was a brother-figure to Keith and highly respected by everyone, both as a former player and part of the trainer staff. His presence helped keep the party tame.

Keith hadn’t bothered to get changed; if he was already going, he wanted to stay comfortable in his sweatpants and black v-neck. The special hair tie remained around his wrist.

The whole time, he tried to spot Lance, just to see him, to maybe join him. But there was no sight of him. Even if the party wasn’t dreaded as it could be, he was a little worried. He was easily protective when it came to Lance.

Then again, he was just yearning to resume where they’d left off with the kiss.

When he went to dispose of his single empty beer bottle, he overheard two guys talking nearby.

“That boy in the red jacket is a real cutie. Think I should go invite him for a drink?” the first guy asked.

“Dude, that’s the soccer captain’s boyfriend,” the other guy said. “See? Kogane’s name’s right there on his back.”

Keith looked around. Sure enough, he finally spotted his beloved: dancing solo in the middle of the room. His smile was brighter than the spotlights, and he rocked Keith’s varsity jacket like it was his own. As always, the sight made his heart beat wildly.

The first guy spoke again. “What, really? Wow, Kogane’s a lucky guy.”

“You never heard? They’ve been an item like, all year,” the other guy said. “They’re shy about it, though, from what I’ve heard.”

Part of Keith fancied the thought of joining Lance on the dancefloor. But before he could make up his mind, Lance slipped from his sight once more. Holding back a sigh, he decided to go back to his teammates.

When he turned around, he caught the first guy’s eye. Shooting a half-smile as he passed by, he said, “It’s true. I’m the luckiest guy.”

Neither confirming, nor denying; it wasn’t a lie. Even with his and Lance’s relationship status not yet being clear, he felt so lucky.

When he stood by the wall at the back of the room again, Keith fiddled with his hair tie. He tried to think of an excuse to take his leave, whether to find Lance or go back home alone.

There was no need to come up with anything.

Rolo joined the group and made a beeline for him. “Yo, Keith, your boyfriend’s asking for you.”

“Not my—” He huffed. “What’s wrong? Where’s he?”

“He’s on the sofa right by the window,” Rolo replied, pointing over his shoulder. “Nothing’s wrong, but he’s all tipsy and giggly. Wouldn’t stop asking for you, and he’s like, all pouty about it. Nyma’s with him while I went to get you.”

“Ah. Thanks for telling me, Rolo.” He turned to the others. “Sorry, guys. I’ll be off now, probably going home just to be sure he rests up if he needs to.”

“No problem,” replied his friends’ overlapping voices. “Take care of your boyfriend and have a good night.”

How they had decided to say the same thing like a hivemind, Keith had no idea. He just sighed without denying nor confirming and waved as he set off in the direction his teammate had pointed.

When he reached the sofa, he found the scene like Rolo had described: Lance pouting, Nyma patting his back. When she met his eyes, Keith nodded at her. She smiled and gave a thumbs-up before she left to find Rolo.

Now, it was just him and Lance.

Keith gently tapped his shoulder. “Hey, Lance.”

Lance’s head snapped up to look at Keith, and his face broke into a huge smile.

“Keith!” Unexpectedly, he wrapped his arms around him, nestling his face against his stomach. “Keith! I love you, Keith!”

A greeting made right out of daydream material.

Keith chuckled. “I know. Let’s go home, okay?”

“Will you carry me?”

The request was unexpected, but not unwelcome.

“Sure, I can do that.” Carefully, he picked Lance up, bridal style. “Like this?”

“Mmmm… my hero.” Lance smiled at him before he nuzzled his face into the crook of Keith’s neck. “This is like the bonding moment we had before, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I cradled you in my arms just like this.”

Lance giggled. “I love it when you cradle me.”

“Oh, well, I like cradling you, too,” Keith said, voice soft. He made sure he had a secure hold on Lance before he started to walk. “Let’s go home.”

He navigated his way through the crowds, all too aware of Lance’s breath hot on his skin. His pace was quick but steady.

But once he made it to the right floor of their dorms, he hesitated. There were two options: Lance’s room, or his own.

Keith didn’t want to search for Lance’s keys while he was asleep without an expressed okay. If Lance wanted to spend the night alone after all or felt uncomfortable sleeping in Keith’s room, they could still move.

Unlocking the door with Lance in his arms was a challenge, but he made it. Once inside and with the door locked behind him, he walked over to the bed and gently sat Lance down.

That was when he noticed Lance was awake.

His eyes were wide in wonder, lips slightly parted. There was no trace of discomfort in his features nor tone. Even so, Keith wanted to reassure that his only intent, always, was to keep him safe and comforted.

With the softest voice he reserved for Lance, he said, “It’s my room. Is that alright for you?”

Lance hummed. “You took me home like you promised.”

“You’re comfortable sleeping here?”

“Mmm, I’m very comfortable sleeping with you. Honestly, I really hoped the night would go like this. You and me, just the two of us in our room.” Lance giggled. Suddenly, he gasped. His gaze had flickered to Keith’s wrist, and he smiled wide when their eyes met again. “You kept the hair tie!”

“Of course! It’s the good luck charm you gave me to win the match, after all.” Keith smiled. He couldn’t help it despite his thoughts racing from Lance’s words about his hopes for the night. Exactly like his own. “Let’s take off that jacket so you can sleep.”

“Can’t I keep it on?” Lance asked. “I love your jacket.”

“I know,” Keith said fondly. “But that’s gonna be uncomfortable. You’ll have it back tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” Lance held out his arms for Keith to help him out of the sleeves. “You’re sleeping with me, right? Just making sure.”

“Huh?”

“It’s your bed, but you said we’re going home.” Lance’s eyebrows creased. “No sleeping on the floor, right? We’re together.”

Keith’s instincts took over the reins because his brain was reduced to a tiny blob running in a circle. Lance babbled without a filter, and Keith’s thoughts were just a cartoon voice yelling.

“Of course not!” he said, holding Lance’s gaze. His voice cracked a little. “No one’s sleeping on the floor. We’re sleeping together. I really hoped we’d spend the night like this, too.”

“Will you cuddle me?”

“These arms are ready to hold you all night.”

“I can finally sleep on your chest! This is the best night, ever!” Lance giggled, and his smile was positively blissful.

Keith was increasingly close to combusting. Following an impulse, he started untying Lance’s shoes to slip them off his feet. One of Lance’s hands found its way into his hair to play with the locks.

“Are you gonna undress me?” Lance asked.

His tone was a perfect mix of innocent curiosity and flirty playfulness. It was reminiscent of the fateful afternoon when he wore Keith’s varsity jacket for the first time.

“I—” Keith cleared his throat. His voice had cracked again. “Maybe not right now.”

Lance nodded and smiled. “You’re right, you can undress me next time. I’ve been looking forward to that.”

Keith’s breath hitched. “Definitely.”

To help his mind back on track, he picked up his jacket and Lance’s shoes to put them away. He took off his sneakers, as well, to line them up neatly by the door.

“I can fetch you a glass of water. Do you need the bathroom?” When he turned around, he found Lance had started to strip down. “Do you want a shirt to sleep in?”

“Can I have a red one?”

“Yeah, of course.”

He turned for the dressers to find a shirt; red like Lance asked, a looser cut than his usual shirts. When he walked back to the bed, Lance had just taken off his binder. The display of trust and comfort was dizzying. Keith didn’t want to betray it. He would never, ever ogle, but he fixed his eyes on Lance’s face, seeking his gaze.

His gratitude, everything he wanted to give in return—Keith hoped his eyes held it all.

“Here you go. I’ll be right back with a glass, okay? The bathroom’s all yours.”

“Thank you, Keith. You’re so sweet.” Lance sighed and smiled up at him. He held onto Keith’s hand before taking the shirt. “I finally got to say it.”

During the brief moment of contact, Keith squeezed Lance’s hand reassuringly.

He grabbed the nearest clean cup he could find for Lance, who was now dressed merely in underwear and his shirt.

Lance took the cup from him and smiled before he walked to the bathroom. He left the door ajar. The blob inside Keith’s brain continued running around in a circle.

To keep himself occupied, he took off his gloves and the special hair tie. Lance’s bracelet was already on the nightstand; Keith smiled and put the hair tie right next to it.

He checked if anything else needed to be placed in order. Then, he grabbed an extra pillow just to be sure Lance would rest comfortably. He briefly debated if he should offer a second blanket, too, but decided against it.

Finally, he started to strip. He tossed his sweatpants to the side and took off his t-shirt. There was a gasp from the bathroom. He looked up to find Lance, one hand on the door, lips parted and fixing his eyes on Keith’s face.

Just like he had a moment ago.

“Everything okay?” Keith asked.

“Yes,” Lance breathed. “I’m sorry, your muscles kind of turn my brain to mush.” He covered his eyes, giggling. “Oh, I really am so lucky.”

“Really?” Keith smiled to himself as he grabbed a t-shirt to sleep in. “I thought today was my lucky day already.”

“Really?”

“I mean, you kissed me good luck, and my team won the cup.” He looked at Lance, who peeked at him from between his fingers. Smiling softly, he asked, “Are you done in the bathroom?”

“Yes.” Lance stepped forward. “I’m just gonna get comfy while you finish.”

“Okay. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

Keith went into the bathroom without closing the door—like Lance had a moment ago. When he was in front of the sink to brush his teeth, he stopped in his tracks.

There was another toothbrush in the glass. Blue next to red. An empty package was in the bin.

Lance had found his spare toothbrush and made it his own.

Keith couldn’t stop grinning at his reflection while brushing his teeth.

When he was done in the bath, he could finally join Lance. Seeing him already all snuggled in, resting against his pillow, looking up at him with a sleepy but beaming smile—Keith’s heart was pounding.

He slipped under the covers. Lance immediately snuggled up to him. Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around Lance’s middle.

“Is this okay?” he asked softly.

“Perfect.” Lance sighed against his chest. “You’re so warm. You smell so nice.”

“I was right not getting an extra blanket, huh? You ditched the extra pillow, too.”

“Was that bad?”

“Oh no, not at all,” Keith immediately reassured. “I just... thought I’d get it just in case.”

Lance hummed softly against him. “You promised you’ll hold me all night. I want to rest against your chest all night. So, no extra pillow needed.”

“Yeah, makes sense.” He breathed a laugh. After a pause, he murmured, “We aren’t dating, huh?”

“The biggest lie of the century and everyone knows it.” Lance sighed. “It’s about time we stop saying that. We’ve been dating this whole time.”

“Mmm, we have.”

“Boyfriends.” Lance’s voice was heavy with sleep, but the way he said it was sweet, marveling, full of love.

Keith wanted to say something in return, but Lance’s breathing evened, signaling he’d fallen asleep.

He breathed a silent sigh. His hands never straying from Lance’s middle, he gently pulled him closer. Lance sighed contentedly in his sleep.

Nuzzling his face into Lance’s hair, he breathed in slowly. In and out, to Lance’s even breathing, his sweet scent in his nose.

“Boyfriends,” he whispered before he finally drifted off as well.

His muscles were heavy with the soreness of the game, and the events of the day raced his mind, but he felt thoroughly content.

+1

Keith felt warm when he woke up the next morning. Lance was with him. In his arms and flush against him, barely an inch between them.

He didn’t want to move, so he just stayed like this, listening to Lance’s soft, even breathing. Noticing the way he held onto the fabric of Keith’s t-shirt over his chest, the way their bare legs were tangled underneath the blanket. The sensation of Lance’s soft skin against his.

Lance had his face nuzzled into the crook of Keith’s neck. Keith leaned in to nuzzle his nose into Lance’s hair, the way he’d fallen asleep.

It was so silky. Lance always smelled so sweetly of summer fruits and flower gardens and the ocean breeze. Falling asleep to his scent, he’d felt as content as never before. Now, he felt heavy with yearning, deep in his chest, spreading through all his muscles. Though it wasn’t as light as the butterflies, the feeling was warm and pleasant.

He wanted to fall asleep like this every night, wanted to wake up with Lance in his arms every morning. He wanted to explore everything new they could now—as boyfriends.

Eventually, Lance began to stir, and Keith reluctantly leaned away.

Lance let out a soft sound as he raised his head, blinking his eyes open.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Keith said with a grin.

He couldn’t help it; Lance looked so adorable waking up in the morning, with a case of curly bedhead and his nose scrunched up sleepily. He’d always adored Lance’s cute button nose.

“Good morning,” Lance mumbled, detaching one hand from Keith’s chest to rub the sleep from his eyes. “This really happened, huh? You held me all night long.”

“Like I promised,” Keith said.

“Mmm. And I got to sleep against your chest all night long.”

“You were pretty excited about that.”

“You have no idea. I’m still excited right now.”

“So, you’re all comfortable?”

“I’m so comfortable. Last night was amazing.” Lance laughed shyly, hiding his face by leaning right into Keith’s chest again. “That sounds weird since we didn’t, you know. But just... how you took me home and took care of me even though I was just very tipsy, that was so sweet. You’re so sweet.”

“It was pretty amazing. You really got my brain turn to mush. My soul went right to heaven.”

“Oh, yeah? You got me going to heaven. You’re my—”

“Boyfriend,” Keith said, right at the same time as Lance finished his sentence.

“Boyfriend,” Lance repeated. He giggled, and when he finally looked up to meet Keith’s eyes again, his whole face was bright like a sunflower field beneath the summer sky. “I love this word. I love saying it. I love when you say it. I love you.”

“The feeling is mutual, honey.” He laughed, leaning in to kiss Lance’s hair. “Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend.”

“Gosh, all that unfiltered babbling would’ve been so embarrassing if you didn’t like me back all along.”

“And I’m lucky I’m so good at letting my instincts autopilot me.” Keith huffed. “You really did shortcircuit my brain a bit there.”

“Well, so did you with mine!” Lance stuck out his tongue briefly before he smiled again. “We’re gonna tell everyone now, right? We’ve really been idiots denying it all this time.”

“We’re definitely gonna tell everyone. And idiots sounds about right, I really could’ve smacked myself when I had to go back to the team after our kiss. When I kissed you, after the game. The words kind of slipped out without meaning to.” He sighed.

“I was a bit disappointed at first, but I could feel it was just the reflex.” Lance smiled up at him. “It all turned out well in the end. Even if I’d wanted to keep kissing you right there.”

“Yeah, same for me. That kiss was just amazing.” He smiled, then furrowed his eyebrows. “You didn’t mind that I kissed you without a word, right?”

“The kiss was so amazing. And I didn’t mind the surprise, not from you.” Lance laughed softly. “I mean, I didn’t announce my good luck kiss, either. I hope you didn’t mind.”

“I didn’t mind at all. That kiss was the best motivation boost ever. It just took me a hot second to kiss back because I never expected it.” Keith laughed as well. “That won’t happen again. You’re gonna give me more good luck kisses, right?”

“Mmm, good luck kisses for every match. And I’m very open for more victory kisses.” He grinned, then nuzzled ever closer with a sigh. “I could stay like this all morning.”

“Trust me, so do I. But we need breakfast.” Keith sighed as well. “And I have training this morning.”

“A breakfast date does sound nice. And we can continue our delayed celebrations after you’re done with practice.”

“Oh? You’ll have to tell me all about those celebration plans later.” He kissed every part of Lance’s face he could reach, save for his lips. “Let’s get up, then.”

“Aww, come on Keith, my lips are right here.” Lance pouted and laughed all at the same time. “Though I guess morning breath is a thing.”

“Oh, as if that would stop me if I really wanna kiss you, and if you really wanna kiss me.” Keith huffed a laugh. “Do you wanna kiss right now?”

“Mmm, a peck at least. We can save more kisses for later.” He kissed Keith’s cheek. “But I really wanna have good morning kisses when we spend the night together from now on. Whether I kiss you first or you kiss me first, both are good.”

“Big agreed. Doesn’t matter how we get there as long as we’re sharing those kisses.” He chuckled, and finally leaned in to peck his boyfriend’s lips so soft. The smile he felt against his skin made his heart flutter. He couldn’t wait for more. “Good morning, my sunshine.”

“Good morning, my darling.” Lance’s smile was so bright and beautiful. “Now we can get ready for breakfast. I need the bathroom before we go.”

“Sure. It’s all yours. My room is all yours. You did call it home last night.” He laughed softly. “If there’s anything you need, let me know.”

“And that goes right back to you with my room, okay?”

Keith smiled. “Yeah.”

They detangled underneath the blanket so they could get out of bed.

Lance went to the bathroom and left the door ajar—like the previous night. Keith’s heart ping-ponged in his chest as it did then. He walked up to the dresser to get an outfit to change into. Just in case, he picked an ensemble for Lance, as well. It was a combination he’d often snatched these past months.

He put the clothes for Lance aside, then changed into fresh boxer-briefs before putting on sweats. While he pulled the old t-shirt over his head, he heard the slight squeak of the door and pitter-patter of footsteps.

His boyfriend walked over to him, hands to his cheeks. His skin was flushed rosy. It was like the previous night when he seemed so in awe about his muscles.

Keith couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “You okay?”

“Yes,” Lance breathed. “I really like being so casual and domestic with you. Including when you see me get changed while we’re spending time alone. No need to avert your eyes, okay? You’re my boyfriend, and I’m so comfortable around you. Have been since forever.”

His voice was soft and assuring, not a trace of reproach for the averted gaze of last night.

“Okay,” Keith breathed. “I mean, I know, and I figured last night, and with how you left the bathroom open, too. But I just…”

“You always go the extra mile to make sure I’m comfortable. I know.” Lance’s voice remained soft with affection. He surprised Keith by hugging his torso from the side and kissing his cheek. “It always makes me feel so warm. Thank you, Keith.”

“I’m happy it can make you happy.” Keith sneaked a peck to the corner of his boyfriend’s lips before the hug was parted. “I prepared a set of clothes for you if you want to wear it. Your binder’s over there, too.”

“Oh, that’s one of my favorites from you!” Lance said when he saw the set. “It looks amazing on me.”

“It does.”

“Oh, I know. I studied your reactions to all the clothes I snatched from you, and this combo always got the most appreciative smile.” A laugh. “Makes me feel a bit torn because it’s such a great fit on you.”

“Oh? Maybe I’ll wear it more often again. Any other favorites to note?”

Lance started taking off the shirt he’d slept in, and Keith finally continued putting on his shirt. Getting dressed next to each other felt so warm and domestic. Keith loved this.

“I can make you a list, but the short version: your varsity jacket, your jersey, any of the slim-fit Nyadidas sweats. Like the rainbow stripes one. Oh, your hoodies, too.” Lance huffed a laugh. “But I also love wearing those, your jacket and hoodies especially, so that’s a dilemma.”

“You never had my jersey, though.”

“Oh, but I always dream about it.”

“Please wear it for my next game,” Keith blurted out before he even thought about the words.

“Gosh, yes. I’ll wear it for all your games!”

Keith grinned. “That’s the best announcement ever.”

While Lance put on his binder, Keith admired the freckles on his shoulders. He’d seen them before, but it was so different in an intimate moment like this. They not only trickled onto his upper arms, but also down his shoulder blades. That detail was news to Keith. He wanted to kiss each freckle on Lance’s body, every inch of smooth skin from head to toe.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Lance turned to him with eyes twinkling, arms already in the sleeves of the fresh t-shirt. “That was very no-filter.”

“I’m known for not having the best brain-to-mouth filter.” He reached out to tuck a curl behind Lance’s ear. “I’ll be right back, okay? Just a quick stop at the bathroom.”

His boyfriend pulled the shirt over his head, smile disappearing behind the fabric. “Okay.”

The bathroom was just as Keith had left it last night, blue toothbrush with his red one like crossed swords. He couldn’t help but imagine what a wholly shared bathroom would be like: Lance’s skincare products lined up neatly, both their body care products in the shower. New additions to the cabinet, others in the night table as well.

Moving together when graduation approached sounded like a sweet idea.

When he was at the sink to wash his hands, the hinges squeaked as Lance leaned into the half-open door. He was fully dressed now, varsity jacket included. Just like promised: Lance could have it back after they slept.

Keith met his eyes in the reflection. “Everything okay?”

Lance nodded. He stepped in, now leaning back against the doorframe.

“I just wanted to apologize for taking your spare toothbrush. I saw it in that basket last night, all sealed, and it was blue so I kind of…” A soft laugh. “I didn’t even think, I just took it.”

Keith walked over and leaned in—perfect kissing distance. As if reading his thoughts, his boyfriend closed the gap. Wow. A chaste kiss in the bathroom door. Keith’s heart was bound to leave his chest at the rate it kept jumping and racing.

“How convenient they had both red and blue when they had that buy two, pay one deal, huh?” Keith grinned. “There’s nothing to apologize for here, but you could buy me a new one, for your room. How does that sound?”

Lance laughed and hugged him. “I’ll buy it right this afternoon. Actually, we should go together. We could buy another thing or two.”

Keith saw the twinkle in his eye.

He huffed a laugh, his grin never faltering. “Definitely up for that.”

They stepped out of the bathroom so Keith could get his phone and wallet. He also took the special hair tie to wear it on his wrist. He wanted to have it with him all the time now.

Once he had everything and slipped into his shoes, he asked, “Ready to go?”

“Yep. Let’s go.”

They held hands the whole way to the dining hall, only letting go to load food onto their trays and carry them securely. They sat next to each other, knees bumping under the tabletop.

A moment after they started eating, Keith asked, “Wanna come watch us train?”

“Why do you even have practice right after winning the cup? This has been every year, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Kolivan doesn’t send us off for mid-season break nor close-season until a day or two later.” Keith shrugged. “That’s just how he rolls. Suits me just fine.”

“Makes sense since you train in your free time, too.”

“So, will you come?”

“You sure it’s okay if I watch?”

“He never said anything about closed training.” Keith shrugged again, then looked right in Lance’s eyes before he continued. “I’d be happy if my boyfriend is there to cheer for me.”

Lance smiled. “You know how much I adore watching my boyfriend on the soccer field.”

“Awesome.” Keith smiled back.

They finished eating in comfortable silence, just letting their knees bump every now and then.

When they were done, they both left for their own rooms, to wrap up getting ready. Keith didn’t need a long time, so once his gym bag was packed, he went to wait in front of Lance’s door. When he walked out, Keith took his hand—and leaned in to kiss his cheek. Lance beamed.

Once they reached the soccer field, they kissed before Keith entered the locker room. He was in high spirits when he put on his training kit, ignoring his teammates’ inquisitive eyebrows.

As always, everyone had to jog laps to warm up.

When Keith reached where Lance stood at the sideline, he went off track to kiss his boyfriend deeply. He only stopped when a whistle sounded.

“No kissing your boyfriend during training!” Kolivan yelled. “That’s one extra lap for you, Keith!”

“Sorry, Kolivan! I’ll be right back!” Keith yelled back over his shoulder.

But instead of jogging off, he pressed another kiss against Lance’s lips.

“Don’t get yourself into trouble because of me, you’re the captain,” Lance scolded. He tried to sound strict, but his bright smile betrayed him.

Keith grinned. “You’re worth it.”

To prove his point, he leaned right in for another peck. Finally, he jogged back off, still grinning, even as Kolivan announced sternly that he had to run a total of three extra laps now.

“What did we tell you about PDA?” one of the guys mock-scolded when Keith jogged past him.

“Sorry, guys, my boyfriend is just too irresistible. His kisses energize me better than coffee.”

“Oh? What’s this? No more denying?”

“Nope, we stopped being idiots.”

“It was about time,” came the chorus all around the field.

The practice session continued as it always did. Keith was more pumped up than usual, with his boyfriend as his audience and wearing the special hair tie. After all, Lance was his number one motivation and good luck charm, and everyone knew it.

He always had been the special person in Keith’s heart. And now, there was a title to it, an official announcement he could shout to the whole world.

No more denying.

Chapter Text

1.

It was just a regular afternoon.

Lance was on his bed, a book propped up against his knees. The autumn breeze caused goose-bumps to rise all over his skin, but he didn’t want to move away from the comforting, steady warmth of Keith’s back.

He wished he could stay like this forever, but a glance at the clock on his bedside table revealed time was up for now. Keith must’ve been so focused on his own readings he lost track of time. It made Lance smile.

Even though he didn’t want their time together to be interrupted, Lance knew he had to point it out.

He nudged Keith with one elbow and asked, “Don’t you have training? You’re the captain, you can’t skip.”

The sound of Keith shuffling for his phone, then sighing.

“You’re right,” Keith said. “I gotta hurry if I don’t wanna run extra laps.”

“Well, go on, then,” Lance said. He reached for the cute Sylveon bookmark by his feet to mark the page. “While you’re out there sweating, I’m gonna take a break and chill.”

A low chuckle. Lance had always loved that sound and wished he was still against Keith’s back so he could feel the rumble go through him.

Keith said, “Sure, you do that. Are you still gonna pick me up when we’re done?”

Lance pretended to think for a moment. “If you take a shower, I might consider it.”

“Hey, you know that was one time.” Keith huffed, but with an audible smile. The mattress squeaked softly with his movement. “Alright, I better run. See you later.”

“Yeah, see you later.”

Lance turned to watch as Keith grabbed his gym bag and walked to the door. He smiled when Keith turned his head to look back at him, lips quirking up, right before he stepped out of the room.

Once the door was shut again, Lance finally stood to close the tilted window. Then, just when he wanted to flop down with a sigh, something bright red contrasting light blue caught his eyes.

It was Keith’s varsity jacket. The one he never, ever parted with like a stereotypical jock. But now he’d left it right here, in Lance’s room, on his bed.

Lance’s heartbeat sped up.

On his knees, he edged over to the foot-end. His fingers hovered over the jacket, hesitating. He took a deep breath, picked up the jacket, and hugged it to his chest.

He closed his eyes when he buried his face in the collar. Keith’s scent: a perfect mix of his lemon-fresh 2-in-1 body and hair wash, the detergent he used, and something tangy that was so him. Lance always scolded him for using a combined product, but truthfully, he loved Keith’s smell, and loved nuzzling into his hair.

Lance knew he should run after Keith to give his jacket back or at least neatly hang it over his desk chair. However, his brain was currently on vacation all the way up on cloud nine.

His heart continued beating fast when he slowly slipped his arms into the sleeves then fell back against his pillow. He grabbed his blue lioness plushie for a hug. The high-pitched squeal was muffled by the fabric.

It had taken him a while to admit he had a crush on the soccer captain. From the beginning, then blossoming stronger with every moment they spent together. But he remained shy about making his feelings known, even to this point.

He sighed and put on some cheerful music. He stared up at the ceiling and just let his mind wander.

Lance knew exactly how long soccer practice went. He loved watching whenever he could. Other times, he came to pick Keith up, especially when they planned to study together.

When he jumped up to leave for the soccer field, Lance couldn’t tell whether the time had passed too soon or too slow.

At first, he meant to take the jacket off, keep it his little secret that he had worn it. In the end, he didn’t want to take it off. He couldn’t help but wonder how Keith might react.

They had grown so close; Lance often felt like they were dating. If Keith responded positively, the hints might be real.

The whole way, he was met with double-takes and stares. Lance didn’t care, smiled to himself as he walked with a spring in his step. Walking around in Keith’s varsity jacket, wearing Keith’s name on his back, it was exciting. If it felt like this now, how exhilarating would it be if they were official?

He reached the soccer field a little early and leaned against the wall. When the door to the locker rooms finally opened, he smiled, eyes immediately searching for Keith.

Keith smiled back at him, and it made his heart do a happy dance.

He loved all of Keith’s smiles, be it a lopsided quirk of the lips, a confident smirk, or a wide smile full of warmth. Right now, it was a case of the latter. Whenever Lance caught one of those smiles directed at him, he felt like melting. Making Keith smile was a fantastic feeling, considering how guarded he’d been when they first met. But causing that smile was something entirely else. It made him feel like he was the center of the world, and no one else seemed to receive this smile.

Lance stepped away from the wall. His gaze was focused on Keith, but he could see his teammates nudging each other.

It was like Lance could see the gears turning inside Keith’s brain when he gaped in surprise.

Finally, Keith said, “Oh. That’s where my jacket went.”

“Yeah. You left it on my bed earlier, so it’s only fair I get to wear it.” Lance grinned, aiming for playful innocence. “Why? Want it back?”

Keith gave Lance a once-over, quick but intense like his eyes wanted to commit Lance’s image to perfect memory. “Nah. Keep it.”

“Awesome.”

The grin stayed on Lance’s face when he fell into step next to Keith. Their knuckles brushed, and he wished Keith would reach out to take his hand because he’d never have the guts to do it himself.

He casually remarked, “You know, I should snatch your clothes more often. Red looks better on me than I ever thought it would.”

Even though he had hoped for it, Lance was still taken by surprise when Keith agreed. “Yeah, it does. It looks amazing on you.”

To keep up the game, Lance asked, “Is that an invitation to borrow from your closet whenever I feel like?”

He looked at Keith, raising an eyebrow.

Keith glanced over at him and shrugged. “Sure. Do what you gotta do.”

His grin was back in full force. “Nice. I can totally pull off the edgy jock look.”

Keith chuckled before he pointed out, “Except everyone knows it’s mine because my name’s on it. And I’m not edgy.”

“Still looks great on me. And yes, you are. You’re the edgiest jock, ever.”

“I’m not edgy!” Keith huffed. “Can’t argue with the rest, though. You look great in anything.”

Lance was lost for a witty response at the repeated compliments. He didn’t have to react, though; there was a cough behind them. When he and Keith both turned around, Keith’s teammates looked at them in amusement.

One of the guys said, “Look, we’re happy for you, but you two are giving us diabetes.”

“Yeah, not everyone here is into PDA. Get a room,” another added.

“What? What’re you talking about?” Keith asked.

When Lance glanced at him, he saw the furrowed eyebrows as if he couldn’t make any sense of their words. Lance, however, put the pieces together from how the soccer players had reacted before.

As if on cue, another voice chimed in, “We know you’re dating, but there’s a time and place for everything.”

While he wished they were, Lance knew they weren’t.

He said, “We aren’t dating!”

At the same time as Keith did.

Lance glanced at Keith, and Keith glanced at him. When they caught each other’s gazes, they both hastily looked in the other direction. The guys just gave them unimpressed stares.

Keith huffed and said, “Come on, let’s go.”

He took Lance’s hand to pull him along without even waiting for a reply. Lance’s heart rate increased at his wish fulfilling so suddenly. Who knew that all it would take was for a bunch of jocks to imply they were a couple?

“That’s not very convincing, you know!”

“You aren’t helping your case!”

The shouts reached their ears, but neither he nor Keith said anything. They continued walking in silence, with Keith barely slowing down until they reached their dorms. He never let go of Lance’s hand, all the way until they were back in Lance’s room.

Lance was dying to know what Keith was thinking right now. He couldn’t help the little stab of disappointment in his chest at Keith’s denial, but at the same time, hope continued to simmer inside his heart at Keith’s reactions.

2.

Following their conversation that afternoon, Lance started to snatch clothes from Keith’s closet. He went for anything: sweatpants, t-shirts, hoodies, and wore them until they stopped smelling like Keith. The comfort they gave was incredible.

But most of all, he took Keith’s varsity jacket whenever he caught Keith taking it off. He reveled in the stares and whispers and how Keith looked at him with a spark in his eyes every time he wore it.

They never talked about the soccer team believing they were dating. It was like Keith was pointedly ignoring the possibility while Lance didn’t dare bring it up. And yet, Keith continued giving him all these gazes, the warmest smiles. He played along to Lance’s attempts at flirting, gave more compliments at any point.

So far, no one had made the assumption in Lance’s presence alone. He was glad about it; after all, he would have to deny it, like they both had in front of the soccer team. Right now, he could indulge himself in imagining what it was like if they were dating. That by wearing Keith’s varsity jacket, his name on his back, he was shouting it to the whole world.

Just a short while after the first incident, Lance was running late to meet his friends. After class, a professor had wanted to speak with him, and Lance couldn’t just walk away. It wasn’t anything serious, though Lance tried to keep the conversation as short as possible.

When he was finally able to leave, he went straight to one of the lounge rooms.

Whenever Lance caught his own reflection in the window, he had to grin. He really looked good in Keith’s jacket. It felt so right.

Once he arrived at the lounge, he squeezed himself next to Keith.

Keith instantly inched closer to the armrest to make more room for both of them to sit comfortably, without a word of complaint.

The first to speak with everyone now aware of Lance’s presence was Pidge. “Oh, you’re here.”

Jeez, what kind of greeting was that?

“Hello to you, too,” he said. “I got held up. Anyway, have anything for me?”

“Nope,” Allura replied. “You’re late, and we didn’t know what you wanted.”

“What? That’s not fair!” Lance whined.

“We actually thought you weren’t coming at all,” Hunk admitted.

“I can’t believe you’re so heartless. I thought we were friends.”

Lance was playing dramatic, of course, but he was a bit hurt. Did they really think he hadn’t planned to hang out and not tell them about his change of mind? Did they assume he wouldn’t have wanted anything? It’s not like Lance expected them to give him free food—he would’ve paid them back!

Even with his dramatic antics, he was caught by surprise when Keith shoved his large cup of iced coffee and one of his donuts in front of him.

He looked at Keith.

“Here you go,” Keith said.

He tried to act casual, but his eyes, stormy as ever, showed everything: underlying annoyance. Warmth for Lance; the honesty of his gesture.

Though Lance could read his intention, he asked, “Are you sure?”

“Would I offer otherwise?” Keith countered. Then, he continued with a half-smirk, “You already share my clothes, why not my food and coffee?”

“If you put it that way…”

Lance finally smiled and took a long sip from the iced coffee before taking a hearty bite from the donut. His heart made a jump when he realized that it was a vanilla cream donut—his favorite.

Keith had bought double for him. It was the only explanation for the undisguised warmth in his gesture. No matter if he tried to brush it off as nothing, Lance’s heart felt full.

He watched as Keith took a sip from the drink like it was the most normal thing for friends to share a straw.

As nonchalantly as he could, he said, “You know that’s like an indirect kiss, right?”

Keith returned his look with an eyebrow raised. “Really? Guess we also share kisses now.”

Lance couldn’t keep himself from giggling at Keith immediately playing along. When Keith smiled at him like he always did, looking proud of himself at the same time, butterflies fluttered all over Lance’s chest and stomach. It took a moment longer than usual for the giggles to subside because he felt so giddy.

When they finally did, he looked across the table and said, “Anyway, friendship ended with all of you. Except for Keith. Keith is now my best friend.”

“Don’t you mean boyfriend?” Pidge said in a deadpan voice. “He already had the big upgrade.”

Lance felt like screaming internally, and his cheeks felt warm. Now his own best friends, too, thought that he and Keith were dating? Did they really appear so obvious?

He wanted to confirm so badly, but he squeaked out, “What?! No! When I say best friend, I mean best friend!”

Allura and Hunk looked entirely unimpressed.

Allura said, “You share armchairs—which not even Hunk and I do, I might add. Lance keeps taking Keith’s clothes, most of all his varsity jacket, the epitome of cliché boyfriend jacket. Now, you share food and talk about kisses.”

Hunk concluded, “Those are all pretty clear signs of dating each other. We would know; we went through most of these. The ones that apply, anyway. I’m not a jock, so I don’t have a varsity jacket for Allura.”

“We aren’t dating!” Keith and Lance exclaimed at the same time, just like before.

Like that time, they exchanged a glance, only to look anywhere but each other a second later.

With a shrug, Pidge said, “Whatever you need to tell yourselves to sleep at night.”

Lance realized he had to be prepared to keep denying it, even if in his head, he indulged himself in the idea it was true. He would have to keep ignoring the stab he felt whenever they both denied a relationship that seemed to be there all along.

He held onto to the glimmer of hope that maybe they would talk about it and make it official.

3.

By the time spring approached, Lance had started to find it harder and harder to deny a relationship.

Sure, they had been touchy-feely for a long time. Lance continued taking Keith’s clothes, and though he made sure to give his jacket back whenever it stopped having Keith’s scent, it looked like it was glued to Lance’s body.

Keith provided food for Lance without any prompt to do it as if he had a sixth sense for when Lance was hungry. Even when Keith presented the snacks without a word or with his resting-serious-face, it left Lance feeling flustered and loved.

However, what took the cake was a routine that started the first Thursday of the new semester.

When Lance found out he had a class that went into the night and was located at the other end of campus, he was a little annoyed but would’ve managed somehow.

Keith was with him when they looked at their new schedules. Lance wondered if he had picked up on the slight frown on Lance’s face, if that was what made him lean over to check Lance's timetable.

To Lance’s surprise, Keith immediately announced, “I’m gonna pick you up from that evening class.”

Lance had tried to reject at first, but Keith argued he was out that late for practice, anyway, so Lance agreed. It had just been a front, anyway. Knowing that Keith wanted to go the extra mile for him filled Lance with such incredible warmth, he thought he was gonna catch a fever.

Keith acted like such an attentive boyfriend the denial was maddening.

One time, Lance had trouble staying focused on his evening class.

He was tired because thoughts about Keith had kept him awake for a while. Even aside from the butterflies in his stomach, Lance was glad that Keith was coming to pick him up because walking home all alone wouldn’t be so fun when he was sleepy. The only thing keeping him awake right now was doodling on his notes and fidgeting with his bracelet of stars aligned in the trans pride flag.

About five minutes before class ended, the light on Lance’s phone signaled an incoming message. As was the habit, Keith had sent a text to tell him he was waiting outside. Lance smiled and, as always, sent back a string of kissing cat-face emojis. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the girl next to him steal a glance at his phone even though he tried to shield it from view. Jeez, had she never heard about privacy?

Finally, it was time to go home. Lance packed his bag and left.

The late-night spring breeze made him shiver in just his light shirt, but he felt warm the moment he spotted Keith leaning against his red bike, with a smile in Lance’s direction. Lance smiled back and waved, and when Keith’s smile widened in response, the warmth inside his chest only grew stronger.

The girl sitting next to him in class clapped his shoulder lightly. “Your boyfriend’s picking you up again? Wow, he’s a keeper.”

Lance wanted to groan. With Keith within earshot, he definitely couldn’t worm out from the direct response.

And so, he said, “He’s not my boyfriend. And besides, he’s center-forward, not keeper.”

The last part was added to keep up a clueless act by spouting soccer facts. Lance didn’t want people to know how badly he was pining. It was bad enough he knew how badly he was pining.

“I’m not talking about soccer positions, silly.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

Lance waved and picked up his pace. He didn’t want to deal with this now, he just wanted to enjoy his brief moment with Keith and get home so he could sleep.

The moment he stood in front of Keith’s bike, he threw his arms around him in greeting.

“Hey,” he breathed against Keith’s ear. “Thanks for coming by bike. I’m tired.”

Keith chuckled, hot breath ghosting on Lance’s skin and causing a pleasant shiver to run down his spine. “I figured. Let’s go home.”

“Yeah.”

Lance stepped away so he could get the spare helmet.

Keith suddenly frowned at him and asked, “Why didn’t you bring a jacket?”

Lance merely shrugged and replied, “It’s long-sleeved. It was warm when I headed out earlier.”

“That was in the afternoon.”

“I guess I forgot because the sunshine was nice and toasty.”

Keith immediately unbuttoned his varsity jacket, shrugged out of it, then held it out for Lance. “Here you go.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine, thank you,” Lance said, even though his fingers were itching to grab the jacket and slip it on.

He felt so warm and giddy because Keith offering his jacket so outright was a first. But maybe he felt a bit stubborn because they continuously denied any romantic tension going on between them. Keith’s attentive boyfriend mode simply couldn’t be a show.

“You snatch it pretty much every day, and suddenly you don’t want it? I’ll remember that,” Keith said with a half-smile.

“I didn’t say I don’t want it!” He huffed with a pout at Keith’s handsome-cute, flirty face. “Fine, I’ll wear it. But don’t complain if you end up sick and unable to play soccer later.”

Finally, he took the jacket and immediately slipped his arms into the sleeves. He closed it all the way up.

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Besides, I have a warm turtleneck sweater. I don’t get sick that easily, but you are weak to the cold.”

“You aren’t immune forever, though, and I don’t want to hear complaints when I nurse you back to health.”

“Why would I complain? You already fuss over me all the time, just like I do over you.”

There were giggles from the nearby parking spaces. They both ignored them to mount the bike together.

When they were both seated, Keith asked, “Ready?”

“Ready,” Lance replied.

“Let’s go.” Keith revved up the engine and took off.

This might be one of Lance’s favorite parts every Thursday night. He loved riding on Keith’s bike, holding on tightly, and leaning against him as closely as he could. If only he could rest his cheek against Keith’s neck, nuzzle his nose into his hair, then everything would be perfect. Of course, the bike wasn’t the right place because helmets were necessary for safety.

Even though Lance was so tired, the ride was over much too soon for his liking. They entered the dormitory in silence.

When they had to part ways to enter their rooms, Lance started to open the jacket so he could give it back.

However, Keith stopped him. “Keep it. You can wear it again in the morning.”

“Okay.” Lance smiled. “Good night, Keith. Sweet dreams.”

Keith returned the smile as he replied, “You too, Lance. Sweet dreams.”

When he was about to step inside his room, Lance looked back over his shoulder and found Keith waiting at his door. Keith had that look on his face, and the butterflies went loose in Lance’s belly. He beamed and waved, then finally entered when he received a wave in return.

How he wished they’d walk in together.

That night, Lance fell asleep hugging Keith’s jacket against his chest along with his plush lioness. He held the fabric as near to his face as he could so Keith’s scent would lull him to sleep. It was almost possible to pretend they slept together.

His last thought as he lost consciousness was wondering whether Keith ever got excited when he got his clothes back and they smelled like him.

4.

Soon enough, Lance had to admit defeat.

He couldn’t do this anymore. Denying a relationship when it was so painfully obvious—it was like a massive black hole in his heart. He had to do something before the longing to be official consumed him whole.

Since it didn’t seem like Keith planned to say a word, Lance would have to take a step and hope for the best. Even the slim chance of rejection was better than this sweet torture of a quasi-relationship, but knowing it wasn’t if no one took the plunge.

And the day of the final match of the season seemed the perfect opportunity. He would make a good luck charm for Keith and later tell his feelings.

He bought supplies and spent the night before the match stringing star-shaped plastic pearls on a strong piece of elastic to make a hair tie. Red and blue stars, their colors aligned in a perfect circle. Keith always wore his hair tied back for soccer. Hopefully, he would catch the symbolism or at least think it was a cute gift rather than silly.

Lance’s fingers worked swiftly, with practiced ease. After all, he had made his favorite bracelet in the same way. He held back a smile at the thought that, even with entirely different meanings, they would still match.

When he laid down for sleep that night, he had to put on calming piano music to get his heart-rate to slow down. Thinking about the other thing he was gonna do was nerve-wracking, but he needed a good night’s sleep.

All through the morning, he tried to psyche himself up with any and all techniques he had ever heard of. He tried to avoid Keith as best as he could, not knowing how it would affect his nerves.

Finally, the time had come.

Lance excused himself from his friends without offering an explanation. He knew the soccer team was on their way to the lockers right now. Everyone was there to witness, but now was the one chance Lance had; earlier, the timing seemed off, any later would be impossible.

As he was jogging down the grounds to catch up, he called out, “Keith! Wait!”

Keith turned around and waited until Lance came to a halt in front of him. “What’s up?”

Lance replied, “Your ponytail is a mess. Turn around and let me fix it.”

He had planned ahead how to best make this work—by pretending his usual fussing over Keith’s hair. He hoped his voice didn’t betray his terribly frazzled nerves.

Keith huffed but did as he was told. Lance was thankful his hands didn’t tremble while he redid Keith’s ponytail with the special hair tie.

“Did you run all the way just to fuss over my hair like you always do?” Keith asked.

But Lance stayed silent.

He watched as Keith touched his hair to feel the stars with his fingers, as he turned around with eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His eyes flickered to Lance’s wrist for the briefest second.

Finally, he explained, “Red and blue stars, because, you know. A hair tie for good luck.”

“Oh.” Keith blinked before he smiled softly. His voice was full of honey milk warmth when he said, “Thank you, Lance. I’m sure it’ll help me win.”

Lance fidgeted with his bracelet. It was now or never.

“There’s something else. Another good luck charm.”

Keith tilted his head as he asked, “What is it?”

He didn’t reply, not with words, at least. His heart jumped up to his throat as he closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss Keith’s lips.

Admittedly, he hadn’t thought this through entirely. He’d imagined so often what it would be like to kiss Keith, but how long should he make it last? They were in front of the soccer team, who had a match to prepare for. It was their first kiss.

Keith didn’t react for a good second, but then he dived in, as softly as Lance had set the pace. Lance felt a hand on his waist, and he wanted to be pulled in. He wanted to wrap his arms around Keith, find the perfect angle, taste everything his lips had to offer for him.

Instead, he pulled back. Even from this brief of a kiss, his face felt on fire.

Keith gazed at him in wonder, his eyes wide and holding a glimmer. His arm hovered in midair, holding the ghost of Lance’s waist; his lips were parted and ready to kiss again.

Lance squeaked out, “So, uh, yeah. I’m gonna be right at the front to cheer you on. You better win this for me!”

He ran off to the entrance for viewers without giving a chance to respond. He was early, but it meant he could score the best position in the usual block—right in the front near one of the goals.

His friends showed up after a short while and brought his hand-painted banner along like they had agreed earlier. Thankfully, they didn’t question his nervous-giddy state.

He took a deep breath and rolled out the banner. He had to cheer for Keith and his team. His little are-we-dating-or-are-we-not confusion could wait until later.

Lance always loved watching the team warm up before a game. It helped him calm down and really get into the spirit. He knew that Galra, with their captain, Lotor, were a tough opponent. But Lance was confident that Keith and his friends would win.

When it came time for kick-off, Keith was able to pick the sides. As usual, he chose to defend the goal in front of Lance and his friends first. Lance rocked back and forth in excitement. Wouldn’t it just be sweet if he got to witness Keith score a goal, all close-up, in the second half?

The match started out as tough as expected. Lance had to watch as Lotor scored and had many close chances. Keith equalized for Voltron before the halftime whistle, but the tension was tangible even on the stands.

When the teams came back for the second half, Lance’s cheers increased. He indulged himself in the thought his voice would carry all the way to Keith’s ears. When the players took their positions, he saw Keith redo his ponytail.

His eyes widened. Was it just his imagination, or did Keith touch the red and blue stars to his lips for the briefest of seconds? Even if it hadn’t happened, Lance’s heart skipped a beat.

Voltron had found new energy during the halftime break. Out of everyone on the field, Keith’s play was the most passionate; he was the one with most chances by far.

With time starting to run low, the game got messier. Lance had to watch as Keith was fouled when he was close to the goal, aiming to score. Those moments never failed to make him worry.

He held his breath as Keith stepped to the penalty spot himself. He thought he saw Keith seek his face in the crowd before he ran up. It was a perfect goal. The ball sailed straight into the net, unstoppable for the goalie.

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers. Lance thought his own voice might leave from how much he was cheering. It continued when just a moment later, the final whistle sounded. Voltron had won the cup.

Everyone in the stands hugged each other like the players on the field, full of laughter. Lance leaned over the railing as he waited for the players to be done shaking hands with the opponent and start their tour along the bleachers.

When Keith came up in front of him and reached out, Lance expected he would take his hand. Instead, Keith cupped his face, leaned in, and kissed him full on the lips. Right here, in front of the entire school.

Lance thought his heart stopped. All sound left his ears. He was in an isolated bubble, just him and Keith and their lips moving in perfect sync. Keith led the kiss, passionate like on the field, but gentle. Lance responded with all his feeling.

When they parted for breath, Keith’s indigo eyes shined with affection unvoiced, and he grinned as wide as Lance had never seen before. His own smile probably looked ridiculous with how dazed he felt.

Their gazes remained locked until a reprimanding shout from Kolivan brought them back to reality. “You can kiss your boyfriend all you want later!”

Keith turned to jog away.

“We aren’t dating!”

Not a yell, low enough to not be heard, but Lance’s heart dropped at Keith’s words. He joined, barely above a whisper.

Keith glanced back at him, regret spelled on his features.

It had been a reflex.

The wait for the soccer team to be done was nerve-wracking. His friends gave him looks, but he tried to ignore them.

Finally, Keith joined the group. His smile for Lance was soft. It carried a silent message: apology, reassurance, hope.

Lance smiled back, hoping to give a matching message. He snatched Keith’s varsity jacket from his arm.

They would be able to talk soon.

5.

Lance’s hope to celebrate with Keith, just the two of them, had to wait.

Rolo’s friends had organized a party for the soccer team’s victory in the cup. As the captain and man of the match, Keith had agreed to go. Everyone was going.

A party wasn’t the same as the quiet comfort of their bedroom, but it was alright for Lance. They could dance together, laugh together, and maybe they’d still resume where they’d left after the kiss.

But when they all arrived at the location, Lance took a look around for orientation—and lost sight of Keith.

Lance frowned as he scanned the crowds. There were so many people. He’d just have to move around until he found him.

And he would be easy to spot; after all, he was wearing Keith’s varsity jacket.

He chatted with friends. He danced solo all around the room. But he couldn’t catch sight of Keith at all.

The antsiness increased.

Lance had some water and finger food; he had one beer. Enough to get him tipsy. He’d always been sensitive to it; it made him all giggly and affectionate.

He was on the couch with Nyma and Rolo around. Everything would be great if only he could find the one he wanted to be so affectionate with.

“Where’s Keith?” he asked.

“He’s at the back,” Rolo replied.

“Why’s he back there? I want him here. Or I want to be there. I don’t care. I want Keith.” Lance pouted as he tried to scan the room once again. “Where is he? I can’t see him.”

“Want me to get him for you?” Rolo asked.

His voice was amused. What was so funny? Jeez, was it a crime that a guy wanted to be with his quasi-boyfriend and resume the amazing kiss they’d had?

“Please! I’ve tried to find him the whole night. He just disappeared when we got here!” Lance pouted again. “I want to dance with him. I want to cuddle. I don’t care. I just want to be with Keith.”

“Alright, alright. I’m gonna find Keith for you,” Rolo said. “Nyma, you’ll wait with Lance, yeah?”

“Sure thing,” she said.

Lance sat there with a pout as he waited. Nyma patted his back empathically. His focus zoned out.

Suddenly, she stood, and someone tapped his shoulder.

An unmistakable, gravelly voice said, “Hey, Lance.”

Lance’s head snapped up, and he immediately broke into a smile. He wrapped his arms around Keith and nuzzled against his stomach.

“Keith! Keith! I love you, Keith!”

Keith chuckled and said, “I know. Let’s go home, okay?”

“Will you carry me?”

“Sure, I can do that.” Before Lance knew it, strong arms held him bridal style. Keith asked, “Like this?”

“Mmmm… my hero.” Lance smiled up before he nuzzled his face into the crook of Keith’s neck. Keith’s skin and hair smelled so comforting. “This is like the bonding moment we had before, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I cradled you in my arms just like this.”

Lance giggled. “I love it when you cradle me.”

“Oh, well, I like cradling you, too,” Keith said softly. Lance felt the world move as Keith adjusted his hold and started to walk. “Let’s go home.”

Lance had his eyes closed the entire way, just enjoying the feeling of being in Keith’s arms and breathing in his scent. At one point, Keith stopped for a moment; right before he unlocked a door.

The lock clicked shut; Lance was gently sat down on a bed.

He opened his eyes and immediately knew where he was. Familiar surroundings, a warm feeling. Keith’s room. The place he’d hoped to spend the night.

Lance looked up at him. The gaze he received in return was gentle as the summer breeze.

“It’s my room. Is that alright for you?” Keith said, voice soft and reassuring.

Lance hummed. “You took me home like you promised.”

“You’re comfortable sleeping here?”

“Mmm, I’m very comfortable sleeping with you. Honestly, I really hoped the night would go like this. You and me, just the two of us in our room.” Lance giggled. His gaze flickered to Keith’s wrist; red and blue stars above a glove band. He’d seen it earlier, but his tipsy brain was so happy seeing it again, he beamed widely. “You kept the hair tie!”

“Of course! It’s the good luck charm you gave me to win the match, after all.” Keith smiled. “Let’s take off that jacket so you can sleep.”

“Can’t I keep it on?” Lance asked. “I love your jacket.”

“I know, but that’s gonna be uncomfortable. You’ll have it back tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” Lance held out his arms. “You’re sleeping with me, right? Just making sure.”

“Huh?”

“It’s your bed, but you said we’re going home.” Lance’s eyebrows creased. “No sleeping on the floor, right? We’re together.”

“Of course not!” Keith held Lance’s gaze. His voice cracked a little. “No one’s sleeping on the floor. We’re sleeping together. I really hoped we’d spend the night like this, too.”

“Will you cuddle me?”

“These arms are ready to hold you all night.”

“I can finally sleep on your chest! This is the best night, ever!” Lance giggled.

Keith didn’t respond. Instead, he started taking off Lance’s shoes. Wow. That was right out of a daydream.

“Are you gonna undress me?” Lance asked; equal parts curious what was the direction of the night, and playfulness.

“I—” Keith cleared his throat. His voice had cracked again. “Maybe not right now.”

Lance nodded. “You’re right, you can undress me next time. I’ve been looking forward to that.”

“Definitely.”

Keith went to put the jacket and shoes away. Lance started to strip, wholly welcoming Keith’s presence. No matter what they’d do from here, no matter if they’d said it yet. Keith’s eyes had never caused him discomfort.

“I can fetch you a glass of water. Do you need the bathroom?” Keith asked. He turned in his direction again. “Do you want a shirt to sleep in?”

“Can I have a red one?” Lance asked.

“Yeah, of course.”

While Keith went for the dresser, Lance took off his binder. Despite their conversation just a moment ago, Keith fixed his gaze on Lance’s face when he came back with a shirt. His eyes shone with reassurance and warmth. Always a gentleman, always valuing Lance’s comfort and consent.

He may have been center-forward on the field, but as a boyfriend, he was the keeper.

“Here you go. I’ll be right back with a glass, okay? The bathroom’s all yours.”

“Thank you, Keith. You’re so sweet.” Lance smiled. He held onto Keith’s hand before taking the shirt; Keith squeezed reassuringly. “I finally got to say it.”

He pulled the shirt over his head. It smelled of fresh laundry, not Keith, but that was okay. It was Keith’s shirt, and he was gonna sleep in it.

When Keith handed him a clean cup, he smiled and walked to the bathroom. There was no need to close the door. He trusted Keith entirely.

He drank some water and used the toilet. In a storage basket, he saw a toothbrush: blue, in a sealed package.

Lance took it without even thinking.

When he was done brushing his teeth, he walked out—and gasped.

Keith took off his shirt right as he stepped through the door. His muscles were on full display, and he stood there in merely his boxer-briefs. This was too much for Lance’s brain. He tried to focus his eyes on Keith’s far too handsome face as he held onto the door.

“Everything okay?” Keith asked.

“Yes. I’m sorry, your muscles kind of turn my brain to mush.” He covered his face, giggling. “Oh, I really am so lucky.”

“Really? I thought today was my lucky day already.”

Lance peeked at him from between his fingers. “Really?”

“I mean, you kissed me good luck, and my team won the cup.” Keith smiled softly. He asked, “Are you done in the bathroom?”

“Yes.” Lance finally walked forward. “I’m just gonna get comfy while you finish.”

“Okay. I’ll be with you in a minute.”

Keith walked into the bathroom and left the door ajar, just like he had. Lance felt giddy.

He walked over to the bed and pulled the blanket back. There was an extra pillow lined up at the headrest. Lance’s heart jumped at the attentive gesture, but he laid back against Keith’s pillow. This was how he wanted to spend the night. Entirely engulfed in Keith’s embrace.

When Keith came to join him, he beamed up. He immediately snuggled up to him; Keith wrapped his arms around his middle.

“Is this okay?” Keith asked.

“Perfect.” Lance sighed. Keith’s chest was better than any pillow. “You’re so warm. You smell so nice.”

“I was right not getting an extra blanket, huh? You ditched the extra pillow, too.”

“Was that bad?”

“Oh no, not at all,” Keith said. “I just... thought I’d get it just in case.”

Lance hummed softly against him. “You promised you’ll hold me all night. I want to rest against your chest all night. So, no extra pillow needed.”

“Yeah, makes sense.” Keith breathed a laugh before he murmured, “We aren’t dating, huh?”

“The biggest lie of the century and everyone knows it.” He sighed. “It’s about time we stop saying that. We’ve been dating this whole time.”

“Mmm, we have.”

“Boyfriends.” He tasted the word on his lips; sweet, loving, marvelous.

He didn’t know if Keith gave a response. The excitement of the day had caught up to him.

Lance drifted off to sleep, Keith’s steady heartbeat against him.

+1

All Lance felt was warmth and comfort.

Strong arms embracing him. His hands holding onto a firm chest. The skin-on-skin of tangled legs underneath the blanket. His favorite scent in his nose, soft locks tickling his cheeks. The ghost of a kiss against his hair.

He could stay like this forever; wanted to wake up like this every morning. In his boyfriend’s arms, holding onto him, their limbs tangled. He wanted to fall asleep with Keith every night and explore everything new they haven’t yet.

Eventually, he couldn’t keep sleeping anymore. He stirred awake with a soft moan and blinked up at Keith’s handsome face.

Keith grinned. “Good morning, sunshine.”

“Good morning,” Lance mumbled. He let go of Keith’s shirt with one hand to rub the sleep from his eyes. “This really happened, huh? You held me all night long.”

“Like I promised,” Keith said.

“Mmm. And I got to sleep against your chest all night long.”

“You were pretty excited about that.”

“You have no idea. I’m still excited right now.”

“So, you’re all comfortable?”

“I’m so comfortable. Last night was amazing.” Lance laughed and hid his face against Keith’s chest. He felt shy all of a sudden. “That sounds weird since we didn’t, you know. But just... how you took me home and took care of me even though I was just very tipsy, that was so sweet. You’re so sweet.”

“It was pretty amazing. You really got my brain turn to mush. My soul went right to heaven.”

“Oh, yeah? You got me going to heaven. You’re my—”

“Boyfriend,” Keith finished the sentence with him, his voice nothing but affection and love.

“Boyfriend,” Lance repeated. He giggled and beamed up at Keith, whose eyes shone warmer than a fireplace; his smile was so sweet. “I love this word. I love saying it. I love when you say it. I love you.”

“The feeling is mutual, honey.” He laughed against Lance’s hair. “Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend.”

“Gosh, all that unfiltered babbling would’ve been so embarrassing if you didn’t like me back all along.”

“And I’m lucky I’m so good at letting my instincts autopilot me.” A huff. “You really did shortcircuit my brain a bit there.”

“Well, so did you with mine!” Lance stuck out his tongue briefly, then smiled. “We’re gonna tell everyone now, right? We’ve really been idiots denying it all this time.”

“We’re definitely gonna tell everyone. And idiots sounds about right, I really could’ve smacked myself when I had to go back to the team after our kiss. When I kissed you, after the game. The words kind of slipped out without meaning to.” Keith sighed.

“I was a bit disappointed at first, but I could feel it was just the reflex.” Lance smiled reassuringly. “It all turned out well in the end. Even if I’d wanted to keep kissing you right there.”

“Yeah, same for me. That kiss was just amazing.” Keith smiled, then frowned. “You didn’t mind that I kissed you without a word, right?”

“The kiss was so amazing. And I didn’t mind the surprise, not from you.” He laughed softly. “I mean, I didn’t announce my good luck kiss, either. I hope you didn’t mind.”

“I didn’t mind at all. That kiss was the best motivation boost ever. It just took me a hot second to kiss back because I never expected it.” Keith laughed as well. “That won’t happen again. You’re gonna give me more good luck kisses, right?”

“Mmm, good luck kisses for every match. And I’m very open for more victory kisses.” He grinned, then sighed as he nuzzled closer. “I could stay like this all morning.”

“Trust me, so do I. But we need breakfast.” Keith sighed as well. “And I have training this morning.”

“A breakfast date does sound nice,” Lance said. With a playful edge, he added, “And we can continue our delayed celebrations after you’re done with practice.”

“Oh? You’ll have to tell me all about those celebration plans later.” Keith peppered kisses all over his face. His lips were left tragically ignored. “Let’s get up, then.”

“Aww, come on Keith, my lips are right here.” Lance pouted but couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Though I guess morning breath is a thing.”

“Oh, as if that would stop me if I really wanna kiss you, and if you really wanna kiss me.” A huff of a laugh. “Do you wanna kiss right now?”

“Mmm, a peck at least. We can save more kisses for later.” He kissed his boyfriend’s cheek. “But I really wanna have good morning kisses when we spend the night together from now on. Whether I kiss you first or you kiss me first, both are good.”

“Big agreed. Doesn’t matter how we get there as long as we’re sharing those kisses.” Keith chuckled, and finally leaned in for a peck to his lips. “Good morning, my sunshine.”

“Good morning, my darling.” Lance beamed. “Now we can get ready for breakfast. I need the bathroom before we go.”

“Sure. It’s all yours. My room is all yours. You did call it home last night.” A soft laugh. “If there’s anything you need, let me know.”

“And that goes right back to you with my room, okay?”

Keith smiled. “Yeah.”

They detangled their limbs and got out of bed. Lance went right to the bathroom without closing the door, just like last night.

When he washed his hands, he saw the red and blue toothbrushes in front of the mirror. He realized he’d claimed Keith’s spare toothbrush for himself.

Images of a wholly shared bathroom, a shared apartment, flashed in his mind. All their products lined up in the bath, one bed for two, new additions to the night table.

He couldn’t stop grinning giddily.

When he walked out of the bathroom, Keith was getting changed.

The grin remained on Lance’s face as he walked over to join his boyfriend. He really loved this. Keith’s muscles would be the end of him.

Keith grinned at him. “You okay?”

Well, he’d opened the door for Keith’s teasing himself; last night and when they woke up. He loved this, as well.

“Yes. I really like being so casual and domestic with you. Including when you see me get changed while we’re spending time alone. No need to avert your eyes, okay?” He held Keith’s gaze and summoned all his reassurance into his voice. “You’re my boyfriend, and I’m so comfortable around you. Have been since forever.”

“Okay,” Keith breathed out. “I mean, I know, and I figured last night, and with how you left the bathroom open, too. But I just…”

“You always go the extra mile to make sure I’m comfortable. I know.” He hugged his boyfriend around the torso and kissed his cheek to underline all his affection. “It always makes me feel so warm. Thank you, Keith.”

“I’m happy it can make you happy.” Keith pecked the corner of his lips before the hug was parted. “I prepared a set of clothes for you if you want to wear it. Your binder’s over there, too.”

Lance walked to where Keith pointed. “Oh, that’s one of my favorites from you! It looks amazing on me.”

“It does,” Keith agreed.

“Oh, I know. I studied your reactions to all the clothes I snatched from you, and this combo always got the most appreciative smile.” He laughed. “Makes me feel a bit torn because it’s such a great fit on you.”

“Oh? Maybe I’ll wear it more often again. Any other favorites to note?” Keith asked.

Lance started getting changed. In his periphery, he saw Keith resume putting on a fresh t-shirt.

“I can make you a list, but the short version: your varsity jacket, your jersey, any of the slim-fit Nyadidas sweats. Like the rainbow stripes one. Oh, your hoodies, too.” He huffed. “But I also love wearing those, your jacket and hoodies especially, so that’s a dilemma.”

“You never had my jersey, though,” Keith pointed out.

“Oh, but I always dream about it.”

“Please wear it for my next game.”

“Gosh, yes. I’ll wear it for all your games!” Lance promised.

“That’s the best announcement ever.” Keith grinned at him.

Lance put on his binder and started putting on the fresh t-shirt.

A whisper. “I love you.”

He turned to smile at his boyfriend. “That was very no-filter.”

“I’m known for not having the best brain-to-mouth filter.” Keith reached out to tuck a curl behind his ear. “I’ll be right back, okay? Just a quick stop at the bathroom.”

“Okay,” Lance said, the smile still on his face as he pulled the t-shirt over his head.

He finished getting dressed while his boyfriend was in the bathroom.

A full outfit of boyfriend clothes. A dizzying feeling. And a comfortable choice that made him look amazing despite what he’d always thought about sweats as a fashion choice. Not counting what an eyecatcher Keith, a jock, was in that style.

The slim dark gray sweats made his legs appear even longer, Keith’s preferred style of t-shirts hugged his form nicely without discomfort. They were just a little big on him—in the right parts.

And Keith’s varsity jacket was the cherry on top. Loose and comfy, and the red made him shine.

Boyfriend jacket. He grinned as he slipped his arms into the sleeves.

Lance’s mind went back to the toothbrush. He walked over and leaned through the ajar door to peek in. Keith was just washing his hands. Their eyes met through the mirror.

“Everything okay?” Keith asked.

Lance nodded and stepped in fully. He leaned his back against the door.

“I just wanted to apologize for taking your spare toothbrush. I saw it in that basket last night, all sealed, and it was blue so I kind of…” He laughed softly. “I didn’t even think, I just took it.”

Keith walked over to him and stopped in perfect kissing distance. Lance saw the same thought flash in his boyfriend’s eyes and leaned in to kiss him. They kept it short, but it left Lance’s heart fluttering all the same.

“How convenient they had both red and blue when they had that buy two, pay one deal, huh?” Keith grinned at him, eyes twinkling. “There’s nothing to apologize for here, but you could buy me a new one, for your room. How does that sound?”

Lance laughed at the clear invitation. He just had to hug him.

“I’ll buy it right this afternoon. Actually…” He returned the grin. “We should go together. We could buy another thing or two.”

Keith huffed a laugh. “Definitely up for that.”

They walked out of the bathroom. Lance watched as Keith took the special hair tie from the night table to wear it on his wrist again. His heart jumped up and down.

When they both had their shoes on, Keith asked, “Ready to go?”

“Yep. Let’s go.”

They left the room and held hands the whole way to the dining hall. They only let go to load food onto their trays and carry them securely. When they sat down next to each other, their knees bumped under the tabletop.

They started eating in silence until Keith asked, “Wanna come watch us train?”

“Why do you even have practice right after winning the cup? This has been every year, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Kolivan doesn’t send us off for mid-season break nor close-season until a day or two later.” Keith shrugged. “That’s just how he rolls. Suits me just fine.”

“Makes sense since you train in your free time, too.”

“So, will you come?”

“You sure it’s okay if I watch?”

“He never said anything about closed training.” Keith shrugged again, then held Lance’s gaze when he said, “I’d be happy if my boyfriend is there to cheer for me.”

Lance smiled, warmth spreading through his chest. “You know how much I adore watching my boyfriend on the soccer field.”

Keith smiled back. “Awesome.”

For the rest of the meal, they went back to a comfortable silence. They’d still have all the time in the world to talk later. For now, this was perfect.

When they were done eating, they walked back to their floor together and went for their own rooms to get ready. Lance tried to make his skincare routine as short as possible while still being thorough about it.

Keith was already waiting by the door.

Lance beamed when Keith took his hand and kissed his cheek.

They shared a proper kiss in front of the locker rooms before Keith had to go get changed. When they parted, Lance watched him disappear through the door before he walked to find a good place to stand by the side of the field.

He watched the soccer players trickle onto the field and start jogging laps like they always did to warm up. Keith jogged off track to meet him. Lance’s heart skipped a beat when his boyfriend kissed him deeply.

With his eyes closed, Lance began to forget about his surroundings, losing himself in the sensation of Keith’s lips moving against his. The kiss was softer than when Keith had kissed him after the game, more sensual instead of adrenaline-fueled, but Lance could still feel the fire that was ever-burning inside Keith. He loved it.

He could’ve stayed like this forever, but the shrill sound of a whistle brought him back to reality. Lance badly wanted to follow Keith’s lips when he pulled back, but he knew it wasn’t the right time and place.

Even so, they gazed into each other’s eyes while Kolivan yelled, “No kissing your boyfriend during training! That’s one extra lap for you, Keith!”

Keith glanced over his shoulder to yell back, “Sorry, Kolivan! I’ll be right back!”

But instead of jogging off, he leaned right back in to press his lips against Lance’s.

Though he couldn’t hide the giddy smile, Lance tried to sound strict when he said, “Don’t get yourself into trouble because of me, you’re the captain.”

“You’re worth it,” Keith said with a grin, and as if to prove a point, he stole another peck.

Keith was still grinning when he finally turned away to return to the warm-up, and Lance felt warm all over because he had caused this. He was the reason he got to see this happiness written all over Keith’s face, the same joy he felt himself.

Kolivan announced loudly that Keith had to run not only one, but three extra laps now. Lance could see the grin never left Keith’s face as he resumed his warm-up.

The voices of the soccer players carried over to Lance.

“What did we tell you about PDA?” one of the guys said in a mock-scold.

“Sorry, guys, my boyfriend is just too irresistible. His kisses energize me better than coffee.”

Lance’s heart skipped a beat once more when he heard Keith’s words. Hearing him say it so casually now: he was Keith’s boyfriend. Keith called him irresistible, maybe because Lance was wearing his jacket and a full outfit from his wardrobe. Gosh, Lance was floating off to seventh heaven right there.

“Oh? What’s this? No more denying?”

“Nope, we stopped being idiots.”

A chorus of voices all over the field called, “It was about time.”

Lance nearly started laughing. He wondered just when the soccer team had begun to see he and Keith were clearly head over heels in love with each other. Maybe he could bribe the information from them one day, just to satisfy his curiosity.

Watching the team practice was the same as always, the way they stuck to routine as they worked on agility; practiced different scenarios that could happen in a match. Lance could watch them forever. Of course, his eyes always followed his boyfriend. He clapped and cheered for him whenever he pulled off a cool move.

Later, Keith confessed to Lance he’d always been his biggest motivation. Especially now, with the red and blue stars hair tie. Because they were together, officially.

Lance couldn’t wait till he, as well, could announce it to the whole world. Finally, there was no more denying.